Sad story, but what the hell are you thinking when you're sailing a yacht through the most vicious waters known to man at the moment?
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4 American hostages killed by Pirates in Somalia
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Originally posted by Jayster View PostNot helping the situation since 1965!
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my link doesn;'t work, here's the article-
Quote:
Four Americans aboard yacht captured by pirates reportedly killedNEWSCORE
Last Updated: 3:18 PM, February 22, 2011
Posted: 8:55 AM, February 22, 2011
Comments: 84 More Print Four Americans aboard a yacht seized by pirates were killed by their captors off the coast of Somalia on Tuesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
US forces aboard four US Navy warships had been monitoring the captured vessel -- the S/V Quest -- for approximately three days and had been taking part in negotiations to secure the release of the four Americans. Two pirates boarded the USS Sterett to participate in negotiations. It was unclear if any ransom was offered to the pirates.
As the talks continued Tuesday, the pirates aboard the yacht fired a rocket-propelled grenade toward the USS Sterett "with absolutely no warning," Vice Adm. Mark Fox, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, said in a telephone briefing. Gunfire then erupted inside the yacht's cabin, after which pirates appeared on the deck of the yacht and moved toward the bow with their hands in the air to surrender.
AP In this June 11, 2005 photo provided by Joe Grande, Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle are seen on a yacht in Bodega Bay, Calif. Macay and Riggle, both of Seattle, are reportedly on the yacht Quest, hijacked by Somali pirates Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 off the coast of Oman. The Quest's owners, Scott and Jean Adam of California, are also onboard.see more videosUS Special Operations Forces boarded the yacht by small boat and discovered the four American hostages had been shot.
"Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds," CENTCOM said in a statement.
The US forces killed one pirate with a firearm and another with a knife as they cleared the yacht. The remains of two other pirates were discovered aboard the Quest.
Thirteen pirates were captured by US forces. CENTCOM said it believed 19 pirates were involved in the hijacking of the Quest.
The hijacked yacht was reportedly heading for the pirate coast of Somalia, after being seized Friday afternoon 240 nautical miles off the coast of Oman.
The yacht's owners, Californians Jean and Scott Adam, and two others, Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, from Seattle, were on board. The Adams have been sailing around the world for more than seven years on a 10-year mission to deliver Bibles. The yacht was en route to Oman from India when it was seized.
Nina Crossland, Macay's niece, called her aunt "a very smart and avid sailor." Crossland said her family understood that if the hostages were brought to shore in Somalia, "it was going to be a really bad situation."
"We also understood that the Navy was doing their best to prevent them from getting to shore, and that gave us a little more hope," she said. "Unfortunately, there was commotion on the ship that didn't involve the Navy at the time that started all of this."
The White House said Tuesday that President Barack Obama authorized the use of force against the pirates if the hostages faced an imminent threat. Obama was notified at 4:42am ET by White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan that the hostages had been killed.
Vice Adm. Fox said Tuesday that while the US and other nations were patrolling the seas to help maintain the free movement of vessels, he said pirate activity had extended across a vast swath of ocean, adding, "There's a lot of places where we are not."
"There were explicit warnings to mariners about the regions, the dangers and the pirate activity in this area," Fox said.
Fox said there were no reported injuries to US naval personnel or damage to US ships during the incidentNot helping the situation since 1965!
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Originally posted by atomic charvel guy View PostAs the talks continued Tuesday, the pirates aboard the yacht fired a rocket-propelled grenade toward the USS Sterett "with absolutely no warning," Vice Adm. Mark Fox, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, said in a telephone briefing. Gunfire then erupted inside the yacht's cabin, after which pirates appeared on the deck of the yacht and moved toward the bow with their hands in the air to surrender.
About time the Royal Navy started sinking pirate ships and machine-gunning survivors in the water, not being poncy and scared about violating their Human Rights.So I woke up,rolled over and who was lying next to me? Only Bonnie Langford!
I nearly broke her back
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We were talking about this the other day, and my Navy officer neighbors said that carrying the kind of weapons that would be effective against these pirates could complicate things bigtime in foreign ports, and especially if you get boarded by their Coast Guards. No-win situation.
I agree w/ Rsmacker. The only way to go here is complete brutality. People will whine about it, but it'll save the most lives in the long run, including Somalis (if they get the message).Last edited by dg; 02-24-2011, 03:01 PM.
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i'm all for swift and brutal justice, or would it be vengeance in this case? i don't know.
but at the same time, i cannot for the life of me justify what these people were doing.
you're cruising in a yacht trying to spread "the word" in the most attrocious waters that you could possibly want to navigate in. it's suicide, nothing less.
There's not many openings for hedge fund mangers in Somalia, so they have to take any work they can get. take being the key word here. if that was my yacht, i'd have kept it along the coast out here in southern cal, and spread the word out here instead. that's just me though.Not helping the situation since 1965!
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Sad story, but some people don't want to live their life in fear, so they assume the risk I guess.
But with all the publicity on these pirates in that area, about the only worse place to be would be handing out bibles while hiking in the mountains of afghanistan.Jackson KV2
Jackson KE1T
Jackson KE1F
Jackson SL1
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[QUOTE=Larz;1413169]Sad story, but some people don't want to live their life in fear, so they assume the risk I guess.
i agree it is a sad story, but there is not wanting to live in fear, and then there is bad judgemment calls, and this one is definitely the latter.Not helping the situation since 1965!
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