Capt.Richard Phillips: "God Bless America"

Only a week ago, Capt. Richard Phillips was in a lifeboat being held hostage by Somali pirates.

Yesterday, thanks to the U.S. military, he returned home to his family.

From the Burlington Free Press:

Former pirate captive Capt. Richard Phillips returned to Vermont on Friday afternoon and walked directly into the arms of his family.

The merchant seaman, an Underhill resident, endured five days at the hands of hijackers on a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean before his rescue by U.S. Navy sharpshooters on Easter.

Reportedly a private man, Phillips stepped into the limelight when he descended the corporate jet’s ramp at 4:30 p.m. at Burlington International Airport.

He was quick to praise those who released him from captivity.

“The first people I want to thank are the (Navy) Seals,” he said. “They’re the superheroes; they’re the titans. They’re impossible men, doing an impossible job, and they did the impossible with me.”

...Phillips looked relaxed and rested after his long flight from Mombasa, Kenya. Including brief refueling stops in Malta and Santiago, Spain, the trip took about 18 hours in a Bombardier jet owned by Phillips’ employer, Maersk Line Ltd.

After a brief family reunion inside the Heritage Flight terminal — and away from the cameras — Phillips re-emerged with his wife, Andrea; his son and daughter, Daniel and Mariah; and his mother, Virginia Phillips.

Andrea Phillips stepped to a microphone-studded lectern and spoke first, thanking neighbors and well-wishers nationwide for their prayers and support.

The captain came next. He downplayed his role in the highly publicized hijacking of his ship, the Maersk Alabama, on April 8 by Somali pirates.

“I’m just a bit part in this story,” he said during a short appearance on the tarmac. “I’m a small part; I’m a seaman doing the best he can like all the other seamen out there.”

The freighter’s crew, he added, contributed to the success of the rescue operation simply by staying alive.

“We did it,” Phillips said. “We did what we were trained to do.”

The couple ended their short news conference with the words “God Bless America!”

Barely 30 minutes after Phillips’ landing, a Vermont State Police trooper escorted the family back home.

A Maersk spokesman who spoke on condition of anonymity said neighbors and family had prepared for the homecoming with a chicken-pot-pie dinner, cold beer and a batch of brownies. Company officials have not discussed when Phillips might return to work, nor when he might reunite with his crew, the spokesman said.

The homecoming dinner for Phillips must have been such a joyous gathering. After five long days of excruciating uncertainty, the ordeal is officially over with Phillips back at home.

He, his family, and friends are reunited. They'll no doubt give thanks for their blessings.

Phillips is an American hero.

He risked his life to save his crew.

And like most real heroes, he downplays the significance of what he did.

He recognizes that he owes his life to the Navy SEALs, their bravery and incredible skill.

Phillips said, "Once again, I'm not a hero. The military is. Thank them whenever you see them. The military did it. Thank you. God bless America."

You can tell he means it. That's a heartfelt statement. Phillips is a man to be admired.

He reminds us that America is a land of many quiet heroes.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Reporter Mike Taibbi concludes:

You gotta like him. Today, President Obama let it be known that he plans to meet with Phillips and his crew and rescuers, but no date has been set for that meeting. Like everyone else, the president will have to wait for the Capt. to decide when the time is right.

I can understand Phillips wanting time to be with his family. When he was captive and his life was hanging in the balance, I'm sure he was praying he'd see his family again. I doubt he was thinking about meeting with Obama.

Obama can wait.

Chris Matthews, the Navy SEALS, and Luck

On Monday's edition of Hardball, Chris Matthews raised the notion of luck rather than skill to account for the success of the Navy SEALs in rescuing Capt. Richard Phillips from the Somali pirates.



Transcript

MATTHEWS: Well, let‘s stick to the day-to-day. I‘m fascinated by process, what it has to do with execution, because I‘ve seen presidencies fail. Desert One failed. It was an operation to get those hostages out of Iran. It failed.

TODD: Right. It failed.

MATTHEWS: It was tragic, what happened, tragic for the people involved. Let me ask this about luck.

TODD: Yes.

MATTHEWS: People who have a reputation for luck are easy to follow into battle. People with bad a reputation or with those who—clearly bad luck don‘t get followed into battle. Is the luck of this, with the three snipers—or the snipers hit the three targets just directly and lethally going to be part of this story, just the fabulous execution, literally, of these pirates?

TODD: Well, let‘s remember what you hear a lot of folks say about luck is that you got to work hard in order to get to a point where luck goes your way. It‘s not as if you get lucky when you do—when you‘re not prepared for something, so—and obviously, these Navy SEALs, they trained for this. They operationally were planning for this. The fact that they convinced these guys in negotiation to be towed out to—farther out to sea—which, by the way, should have been the first sign that these pirates had that you know what, their goose is cooked...

MATTHEWS: Yes.

TODD: ... the minute they were sort of agreeing, and suddenly, you‘re allowing—you‘re allowing the SEALs to have more time to assess their target and start studying this thing and just actually having an actual tether to be connected to these guys—that was certainly a big step.

I think, in some ways, it‘s unfair to the Navy SEALs to just chalk this up to luck or unfair to the president to chalk it up to luck because there was a lot of preparation that was put into putting them in a position where everything could go their way.

Even lib Chuck Todd can't bring himself to chalk up to luck the successful killing of the pirates to secure the safety of Capt. Phillips. He's willing to give the SEALs credit for their remarkable skill.

Maybe Matthews' intent wasn't to diss the Navy SEALs as much as it was to elevate Obama. He's a god to Matthews. Perhaps he wanted to emphasize Obama's divine nature and highlight the miraculous things that happen when Obama's will is done.

Teen Pirates

Turns out some of the Somali pirate thugs and murderers are in their teens.

So what?

Is that supposed to change how we view them?

Are we supposed to not view them as terrorists? They're just mixed up kids, victims of their poor upbringing?

I don't think so.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. officials, in deciding how to handle the lone surviving pirate from the hostage-taking of an American ship captain, must weigh the violence of the suspect's actions against his surprisingly young age.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday the four pirates were between 17 and 19 years old.

Authorities had previously put the surviving Somali suspect's age at somewhere from 16 to 20. He surrendered Sunday, leaving a covered lifeboat where he and three other pirates had been holding merchant Capt. Richard Phillips hostage. Shortly after his surrender, the three others were killed by snipers. Phillips was rescued unharmed.


"Untrained teenagers with heavy weapons," Gates told a group of students and faculty at the Marine Corps War College. "Everybody in the room knows the consequences of that."

U.S. officials are now considering whether to bring the unidentified suspect to the United States or possibly turn him over to Kenya. If he is brought to the U.S., he'd most likely be put on trial in New York or Washington.

Both piracy and hostage-taking carry life prison sentences under U.S. law.

Federal judges don't see many defendants younger than 18, said New Orleans-based lawyer Sandra Jenkins, who has handled such cases.

"It's very rare," said Jenkins. "And usually, it's juveniles with adults involved, meaning a juvenile is charged with an adult or a group of adults."

In deciding when to charge a minor in federal court, the law requires officials to consider "the age and social background of the juvenile," as well as the nature of the offense.

Verifying the background of this particular teenager may be difficult to impossible. Somalia has suffered nearly 20 years of anarchy, ruled chaotically by rival clans employing pickup trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns.

...Jo Becker, a D.C.-based advocate for Human Rights Watch, said if the pirate suspect is in fact 16 or 17 years old, "he would certainly be entitled to protections under international law that allow for lower culpability of juveniles involved in crimes."

Becker says international law recognizes that people under 18 are "less developed, less mature, and more easily manipulated by adults."

Ideally, Becker said, an underage suspect would be tried in a juvenile court, with special protections given his age. "He would need to have access to family members. Throughout the whole process, there needs to be a special view to his rehabilitation," she added.

Kenneth Randall, dean of the University of Alabama School of Law, said the suspect's age may not affect where or how he is charged, but is likely to impact his eventual sentence.

"When it comes to international attention, they do have to be mindful of the mitigating circumstances of his age," said Randall.

What does Gates want? Would he like to organize midnight basketball for these teens, to keep them out of trouble?

This pirate thug isn't a child. He knew what he was doing was wrong.

Had he not surrendered due to his wound, had he not sought medical care from the U.S., he would have been in that lifeboat and probably killed by a sniper.

It isn't a minor offense to demand millions of dollars in ransom and hold innocent people hostage. It's not like he was stealing a loaf of bread to feed his hungry siblings.

He knew the consequences.

Growing up poor or being poorly trained in using heavy weapons is absolutely no excuse.

I wonder if the so-called human rights organizations will condemn Obama for giving the orders to use lethal force on teenagers.

Was this Really Obama's Military Victory?

Regarding the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips, did Obama act boldly or did he engage in CYA, doing what his lawyers told him to do?

BLACKFIVE explains:

[Obama] did affirm the military's authorization to use force if the captain's life was in danger, but they already would have had that authorization as part of their standard rules of engagement. If there are innocents about to be slaughtered the same reasoning that authorizes self defense also covers an imminent execution unless the ROE specifically forbid it.The AP is making it sound like there was an active rescue ordered by the President. It was not, there was an imminent threat and the local commander gave the order to fire. Good on Obama for ensuring their authorization was clear, but let's also be clear that he did not authorize or order an active rescue attempt.

From Politico:

Obama's involvement in the decision to authorize lethal force was legally required, officials said, because it was a hostage situation, not combat, and unrelated to the already authorized U.S. effort against Al Qaeda and other terror groups, officials said.

“It’s not a combat operation, so the lawyers wanted to ensure this was done right," said a second defense official.

...A timeline provided by the White House showed he issued the orders to use force at 8 p.m. Friday, and again at 9:20 a.m. Saturday, after new Navy forces moved on to the scene. In both cases, he was first briefed by the National Security Council for an update on the situation.

So while Capt. Richards was being held hostage by pirates threatening to kill him, Obama was talking to his lawyers and signing two separate documents to ensure that the rescue was "done right."

Check with the lawyers. Always check with the lawyers. CYA.

Thank God the Navy snipers performed so magnificently.

They were successful in shooting the three pirates in the head simultaneously, killing them, and freeing Richards. Their skill is incredible.

While Obama was talking with his lawyers, the military stood ready to act. Thank God for our military.

Gutfeld: Pirates and Guns

Greg Gutfeld uses the Somali pirate mess to illustrate why good people need guns.

He writes:

So I think we can all admit that what happened Sunday off the African coast was kinda awesome. Of course, it’s not that I needed to be reminded that we have the most badass military alive - it’s that I like being reminded of it.

What those snipers did is absolutely incredible.

I'm so proud of our military.

But last week, as I watched the situation unfold from Studio D (a comfy perch protected by armed security) I couldn’t help but be reminded of one simple fact that led to this event: the unarmed are always vulnerable to the armed.

And that made me realize that this ship is no different than a shopping mall or college campus - it’s a place where people congregate or work - all operating under the assumption that we live in a sane world where if you just live your life, people won’t kill you.

Not always. In a free world, we forget how easy it is for thugs and psychopaths to take advantage of that freedom.

Which is why good people need guns.

It's true that a good person with a gun could stop the bloodshed and save lives if he or she were on the scene when a thug and/or psychopath decided it was time to go on a killing spree and commit mass murder.

I mean, how can a tanker that size - it’s a town on water - be so vulnerable to a pack of underweight thugs?

The underweight thugs had guns.

Seriously - I don’t get the argument against arming a few folks on planes, ships and campuses. If bozos like me in the media are protected by armed dudes at every turnstile, why can’t we have the same for undergrads or seamen?

I also get the argument that no employee of a company needs to risk his life to protect cargo that isn’t his. But tell that to Brinks. They drive around with far less valuable stuff - and they’re armed to the hilt. And come on - if you had a relative on a ship, or working at a mall, for that matter - you’d want to know they’re safe.

So Sunday was truly an amazing day for America and our military. But let’s try preventing this crap from happening again. A three inch 50 caliber might be a start. I hear it goes great with a cable knit sweater and a pea coat.

A gun is an equalizer. No question about it.

The skrawny Somali pirates temporarily rendered the greatest military power on earth powerless, because they had guns and we believe in saving innocent life.

I'm not so sure about a three inch 50 caliber looking good with a cable knit sweater and a pea coat, but sometimes it is better to feel good than to look good.

Obama: Halt the Rise of Privacy

When President Bush slipped up on a word, he was pilloried.

When Obama does it, it's not considered more than what it is -- a slip of the tongue.

Double standard.



Transcript

BARACK OBAMA: I want to take a moment to say how pleased I am about the rescue of Captain Phillips and his safe return to the USS Boxer this weekend. (Applause.) His safety has been our principal concern, and I know this came as a welcome relief to his family and his crew.

I had a chance to talk to his wife yesterday and, as she put it, she couldn't imagine a better Easter than seeing his safe return. And I am very proud of the efforts of the U.S. military and many other departments and agencies that worked tirelessly to resolve this situation. I share our nation's admiration for Captain Phillips' courage and leadership and selfless concern for his crew.

And I want to be very clear that we are resolved to halt the rise of privacy [sic] in that region. And to achieve that goal we're going to have to continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, we have to continue to be prepared to confront them when they arise, and we have to ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes.

Got that?

Obama wants to be very clear.

His administration is "resolved to halt the rise of privacy in that region."

PRIVACY, not to be confused with piracy.

Hey, Letterman! Leno!

Here's some material for an Obama joke.

Capt. Phillips Freed, 3 Somali Pirates Killed

It was a victory for America and a defeat for the Somali pirates.

Capt. Richard Phillips was freed and the pirates didn't get their ransom. They got killed.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Navy SEAL snipers on the fantail of a destroyer cut down three Somali pirates in a lifeboat and rescued an American sea captain on Easter Sunday. The surprise nighttime assault in choppy seas ended a five-day standoff between a team of rogue gunmen and the world's most powerful military.

It was a stunning conclusion to an Indian Ocean odyssey that began when 53-year-old freighter Capt. Richard Phillips was taken hostage Wednesday by pirates who tried to hijack the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama. The Vermont native was held on a tiny lifeboat that began drifting precariously toward Somalia's anarchic, gun-plagued shores.

The operation, personally approved by President Barack Obama, quashed fears the saga could drag on for months and marked a victory for the U.S., which for days seemed powerless to resolve the crisis despite massing helicopter-equipped warships at the scene.

Negotiations with the three pirates were growing heated, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said.

One of them pointed an AK-47 at the back of Phillips, who was tied up and in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot, Gortney said. Navy snipers took aim at the pirates' heads and shoulders, he said.

The lifeboat was about 25-30 yards away and was being towed by the Bainbridge at the time, he said. The pirates had agreed to the tow to move the powerless lifeboat out of rough water.

A fourth pirate surrendered after boarding the Bainbridge earlier in the day and could face life in a U.S. prison. He had been seeking medical attention for a wound to his hand and was negotiating with U.S. officials on conditions for Phillips' release, military officials said.

The rescue was a dramatic blow to the pirates who have preyed on international shipping and hold more than a dozen ships with about 230 foreign sailors. But it is unlikely to do much to quell the region's growing pirate threat, which has transformed one of the world's busiest shipping lanes into one of its most dangerous. It also risked provoking retaliatory attacks.

Retaliation?

The pirates were in the wrong.

The dead aren't victims. They aren't martyrs. They lived like thugs and died like thugs.

I'm so proud of the skill and bravery of our Navy SEALs. I am so thankful that the family of Capt. Phillips is looking forward to his joyous return rather than planning his funeral.

...Abdullahi Lami, one of the pirates holding the Greek ship anchored in the Somali town of Gaan, said: "Every country will be treated the way it treats us. In the future, America will be the one mourning and crying," he told The Associated Press. "We will retaliate (for) the killings of our men."

Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old self-proclaimed pirate, told the AP from one of Somalia's piracy hubs, Eyl, that: "From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them (the hostages)."

"Now they became our number one enemy," Habeb said of U.S. forces.

Abdullahi Lami is a bad guy. He and his colleagues are pirates.

He talks as if the U.S. actions were unjustified and the Somalis were victims. The Somali pirates were just doing their jobs.

From the Wall Street Journal:

Reuters quoted a pirate it called "Hussein" yesterday saying that "The French and Americans will regret starting this killing. We do not kill, but take only ransom. We shall do something to anyone we see as French or American from now on."

Yes, the pirates are a peaceful lot. They only take ransom. They don't kill.

Right. Literally holding a gun to an innocent person's head isn't a typical business transaction.

Adm. Rick Gurnon, head of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, describes the pirates' "business model."

"The pirates have a great business model that works for them: See ships, take ransom, make millions," he told reporters.

The pirates' "business model" wouldn't work unless the threat of great physical harm and death were part of it.

I don't see how anyone can seriously discuss the pirates' actions as if they're businessmen. They're terrorists.

(Read a great column by Joe Queenan on the new administration's new war terminology: "War By Any Other Name." Spot-on.)

This situation is resolved. It was resolved successfully, but not peacefully. Capt. Phillips is alive. But the crisis isn't over. The U.S. now must exhibit resolve.

In "Saving Captain Phillips," the Wall Street Journal makes the case for a continued display of U.S. strength.

The Easter Sunday rescue of cargo ship Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates is a tribute to his personal bravery and the skill and steel nerves of the U.S. Navy. Now the Obama Administration has an obligation to punish and deter these lawless raiders so they'll never again risk taking a U.S.-flagged ship or an American crew.

The story of Captain Phillips and the Maersk Alabama is full of the kind of divine providence or good luck that can't always be counted on. Not every merchant marine vessel will have a crew that fights back against armed raiders, or a captain willing to trade his own safety for that of his crew. It's also fortunate the U.S. Navy arrived before the pirates could make it back to land, where they would have been much harder to track down.

We can be grateful that the pirates exposed themselves long enough for U.S. Special Forces to shoot and kill three of them and free Captain Phillips. Any such rescue carries risks, as we saw when a passenger was killed during the weekend French rescue of a pirated pleasure boat off Somalia. Patience was rewarded in the U.S. case, but also so was preparation and the willingness to act when Navy officials say Captain Phillips appeared to be in "imminent danger."

White House and Navy officials say President Obama had issued a general authorization to use force in these circumstances, and that is to his credit. With all the world watching, the U.S. Navy couldn't afford to be long stymied by sea-faring kidnappers. No doubt Mr. Obama would have been criticized in some quarters -- though not by us -- had Captain Phillips been killed once the order was given to shoot the pirates. But that is the kind of decision that has to be left with commanders on the spot. The pirates made themselves potential targets of deadly force under the law of the sea the second they took Captain Phillips hostage.

A fourth pirate was captured, and we hope the Justice Department tries him under U.S. laws rather than transfer him to Kenyan control. Better still if he's transferred to Guantanamo and held as an "enemy combatant," or whatever the Obama Administration prefers to call terrorists.

Last week, I was criticized for saying Obama "has to make it clear that he's continuing President Bush's approach. It's a mistake to mess with the U.S. Those who do will suffer the consequences."

Turns out, that's the approach Obama chose to take. Sometimes, apologizing to the world, talking down America, and promising not to be arrogant, dismissive, and derisive, won't get the job done.

We know that Obama authorized the use of deadly force TWICE.

The Washington Post is praising Obama's handling of the incident. It's deemed a military victory for Obama.

I support Obama's orders, though I think it was a big mistake for him to fail to address the matter when asked by the press.

As president, he is the "comforter in chief" during times of crisis and tragedy. I think he should have said a few words, just a few words, like "Capt. Phillips is in our prayers."

Obama needs to learn what to say and when to say it. In this matter, he failed on that count.

But I give him credit for showing the spine to have the Somali pirates killed to save Capt. Phillips. He didn't let the Somalis mess with the U.S.

This was a very small "overseas contingency operation," but significant.

Obama will issue orders to kill.
__________________

Raw: Navy Releases Video of Captain Richard Phillips After Rescue

Somali Pirates: What Will Obama Do?

What will Obama do?

That is the question.

FOX News analysis

Washington Post analysis

I think he'll continue to do what he's been doing:

Sit out by Sasha and Malia's swing set

Eat Chris Sommers' pizza with that great cornmeal crust

OBAMA, SAY SOMETHING ABOUT PIRACY

Obama is supposed to be such a great politician.

Well, this politician for the ages is making some enormous missteps by making no public statements about the Somali pirates and the hostage crisis.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama has declined for a second day to answer questions about the Somali piracy standoff.

Reporters asked the president about the situation at the end of a White House meeting Friday with his economic advisers. Obama did not answer.

...Obama also brushed aside questions Thursday when reporters sought his reaction on the incident.

Other U.S. and White House officials have offered assurances that the administration is working to resolve the situation peacefully.

What the hell is Obama's problem?

Everybody is following this standoff, the world is watching, and Obama thinks it's acceptable for him to refuse to make any comments about it?

It's a shocking display of arrogance. He seems so out of touch and aloof.

What's he afraid of?

Can't he relay just a few words of concern for Capt. Richard Phillips' safety and offer prayers for his family? That certainly wouldn't impact any on-going negotiations.

Maybe Obama can throw in a brief statement about the crisis during his weekly address.

At this point, Obama is already days late in commenting. Too late.
___________________

UPDATE: Weekly Address

Obama urges cooperation on global threats

President Barack Obama invoked Christian and Jewish holidays on Saturday to urge nations to confront together the challenges he saw firsthand during last week's marathon trip to Europe.

Obama said no single nation can solve the problems stemming from the financial meltdown, climate change and nuclear weapons. Fresh from his first trip overseas as president, Obama asked Americans — and a global audience — to focus on areas of common interest instead of differences.

"These are challenges that no single nation, no matter how powerful, can confront alone," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. "The United States must lead the way. But our best chance to solve these unprecedented problems comes from acting in concert with other nations."

Obama pointed to his London meeting with leaders of the G-20 nations — a gathering that represented 85 percent of the global economy — where he pressed for increased regulation and economic stimulus. He also noted his attendance at the NATO summit in France to discuss strategy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as his speeches against nuclear weapons in the Czech Republic and about faith divisions in Turkey.

All are big-picture priorities for the young administration and most have general support among Obama's U.S. constituents.

"With all that is at stake today, we cannot afford to talk past one another. We can't afford to allow old differences to prevent us from making progress in areas of common concern," Obama said. "We can't afford to let walls of mistrust stand. Instead, we have to find — and build on — our mutual interests. For it is only when people come together, and seek common ground, that some of that mistrust can begin to fade. And that is where progress begins."

Still nothing about Capt. Richard Phillips and the Somali pirates.

Just the same old platitudes.

John Kerry: Pirate Hearings

Pirate hearings. Yeah, that's the ticket.

From The Hill:

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee called for hearings on the mounting piracy threat as the fate of an American cargo-ship captain remained in limbo Thursday.

"These acts of piracy off of Somalia’s coastline may seem surreal, but they’re all too real and a thorough policy debate is long overdue," said Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in a statement. "When Americans, including at least one from Massachusetts, are endangered, you’ve got a complicated and dangerous international situation brewing, and that includes questions about a hot-pursuit policy on Somalia’s coastline."

..."There have been more than 50 attacks in the area this year alone and the problem isn’t going away," Kerry said. "I plan to hold hearings to further examine the growing threat of piracy and all the policy options that need to be on the table before the next fire drill becomes an international incident with big implications.”

John Kerry wants to hold pirate hearings.

Terrific. I feel so much better.

I don't expect the pirate hearings to happen anytime soon. I believe the Leftists consider hearings on the crimes of Dick Cheney to be the top priority at the moment.

Obama and Somali Pirates: The Apology

I think I know why Barack Obama declined to comment on the American being held hostage by Somali pirates.

When asked by members of the press for his thoughts, Obama refused.

WASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuters) -- U.S. President Barack Obama declined to answer reporters' questions on Thursday on a hostage crisis off the coast of Somalia, where a U.S. ship captain is being held captive by pirates.

Obama was asked to comment on the situation several times by reporters at a White House event on refinancing for homeowners. Obama, however, stuck closely to the script and replied that he wanted to remain focused on housing.

Nothing?

Not one word?

Why?

Because Obama wants to pick the right time and place to deliver his most sincere apology to the pirates.

Here is a draft of Obama's apology to the Somali thugs, provided by an Obama aide on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation:

BARACK OBAMA: In America, there is a failure to appreciate Somali pirates' leading role in the world.

Instead of celebrating your dynamic presence and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive.

America has made mistakes and has its flaws.

We're a country of different backgrounds and races and religions that have come together around a set of shared ideals. And we are still a place where anybody has a chance to make it if they try. If that wasn't true, then somebody named Barack Hussein Obama would not be elected president of the United States of America.

Somali pirates, I invite you to join me. Take your place, as global citizens, in our effort to change the world. Work with me.

So let me say this as clearly as I can -- the United States is not and will never be at war with Somali pirates.

We will listen carefully, we will bridge misunderstanding, and we will seek common ground. We will be respectful, even when we do not agree. And we will convey our deep appreciation for Somali pirates, who have done so much to shape the world -- including in my own country.

I'm not naïve. This goal will not be reached quickly—perhaps not in my lifetime. It will take patience and persistence.

Somali pirates, you must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change. Yes, we can.

I'm not really comfortable with Obama's apology to the pirates.

Personally, I don't think Obama's new tone is a good one.

Capt. Richard Phillips

Capt. Richard Phillips did a heroic thing when he offered himself as a hostage to secure the safety of his ship's crew.

NAIROBI, Kenya -- A U.S. destroyer on Thursday reached the waters where Somali pirates held the American captain of a hijacked cargo ship that was later retaken by the crew in an hours-long high seas drama.

The pirates took Capt. Richard Phillips as a hostage as they escaped into a lifeboat Wednesday in the first such attack on American sailors in around 200 years.

...Phillips' family was gathered at his Vermont farmhouse, anxiously watching news reports and taking telephone calls from the U.S. State Department to learn if he would be freed.

"We are on pins and needles," said Gina Coggio, 29, half-sister of Phillips' wife, Andrea, as she stood on the porch of his one-story house Wednesday in a light snow. "I know the crew has been in touch with their own family members, and we're hoping we'll hear from Richard soon."

Phillips surrendered himself to the pirates to secure the safety of the crew, Coggio said.

"What I understand is that he offered himself as the hostage," she said. "That is what he would do. It's just who he is and his response as a captain."

What a brave man!

My thoughts are with Capt. Phillips and his family. This must be torture for them.

I hope the Somali thugs surrender and Capt. Phillips is quickly reunited with his family.

After he is freed, I hope the Obama administration sends a firm message to the pirates and to the world that this lawlessness will not be tolerated.

And no, a UN resolution condemning the Somali pirates will not suffice.

Unilaterally, Obama needs to show that he's not a wimp and an appeaser. He must start displaying a backbone, something he failed to do with the North Korean rocket launch.

He has to make it clear that he's continuing President Bush's approach. It's a mistake to mess with the U.S. Those who do will suffer the consequences.

This calls for an Overseas Contingency Operation.

Somali Pirates v. the United States of America

UPDATE: U.S. Officials: American Warships Heading to Hijack Scene
__________________

Barack Obama, Somali pirates tried to hijack a U.S. ship and are currently holding its captain hostage in a smaller boat.

What are you, commander in chief, going to do about it?

NAIROBI, Kenya -- The American crew of a hijacked U.S.-flagged ship retook control of the vessel from Somali pirates Wednesday but the captain was still being held hostage, according to Pentagon officials and a member of the crew.

The crew member told The Associated Press that the 20-member crew had managed to seize one pirate and then successfully negotiate their own release.

The man, who picked up the ship's satellite phone but did not identify himself, told the AP in a brief conversation that the crew had retaken control of the ship and the pirates were in a lifeboat. But the man also said that they were holding the ship's captain hostage.

The news came hours after Pentagon officials said the crew had retaken the vessel from the Somali pirates who seized it far off the Horn of Africa.

President Barack Obama was following the situation closely, foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough said.

The ship was carrying emergency food relief to Mombasa, Kenya, when it was hijacked, the Copenhagen-based container shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk said.

...Maersk Line Limited CEO John F. Reinhart said the vessel's manifest showed it was carrying 401 containers of food aid bound for Africa from USAID, Serving God Ministries, the World Food Program and Catholic Relief.

Hear that world?

Our ship was bound for Africa, carrying food aid from USAID, Serving God Ministries, the World Food Program and Catholic Relief.

The U.S. was bringing aid, not acting in a hostile manner, not bullying or threatening.

And to all you religion bashers and critics of people of faith--

Serving God Ministries and Catholic Relief were sending food to Africa. Please admit that's a noble mission.

I suppose the Obama administration would consider this a criminal matter.

Obama certainly wouldn't consider it to be an act of war.

In any event, the U.S. needs to respond.

Maybe Barack Hussein Obama can deliver an address reaching out to Somali pirates and post it on YouTube.

That might help.