breaking: four Americans killed by pirates

[namvet]

just got an email from ABC news. but its not front page yet. I did however find it here. how will Obama respond???

Report: 4 Americans on Yacht Hijacked by Somali Pirates Killed


OMAN (KTLA) -- The four Americans being held hostage on their yacht by pirates off the coast of Somali have been killed, a U.S. defense official tells CNN.



source (http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-oc-yacht-couple-hijacked-somali-pirates,0,4704165.story)

[Kathianne]

just got an email from ABC news. but its not front page yet. I did however find it here. how will Obama respond???

Report: 4 Americans on Yacht Hijacked by Somali Pirates Killed



source (http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-oc-yacht-couple-hijacked-somali-pirates,0,4704165.story)


From a Reuter's article:

http://www.kirotv.com/news/26950041/detail.html


...U.S. Central Command released this statement Tuesday morning:

At approximately 1 a.m. EST today, while negotiations were ongoing to secure the release of four American hostages, U.S. forces responded to gunfire aboard the pirated vessel (S/V) Quest. As they responded to the gunfire, reaching and boarding the Quest, the forces discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors. Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds.

“We express our deepest condolences for the innocent lives callously lost aboard the Quest,” said Gen James N. Mattis, U.S. Central Command Commander.

During the boarding of the Quest, the reaction force was engaged by pirates on board the vessel. Two pirates died during the confrontation and 13 were captured and detained along with two pirates already in US Forces custody. The US Forces also found the remains of two other pirates already dead aboard the Quest. In total, it is believed 19 pirates were involved in the hijacking of the S/V Quest...

[namvet]

and we know the location of their operational base. would Osama risk a pre emptive???

[Thunderknuckles]

and we know the location of their operational base. would Osama risk a pre emptive???
All Obama has to do is pick up a history book on the Barbary Pirates and take a page out of Jefferson's play book. Unlike Jefferson, we already enjoy Naval supremacy, Obama just needs to make the call.

[Gaffer]

Somalia should have been invaded and taken over years ago. Your not going to stop this stuff by sitting back and watching them. There are over 600 hostages being held in Somalia. This should not be allowed to happen at all. But we have at least two more years of nothing being done. The pirates know the present US administration is not going to do anything.

[namvet]

what's puzzling is why the hell were these people yachting in a known terrorists zone ????

[Gaffer]

what's puzzling is why the hell were these people yachting in a known terrorists zone ????

They weren't. They were over 300 miles away from it. The pirates are going farther and farther out to seize ships.

[namvet]

They weren't. They were over 300 miles away from it. The pirates are going farther and farther out to seize ships.

last I heard they were still using rubber rafts with out boards. maybe their carrying more fuel or using a longer range craft. in any event I would not go in there unless i was armed to the teeth !!!!

[Gaffer]

last I heard they were still using rubber rafts with out boards. maybe their carrying more fuel or using a longer range craft. in any event I would not go in there unless i was armed to the teeth !!!!

I agree, I wouldn't either. The pirates use mother ships to carry the rubber rafts. In this case were were 19 pirates involved. That would take a lot of rubber rafts. They need to start stopping and searching any vessels coming out of somolia and blockade the coast there.

[trobinett]

What about our Presidents boast, that he would bring a gun to a knife fight? He talks the talk, he just can't walk the walk.

Seems simple enough, as Gaffer suggest, blockade the coast, and under penalty of death, if your found out to be a pirate, your dead.

I don't think it would be difficult to come up with a profile for a pirate.

[NightTrain]

I was reading about the hijacking yesterday, the 4 Americans on board that yacht were sailing all over the world handing out bibles.

Authorities didn't think being Christians would harm or help their situation, since the pirates are pretty much a lawless & godless group of scumbags.