21 Americans taken hostage by Somali pirates
This could turn into a real mess.
From the AP:
NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates on Wednesday hijacked a U.S.-flagged cargo ship with 21 crew members aboard, a diplomat and a U.S. Navy spokesman said.
The Kenya-based diplomat identified the vessel as the 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama and said all the crew members are American. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The U.S. Navy confirmed that a U.S. flagged ship with 21 members of crew was hijacked early Wednesday off the eastern coast of Somalia.
Spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen said the attacked happened in the early hours of the morning hours, about 280 miles (450 kilometers) northeast of Eyl, a town in the northern Puntland region of Somalia.
Christensen said there were U.S. citizens aboard the ship, but he did not say how many. He declined to release the name of the ship until the family members of the crew are notified.
The vessel is the sixth to be seized within a week and the first with an all-American crew.
UPDATE: It looks like the number of hostages has now been set at 20, and all are reported safe. According to one story, Captain Richard Phillips and Chief Mate Shane Murphy, are graduates of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, MA. Murphy’s father, Joseph Murphy, is a professor at MMA and teaches anti-piracy tactics.
UPDATE TWO!: It looks as though the crew has retaken control of the ship!
According to AP:
“The crew of a U.S.-flag ship seized by pirates off Somalia is believed to have retaken the vessel, the Pentagon said Wednesday, even as a shaken national security establishment confronted troubling questions about the hostage-taking at high sea. Capt. Joseph Murphy, an instructor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, told The Associated Press the Department of Defense that his son Shane, the second in command on the ship, had called him to say the crew had regained control.”
So maybe Poppa Murphy taught his son pretty well!
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2011 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
170 comments Add your comment
I Report/ You Whine
April 8th, 2009
7:26 am
“Mess” for whom?
America, the hostages or for Obozo?
We shall see if empty, mindless, self abusing anti American rhetoric soothes the savage beast, as Obozo seems to think it does.
I Report/ You Whine
April 8th, 2009
7:31 am
444 days the savages shamed the last little America hating appeaser we had in the White House.
This is a huge setback for Obozo, right out of the box, in the midst of his suck up to the world tour, his watch me abuse myself and my country road show, the Islamic loonies sense weakness and pounce on their recently neutered prey.
Way to go democrats!!
jt
April 8th, 2009
8:02 am
Since when are Americans on merchant ships? The gubmint and unions destroyed our merchant marines years ago.
c.b.r.d
April 8th, 2009
8:10 am
Has our president or any top personel spoke about this yet?
If so what did they say in regards to a timeline of getting our citizens safe.
We cannot allow our citizens to be used as bargaining chips.
If there has not been a very direct statement released yet I hope to hear one very soon.
mike
April 8th, 2009
8:12 am
definitely Bush’s fault somehow.
DB, Gwinnettian
April 8th, 2009
8:15 am
Just curious: Have no American citizens been involved in any previous Somali pirate attacks?
(I realize that this is “a Danish-owned, US-operated container ship with 21 American crew members aboard”and thus newsworthy. I’m just trying to know the precedence so I can have some idea of what to expect ahead. Aside from the Whiners of the right taking the usual cheap shots, of course.)
ByteMe
April 8th, 2009
8:18 am
I hear the Chinese are on the case….
Boo!
c.b.r.d
April 8th, 2009
8:20 am
Db,
I hope cheap shots are not taken at the expense of our citizens.
I expect the administration in charge to handle this quickly and effectivly, with a well thought out plan.
I have listened for years about people rail on and on about bringing troops home. Well each of those troops signed up for a voluntary service, they knew there could be war.
I expect to see the very same people come out even more in an effort to get those who did not volunteer for this.
Do you think this will be handled quickly and I am not knoledgable enough to know, what type of an exit strategy does one employ to rescue from pirates?
BDAtlanta
April 8th, 2009
8:21 am
dumbazz pirates. Let’s drop some Delta Force on their azzes tonight and be done with it.
How well trained and organized can these pirates be? Better than our special forces groups?
Mrs. Godzilla
April 8th, 2009
8:24 am
Some reading on the subject:
Next Up for Obama: Somali Pirates
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=hsnews-000002992087
and
U.S. Navy plans to chase, capture Somali pirates
http://uk.reuters.com/article/usTopNews/idUKTRE50F06M20090116
jt
April 8th, 2009
8:25 am
CN is on it!
George American
April 8th, 2009
8:27 am
Pirates = Terrorists. This is just the kind of Muslim attacked that Dick Cheney warned about.
In his already failing presidency, the Obamatang has appeased the anti-American haters with his weak rhetoric and promises to shift military spending to social welfare programs. First the Koreans roll over us, now the Muslims.
If the president was strong, he would initiate strong military responses to these clear and present dangers to US strength.
ByteMe
April 8th, 2009
8:31 am
George American: GREAT parody posting!
Ken
April 8th, 2009
8:35 am
Obamma is a boyscout in a man’s world. He did not bring any merit badges to the job. Maybe tenderfoot. I feel sorry for my Grandson.
Bud Wiser
April 8th, 2009
8:39 am
Well we certainly know that Obama will not be going to church and pray for guidance; after all, we are “no longer a Christian nation”. News reports say that he has yet to attend any church services at all in the 11 weeks since he’s been in office. The up side of that though is that he won’t be made to look as stupid as our fat, blubbery Guv who has prayed for rain to get us out of this alleged drought.
I foresee his solution is to go ahead and have the companies pay the ransom, just to assure our citizens safety, then Obozo will call for negotiations with the Somali government and the pirates. Rumor has it that either the head of the UAW, or Johnny Depp, will be negotiating in behalf of the pirates. If so, then Obozo is sure to rain down on them with riches even beyond a pirates avarice.
Of course none of this will happen until the hostages are paraded around for a variety of international ‘news’ sources, probably blindfolded and handcuffed. Maybe they will entice a confession of sorts from one.
Oh, and jt, perhaps you should read a little fact before saying that the “The gubmint and unions destroyed our merchant marines years ago.”
From Wiki: As of 2006, the United States merchant fleet numbered 465 ships and approximately 69,000 members. Seven hundred ships owned by American interests but registered, or flagged, in other countries are not included in this number.
The federal government maintains fleets of merchant ships via organizations such as Military Sealift Command and the National Defense Reserve Fleet. In 2004, the federal government employed approximately 5% of all American water transportation workers.
Ray
April 8th, 2009
8:40 am
Wonder if he pirates knew that the ship was run by an all American crew. If they did, I would hope they are in for a grim surprise. We’ll see where Bozo takes this. Hopefully, he will respond like a true American but if present actions are any clue to reality…….
Mrs. Godzilla
April 8th, 2009
8:40 am
Wong in Binghamton = Terrorist
Poplawski in Pittsburgh = Terrorist
McVeigh, Rudolph, etc = Terrorist
What do we do about the ones that grow in our own backyard?
Shall we nuke ‘em or what?
DB, Gwinnettian
April 8th, 2009
8:44 am
I love how there’s a presumption that the piracy has a fundamentalist-religious component to it. As if the pirates weren’t simply doing what pirates have done for as long as there have been caravans to rob, and individuals to kidnap for ransom.
A quick scan indicates that, if anything, the Islamic fundies trying to run what we call “Somalia” these days have frequently fought with the pirate gangs.
But hey, you want to go crying “ISLAMMMBO-FASHIZZAM!!!” to get your ya-yas out, go ‘head on.
DB, Gwinnettian
April 8th, 2009
8:47 am
Hopefully, he will respond like a true American
If by “true American” you mean GW Bush, I pray for the poor residents of Samoa.
jt
April 8th, 2009
8:49 am
Bud Wiser- thanks for schooling me. If you had read further, you would have found that in 1950, the U.S. Merchant Marine carried 45% of the world’s shipping. In 1995, this had dropped to less than 4%. Your 69000 members consist mostly of intracoastal waterways.
c.b.r.d
April 8th, 2009
8:52 am
Mrs. Godzilla,
In all fairness,
Wong and Poplawski were not part of any type of organized terrorist union or state.
Some could say more about Mcveigh and Rudolph as they could be placed into these catagories in loose terms.
However if I am correct this is merely individuals acting out against other individuals.
You are correct that all are terrorist. Think it would be ok for the WH to actually call them that.
Also with domestic terrorism, we feel as if the country that our domestic terrorist live in have the USA interest at heart.
I am even willing to believe that the United States of America actively goes after and prosecutes terrorist here. That simply cannot be said of some other nations.
But kinda funny sarcasm anyway on your part.
Corporal
April 8th, 2009
8:55 am
Somali Pirates? Somali Pirates?
You mean Islamic Terrorist Somali Pirates!
Just as in “From the halls of Montezuma to the SHORES OF TRIPOLI” !
Nothing has changed ………..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iVAvb5_oXY
Obambi's Teleprompter
April 8th, 2009
8:56 am
Yeah, they’re not terrorists, they’re bumper stickers!
Copyleft
April 8th, 2009
8:58 am
Right, let’s immediately call this “islamic fundamentalist terrorism.” Because ANY criminal act just has to be islamic and terrorist, it just HAS to.
Quick, somebody! Blame Obama for this! Oh wait, I see some alert reader has already jumped on that bandwagon.
Next, a call for “immediate military action, that Prez-Wimp Obama would never be able to do,” in all ignorance of the fact that he already has. Check.
What’s next on the right-wing lunacy notes for today?
I Report/ You Whine
April 8th, 2009
9:00 am
If you act like a bozo, they’ll treat you like a bozo-
Turkish Flash T.V. MOCKS U.S President Obama in blackface.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=da8_1239137290
We gave up our dignity and boy, they sure do respect us now!!
And love us too!!!
Bosch
April 8th, 2009
9:00 am
I thought I was dreaming this morning when I turned on the news and heard talk of pirate attacks. ARRRGGH!
Visions of Captain Jack Sparrow and all that – I don’t think this is the same thing.
Does NATO have a Navy? And it has to be the Somalians – things didn’t go so well for us the last time we tangoed with them.
mm
April 8th, 2009
9:01 am
If this blog was in a bookstore it would be in the fiction section.
TW
April 8th, 2009
9:02 am
“The factor underlying the violence, some experts think, is the dismal state of the nation’s economy. Criminologists theorize that the epidemic of layoffs, the meltdown of storied American corporations and the uncertainty of recovery have stoked fear, anxiety and desperation across society and unnerved its most vulnerable and dangerous.”
‘w’ – the gift that keeps on giving…
Mrs. Godzilla
April 8th, 2009
9:03 am
flatearthers and birthers and prompters OH MY!
moonbat betty
April 8th, 2009
9:04 am
if W didn’t put all the troops in iraq, we could have killed all the pirates by now.
Bosch
April 8th, 2009
9:05 am
I’m the first person on the blog this morning to write “AAARGH?” Come on.
Somebody had to do it.
So, what’s the plan of attack? Anyone?
c.b.r.d
April 8th, 2009
9:06 am
shock more people are either defending our president or attacking our president, but not much mention of getting our citizens home.
Thank you all for putting politics above people’s lives. Rememeber these are citizens not military.
Get them home ASAP!!!!!
Sad, sad group we have became.
jt
April 8th, 2009
9:06 am
This is definetly a “man-made disaster” in the making.
c.b.r.d
April 8th, 2009
9:09 am
yes betty cause our brances of the army and ground forces would do a wonderful job in the ocean.
blame blame and just forget about the 21 people over there. Better them than you to prove a political point right?
Sad!
George American
April 8th, 2009
9:10 am
Mrs. Godzilla posits this gem:” McVeigh, Rudolph, etc = Terrorist. What do we do about the ones that grow in our own backyard? Shall we nuke ‘em or what?”
Uh… ah … yeah. Something like that. Hint to Godzilla: it is a lot like nuking them on a very personal level. And it smacks of Islamic justice.
Low Rent
April 8th, 2009
9:11 am
From what I hear, Barry’s going to reach out to the Somali Pirates in much the same way he did on his recent tour. Barry’s going to apologize for previous mis-deeds if any by previous administrations and preach Hope & Change for the Pirates and their families. Then He’ll hop on AF1,go to Somalia for photo ops. Have a couple of concert like appearances set up. Then appear on Somalia’s late nite talk shows ala Jay Leno. Presto! All American Sailors will be released. Just another day in life of Super-Obama. The Media and the SHEEP will eat it up.Thanks Barry! Where would we be without you?
Corporal
April 8th, 2009
9:11 am
WHERE’S IS JEFFERSON WHEN WE NEED HIM ?
Terrorism In Early America
“The U.S. Wages War Against The Barbary States
To End International Blackmail and Terrorism…”
http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/2002_winter_spring/terrorism.htm
jt
April 8th, 2009
9:12 am
I’ve heard where the navy was succesful previously with ultra low sound waves. Everyone is just incapacitated and no long term effects. Thats my bet.
Mrs. Godzilla
April 8th, 2009
9:13 am
More reading on the subject
http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/12203_1008piracysomalia.pdf
This one will take some time…..
BDAtlanta
April 8th, 2009
9:14 am
Arrgh, matey. Spongebob is on this!
Somebody wake up Patrick.
Jay
April 8th, 2009
9:15 am
I’d like to remind those who see this as some sort of test of Obama’s manhood or standing in the world that at almost the exact time in the presidency of George W. Bush — April 1, 2001 — China forced down a U.S. spy plane that had been flying off the China coast, in international air space. By the standards being applied here by some, the Chinese clearly weren’t too scared of young Bush.
As it turns out, they shouldn’t have been. China took the crew as prisoners. It held the plane. The 24 American crew members weren’t released until 10 days later, not out of fear of the Americans, but because Bush publicly apologized to the Chinese.
By the way, China tried to charge the U.S. for the room and board for the crew members — and the US paid. China searched the spy plane thoroughly and refused to let it be repaired and fly off the island. Eventually, the US was forced to dismantle the plane and ship it out in pieces.
China charged us for that too.
Bush suffered relatively little criticism for how he handled that crisis. But if Obama were to handle this in similar fashion, would the macho preeners on this blog and in Congress huff and puff and blow themselves up into the very picture of modern major blowhards?
Corporal
April 8th, 2009
9:16 am
Copyleft:
Did you ever check out my reply to a question you asked me (see the F-22 thread @ 3:47 and 3:52). I sincerely tried to answer it.
jt
April 8th, 2009
9:17 am
Low rent- I get where you’re coming from. It seems very fishy that AMERICANS are on a DEFENSE laden ship, in KNOWN pirate waters, and still managed to be boarded. PUEBLO?
Bosch
April 8th, 2009
9:18 am
Jay,
To answer that last question – yes, most definitely. And thanks for that blast from the past to jar the selective memeories of our wingnutty buddies.
Bud Wiser
April 8th, 2009
9:19 am
jt, you are correct. It appears that our government is ‘the gift that keeps on giving’, as much of the shipping jobs have drifted to foreign carriers because of tax and tariff structures, plus the unions have pretty much done their thing in shipping much as the UAW is doing in Detroit.
And copyleft, please refer us all to your references for what Obozo has done in response, militarily, so far. I cannot seem to find that he has done anything….
Hmmmmm…
Defending the weak a habit of yours?
Redneck Convert
April 8th, 2009
9:19 am
Well, this is what happens when you kick My President out and put this Obama in. If My President was still in the White House he would of sent about 500,000 troops to hit back at someplace like the Fijis or maybe the Gilbert Islands. That would show the Somali Terrists we mean business and they would turn loose our sailors lickety-split.
But no, we got to have some mumbling President that will say I’m sorry to the Terrists and say we had no business using the waters the Terrists own. Well, you voted for him, now you got him.
Have a good day everybody.
Mrs. Godzilla
April 8th, 2009
9:19 am
George American
New Here? First it’s Mrs. Godzilla. I’ll treat you respectfully and I expect the same from you.
My post was tongue in cheek. Of course we musn’t nuke anybody.
Can you please explain yours?
@@
April 8th, 2009
9:19 am
Unfortunate but inevitable, jay.
Remnants of The Barbary Coast Wars.
The long and arduous War on……
I forget, what are we calling it now?
Bosch
April 8th, 2009
9:20 am
jt,
You’d think that if these ships are in known pirate waters, they’d be better equipped to deal with them – these guys are on speed boats right? Are they that heavily armed to take down the boat?
I really haven’t been keeping up with this particular current event issue.
c.b.r.d
April 8th, 2009
9:22 am
Well Jay we were flying in their air space.
Were we in their waters? Thought those were international.
So yes if Obama says he is sorry and pays money to the pirates then yes he will be open to criticism.
But he needs to get the 21 home and if that is all he can come up with is follow Bush, then so be it but he must be prepared to look bad.
So we will see how important it is for Obama to get them home.
Guess we all see that you are in fact not concerned with our fellow citizens well being and safe return, but instead you are only hoping that Obama does not get any negative press from this.
Shows alot to play politics when there are 21 families going through hell right now. Very understanding and sensative of you as I am sure the families are glad you have chosen them to use politically.
What a dirt ball!!!