nt

Obama is weak, coward with no backbone as evidenced by how low he can bow and kiss the feet of foreign Kings.

Got to give the pollster a chance to check with the people, ha ha

nt

Pirate Band Sending Reinforcements to Kidnappers, Group Says
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By Hamsa Omar

April 9 (Bloomberg) — The band of pirates whose members hijacked a U.S.-flagged ship yesterday in the Indian Ocean is sending reinforcements to the kidnappers holding the captain hostage, said a member of the group who spoke from Somalia.

The man, who called himself Da’ud and identified himself as one of the pirates, spoke by phone from the area of Eyl, Somalia. He said he had been in contact with the four pirates who boarded the Maersk Alabama and who then took the captain hostage on a lifeboat that has stalled off the coast.

snip

“We sent reinforcement men to help them,” said Da’ud, who declined to identify himself further or give a contact for the pirates on the scene. The reinforcing pirates are going to the area in two groups, one of which is already at sea, he said.

“The last information we received from them was that American small airplanes and helicopters are flying over them while the lifeboat’s fuel is running out,” Da’ud said. “The situation will end soon. Either the Americans take their man and sink the boat with my colleagues, or we will soon recover the captain and my colleagues in the coming hours.

“But if they, Americans, attempt to use any military operation I am sure that nobody will survive,” he said.
******

These are no longer “just” pirates but terrorists. They have issued a direct threat of harm. They have challenged Obamatopia.

Wait, I thought the world would love us for electing Obamatopia? Wouldn’t you think the pirating terrorists would pass on an American ship and crew thanks to Obama?

Still no word from Barry.

The One says don’t interrupt his schedule, he’s got things to do.

Like catching up on his sleep.

April 8, 2009 7:30 PM
Day 79: Obama Does…Very Little
Posted by Brian Montopoli | Comments 2

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
On his seventy-ninth day in office President Obama…didn’t do much.

The president scheduled no public events on the day that he returned from an exhausting trip to Europe, Turkey and Iraq. The trip ended around 2:30 AM this morning when he stepped off his plane following a 12 hours, 18 minute flight from Baghdad.

Of course, Mr. Obama may well have been hard at work in the Oval Office today. But it’s certainly possible that he spent the day catching up on sleep — and maybe kicking back with a few episodes of “Entourage.”

But I suppose Dear Leader doesn’t want the babay seals clubbed.

It’s the Carter Administration all over again. Compromise our national security by giving away strategic assets, be lulled by dictator’s slick promises to play nice, then sit back and do nothing when an attack on American sovereignty occurs.

We need to track these scum to their lairs and blow them away. Period. It is NOT a law enforcement issue, it is a military issue. You mess with America, you DIE. No discussion, no handwringing, it just happens.

Ooops sorry, no update.

Nobama is still MIA going into 2 days since a HIJACKING of an AMERICAN FLAG ship, AMERICAN CREW, and now kidnapping of an AMERICAN.

Eric Holder, Clinton, Biden all have at least said something. But our fearful spineless leader doesn’t think it is important enough for him to address. “Cmon, guys, lets stick to housing.” Later he found time to call some NCAA coaches for congrats. Obama has his priorities straight and has things to do to be bothered by some lowly pirates.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090410/ap_on_go_ot/us_piracy

What else are they? Are there nice pirates and terrorist pirates?

I woke up my kitten laughing!

“open seas contingency operation” might be confused with “overseas contingency operations” so they’re having a hard time finding the right name for what to type into the teleprompter. Heck, they haven’t even figured out a name yet for “Operation Don’t Call it a Surge” in Afghanistan. Let’s give them a chance, people!

When will they be called terrorists?

This now involved several international countries. I bet obama will say something now, since it isn’t just Americans involved.

“Mohamed Samaw, a resident of the pirate stronghold in Eyl, Somalia, who claims to have a “share” in a British-owned ship hijacked Monday, said four foreign ships held by pirates are heading toward the lifeboat. A total of 54 hostages are on two of the ships — citizens of China, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, the Philippines, Tuvalu, Indonesia and Taiwan.”

“We are not intending to harm the captain, so that we hope our colleagues would not be harmed as long as they hold him,” Badow said.

“All we need, first, is a safe route to escape with the captain, and then (negotiate) ransom later,” he added.”

The price of poker just went up. MSM says pirates, I say terrorists!

Obama, can you hear me now?

Pirates holding US hostage demand ransom

23 minutes ago

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A Somali in contact with a pirate leader says the captors of a U.S. sea captain want a ransom and are ready to kill him if attacked.

“The Somali, who helped negotiate a ransom paid last year to pirates who seized a Ukrainian ship carrying tanks, spoke Friday on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. He says he has spoken with a pirate leader on the ground in Somalia who is coordinating action on the lifeboat adrift in the Indian Ocean. He says the plan is to get the hostage to shore to negotiate from a better position.”

Wait, so the terrorist pirates lied about an exchange with the captain and one terrorist held by the crew. That was a big big mistake. Why would anyone believe that they would return the captain if allowed to escape to land for even better negotiating leverage? I’m sure the US negotiators are throwing that in their face. No honor among thieves, I mean TERRORISTS.

I wonder if we can get military on the ground in Somalia to cover the ports?

Time for military to ride along on ships to surprise hijackers. Or perhaps some decoy ships sailing around in the area. Welcome to the jungle mofos!

Wait, what happened to the world loving America once Obamatopia(MIA btw) was elected. You’d think these pesky pirates would just bypass American ships and just wave while on their way to hijack some other ship.

Now that the terrorists are bringing international hostages on the scene I suspect we’ll hear from our apologist in chief.

By Gregory Viscusi

April 10 (Bloomberg) — French commandos freed a sailboat seized by Somali pirates a week ago, the second rescue of a French yacht in six months.

One of the five hostages was killed in the raid, while the others, including a 3-year-old, are safe, the French military said in a statement today. The commandos killed two pirates and took three prisoners in the three-minute operation.

“France has shown its determination not to give into blackmail,” Defense Minister Herve Morin said in a press conference late today.

*************

Offers Refused

“Today, with the menaces getting more precise, and with the pirates refusing offers and heading toward shore, it was decided to launch an operation to free the hostages,” Morin said.

That should put some pressure on the terrorist pirate kidnappers once they get this news.

http://exurbanleague.com/2009/04/09/obama-issues-statement-on-the-pirate-attack.aspx

After maintaining his silence for two days, President Obama will soon make his first public statement about the pirate attack upon an U.S.-flagged vessel off the Horn of Africa. After several inquiries and a few well-placed bribes, Exurban League has received an early transcript of the President’s remarks:

Good evening. As you know, early yesterday, Somali-based pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama, a freighter carrying relief supplies to Kenya. While we do not yet know all the details, the Alabama’s crew re-took control of the vessel and forced the pirates off the ship.

Since the pirates are still holding the captain, I have sent FBI negotiators to facilitate his safe and speedy release. I assure his friends and family that I will not stop until this man-made disaster is resolved in a peaceful, tolerant and ecologically-sound manner.

Obviously, this incident has raised many concerns among Americans. There have been calls for justice and even violence against the misguided perpetrators. But such an emotional reaction has led to the disparagement of entire groups with which we are unfamiliar. We have seen this throughout history.

For too long, America has been too dismissive of the proud culture and invaluable contributions of the Pirate Community. Whether it is their pioneering work with prosthetics, husbandry of tropical birds or fanciful fashion sense, America owes a deep debt to Pirates.

The past eight years have shown a failure to appreciate the historic role of these noble seafarers. Instead of celebrating their entreprenuerial spirit and seeking to partner with them to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive.

Some of us wonder if our current Overseas Contingency Operation would even be needed had the last administration not been so quick to label Pirates as “thieves,” “terrorists” and worse. Such swashbucklaphobia can lead to tragic results, as we have seen this week.

To address this issue, I have instructed Vice President Joe Biden to create a cabinet-level Czar of Pirate Outreach and Buccaneer Interrelation. In addition, June 1-7 has been designated as Pirate Awareness Week, during which all federal buildings will fly the Jolly Roger and sponsor sensitivity training. Thankfully, my American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will fund free grog and hard tack for all attendees.

Finally, to all pirates listening to international broadcasts, shortwave services and ship-to-shore radio, let me say this:

Ahoy, me regret arr relationship has set sail in a scurvy manner. Arr people share many mutual ‘alues and concerns on t’ raging main. Perchance, could ye handsomely release the cap’n o’ the ship and I assure that no harm will come t’ ye or ye hearties. Let us smite t’ reset button and launch our seabond on a new pegleg. Savvy? Godspeed t’ ye and t’ ye beauties. Aye, me parrot concurs.

The MSM characterizes the freakin terrorist pirates as basically honorable because they will let go all hostages for sure if you pay the ransom. Like terrorist pirates are trustworthy.

Hey, they promised! Better do what they say.

They reneged on a deal w/ the crew to exchange the captain for one of their pirates already.

Why would anyone with half a brain trust these terrorist thugs?

Nostra-Biden was right in his quatrain:

“It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

Yeah, many Presidents get tested early but how many Presidents INVITE trouble by being a CIC-Coward in Chief?

Seafarers official: Pirates hijack US tugboat

By MICHELLE FAUL and TOM MALITI – 22 minutes ago

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The head of a Kenyan seafarers’ program said Saturday that Somali pirates had hijacked an American-owned tugboat with 16 crew in the Gulf of Aden.

Nairobi-based Italian Ambassador Pierandrea Magistrati said he only could confirm that “there is a boat that has been hijacked, I believe by Somali pirates.”

The hijacking took place as the American captain of the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama was still being held hostage on a lifeboat being watched by two U.S. warships.

The terrorist pirates are challenging you Mr. President. You are emboldening them.

4 days and Obama’s only direct response:

“Guys, were talking about housing now.”

April 11 (Bloomberg) — Somali pirates demanding ransom and safe passage as conditions for releasing the captain of a U.S.- flagged container ship plan to restart talks on his release, as two U.S. warships monitor the bandits off Africa’s east coast.

The captain of the Maersk Alabama, Richard Phillips, yesterday tried to escape from the lifeboat he’s sharing with four pirates in the Indian Ocean and was quickly recaptured, a member of the pirate gang said. The gang has “information” that the U.S. warships will stage a raid and repeated the pirates’ threat to kill Phillips if they did so, he said.

“Negotiations failed yesterday, but still there is another hope to begin again,” a man calling himself Da’ud, who identified himself as one of the pirates, said today by phone from the area of Eyl, Somalia. There isn’t a specific ransom amount the pirates are seeking, he said. Earlier, he said the captain was unharmed and the pirates “aren’t going to hurt anyone.”

I found this map which shows world piracy activity, pretty good one if you want to look at the world wide problem confronting maritime trade.

If this does not work, sorry trying out new software.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/somalia/5142032/Why-Somali-piracy-is-booming—by-former-hostage-victim.html

“The Maersk Alabama, which originally had 21 American sailors on board, shows how much potential there is for major disaster. US television networks are treating it as a tale of all-American heroism, focusing on how the ship’s crew managed first to take one of their attackers prisoner, and how Capt Phillips then selflessly volunteered for a hostage-swap. They could so easily, however, be reporting a tale of all-American tragedy. Had the pirates got the sailors onto the Somali mainland, it could have been the worst US hostage crisis since the storming of the American Embassy in 1979. There are, after all, plenty of Somalis who’d have been willing to pay the pirates good money for their catch – not least the hardline al shebab Islamist movement, whose alleged links to al Qaeda have seen them targeted by US missiles.

Such a crisis might, however, have proved a timely wake-up call, just as 9-11 was about Afghanistan. Somalia has now been 18 years without a government, and has slipped into warlordism and criminal violence unheard of anywhere else. As a bitter Somali joke puts it, the warlords only went into robbing foreigners at sea because there was nothing left to rob from their own people on land. ”

Had the US crew followed a passive response to the hijacking they may have been very valuable targets for al qaeda operating in Somalia. The crew retaking the ship may have saved Obama from his Tehran.

This is probably the next thing we hear about our Coward in Chief. “Spokesman, Robert Gibbs says Obama will give the displaced Somali fisherman no more than 444 days to release their foreign exchange guest.”

back to reality:

4 days and counting:
our apologist in chief’s ONLY DIRECT PUBLIC WORDS about the hijacking and kidnapping of Americans

“Guys, we are talking about housing now.”

US ship reaches Kenya minus kidnapped captain

By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY and KATHARINE HOURELD – 14 minutes ago

MOMBASA, Kenya (AP)

“They came from the stern of the ship and came on with hooks and ropes and were firing in the air when they got on board,” said ATM Reza, a father of one from Hartford, Connecticut, who said he was the first to see the pirates board Wednesday.

As the pirates shot in the air, Capt. Richard Phillips, 53, of Underhill, Vermont, told his crew to lock themselves in a cabin and surrendered himself to safeguard his men, crew members said. Phillips was still held hostage in an enclosed lifeboat Saturday by four pirates being closely watched by U.S. warships in an increasingly tense standoff.

“He saved our lives!” second mate Ken Quinn, of Bradenton, Florida, declared from the ship as it docked in the resort and port city of Mombasa. “He’s a hero.”

Reza said that he had led one of the pirates to the engine room, where he stabbed him in the hand with an ice pick and tied him up. Other sailors corroborated that story.

The crew did not elaborate Saturday but have told family members by phone that they took one pirate hostage before giving him up in the unfulfilled hope their captain would be released. Instead, the Somalis fled with Phillips to the lifeboat.”

Is there really even any need for discussion about this? Seriously?

“No easy solution” — are you kidding me?

If the US Navy can’t take out four dudes in a dingy, we are in trouble beyond our wildest nightmares.