Obama Praises Pirate Rescue Operation

President Vows U.S. Effort To Decrease Piracy; Pirates Hold 230 Hostages From Other Countries

(CBS/AP)  President Barack Obama pledged Monday that the U.S. would seek to halt the increasing threat of piracy off the Horn of Africa.

Mr. Obama also praised the military's successful efforts to rescue merchant Capt. Richard Phillips, who had been held hostage there for several days by pirates.

"His safety has been our principle concern," the president said in his first remarks in public on the five-day standoff that ended Sunday with Phillips' release. Mr. Obama spoke at an unrelated Transportation Department event involving the economic stimulus initiative.

In a sharp warning to increasingly brazen pirates operating off the coast of lawless Somalia, Mr. Obama said: "I want to be very clear that we are resolved to halt the rise of piracy 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," the president said.

One day after Navy SEAL snipers killed the three pirates holding Phillips, Mr. Obama said he knew the cargo ship captain's safe return was a "welcome relief" to the man's family and crew.

"I'm very proud of the efforts of the U.S. military and many other departments and agencies that worked tirelessly to resolve this situation," Mr. Obama said. "I share our nation's admiration for Captain Phillips' courage and leadership, selfless concern for his crew."

Mr. Obama called Phillips' courage "a model for all Americans" and said he was pleased with the rescue, but added the United States still needed help from other countries to deal with piracy.

Earlier, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whiteman told reporters the successful end to the standoff could discourage future attacks on commercial ships sailing the Indian Ocean.

But some penalties previously taken in such situations failed to deter lawlessness on the high seas, he acknowledged.

Senior law enforcement official tell CBS News correspondent Bob Orr it is expected that the captured Somali pirate will be brought to the U.S. to face charges.

Also Monday, an American sailor involved in the incident with Somali pirates urged President Obama on Monday to take the lead in ending the scourge of piracy.

Somali pirates, meanwhile, vowed retaliation for the deaths of three colleagues killed by U.S. Navy snipers in the rescue. Their anger raised fears for the safety of some 230 foreign sailors still held hostage in more than a dozen ships anchored off lawless Somalia.

"From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them (the hostages)," Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old pirate, told The Associated Press from one of Somalia's piracy hubs, Eyl. "(U.S. forces have) become our No. 1 enemy."

Shane Murphy, chief mate aboard the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama, urged Mr. Obama to focus more attention on the issue.

"It's time for us to step in and put an end to this crisis," he said. "It's a crisis, wake up."

Sunday's nighttime operation was a remarkable achievement for snipers on a rolling warship in choppy seas, but few experts believe the victory will quell a rising tide of attacks in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

The stunning resolution came after pirates had agreed to let the USS Bainbridge tow their powerless lifeboat out of rough water. A fourth pirate surrendered earlier Sunday and could face life in a U.S. prison. He had been seeking medical attention for a wound to his hand, military officials said.

Interviewed from Bahrain, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command chief Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said Navy SEAL snipers killed three pirates with single shots shortly after sailors on the Bainbridge saw the hostage-takers "with their heads and shoulders exposed."

U.S. Defense officials said snipers got the go-ahead to fire after one pirate held an AK-47 close to Capt. Richard Phillips' back. The military officials asked not to be named because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the case.

The SEALS arrived on the scene by parachuting from their aircraft into the sea, and were picked up by the Bainbridge, a senior U.S. official said.

He said negotiations with the pirates had been "going up and down." The official, asking not to be identified because he, too, was not authorized to discuss this on the record, said the pirates were "becoming increasingly agitated in the rough waters; they weren't getting what they wanted."

Just as it was getting dark, pirates fired a tracer bullet "toward the Bainbridge," further heightening tensions, the official said.

News of Phillips' rescue caused his crew in Kenya to break into wild cheers and brought tears to the eyes of those in Phillips' hometown of Underhill, Vermont, half a world away from the Indian Ocean drama. It was not immediately known when or how Phillips would return home.

Appearing on CBS' The Early Show, Captain James Staples, a friend and former classmate of Richard Phillips at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, said the willingness of the captain of the Maersk Alabama to risk his own life to protect his crew did not surprise him at all.

"It's an amazing feeling to know that Richard's now safe. I can't even explain how happy I was when I heard this great news," Staples said.

Sunday's blow to the pirates' lucrative activities is unlikely to stop them, simply because of the size of the vast area - 1.1 million square miles - stretching from the Gulf of Aden and the coast of Somalia. But it could raises tensions in an already lawless area.

"This could escalate violence in this part of the world, no question about it," said Gortney.

[weedapeapl]

I don't really see any threat to the free market principles in America.
Posted by Stuart2560 at 4:46 PM : Apr 13, 2009


Don't blame me, I didn't write the website.

I mainly see a threat to the entire existence of our society as a free nation at all. So I guess that would include the free market along with it.

But that's just my opinion. That's what political rallies are for.

Expressing opinions.

And some Democrats seem to think rallies are also for attacking other people's children.

And then they blame the parent for failing to keep their children adequately protected from Democrats who seem to feel entitled to behave like cavemen wherever they go, and somehow that's everybody else's fault.

[democracy1]

Why don't you just look for yourself

http://taxdayteaparty.com/
Posted by weedapeapl at 4:34 PM : Apr 13, 2009
*****************
Tea Parties Forever (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/opinion/13krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion)

By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: April 12, 2009

This is a column about Republicans ? and I?m not sure I should even be writing it.

Today?s G.O.P. is, after all, very much a minority party. It retains some limited ability to obstruct the Democrats, but has no ability to make or even significantly shape policy.

Beyond that, Republicans have become embarrassing to watch. And it doesn?t feel right to make fun of crazy people. Better, perhaps, to focus on the real policy debates, which are all among Democrats.

But here?s the thing: the G.O.P. looked as crazy 10 or 15 years ago as it does now. That didn?t stop Republicans from taking control of both Congress and the White House. And they could return to power if the Democrats stumble. So it behooves us to look closely at the state of what is, after all, one of our nation?s two great political parties.

One way to get a good sense of the current state of the G.O.P., and also to see how little has really changed, is to look at the ?tea parties? that have been held in a number of places already, and will be held across the country on Wednesday. These parties ? antitaxation demonstrations that are supposed to evoke the memory of the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution ? have been the subject of considerable mockery, and rightly so.

But everything that critics mock about these parties has long been standard practice within the Republican Party.

Thus, President Obama is being called a ?socialist? who seeks to destroy capitalism. Why? Because he wants to raise the tax rate on the highest-income Americans back to, um, about 10 percentage points less than it was for most of the Reagan administration. Bizarre.

But the charge of socialism is being thrown around only because ?liberal? doesn?t seem to carry the punch it used to. And if you go back just a few years, you find top Republican figures making equally bizarre claims about what liberals were up to. Remember when Karl Rove declared that liberals wanted to offer ?therapy and understanding? to the 9/11 terrorists?

Then there are the claims made at some recent tea-party events that Mr. Obama wasn?t born in America, which follow on earlier claims that he is a secret Muslim. Crazy stuff ? but nowhere near as crazy as the claims, during the last Democratic administration, that the Clintons were murderers, claims that were supported by a campaign of innuendo on the part of big-league conservative media outlets and figures, especially Rush Limbaugh.

Speaking of Mr. Limbaugh: the most impressive thing about his role right now is the fealty he is able to demand from the rest of the right. The abject apologies he has extracted from Republican politicians who briefly dared to criticize him have been right out of Stalinist show trials. But while it?s new to have a talk-radio host in that role, ferocious party discipline has been the norm since the 1990s, when Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, became known as ?The Hammer? in part because of the way he took political retribution on opponents.

Going back to those tea parties, Mr. DeLay, a fierce opponent of the theory of evolution ? he famously suggested that the teaching of evolution led to the Columbine school massacre ? also foreshadowed the denunciations of evolution that have emerged at some of the parties.

Last but not least: it turns out that the tea parties don?t represent a spontaneous outpouring of public sentiment. They?re AstroTurf (fake grass roots) events, manufactured by the usual suspects. In particular, a key role is being played by FreedomWorks, an organization run by Richard Armey, the former House majority leader, and supported by the usual group of right-wing billionaires. And the parties are, of course, being promoted heavily by Fox News.

But that?s nothing new, and AstroTurf has worked well for Republicans in the past. The most notable example was the ?spontaneous? riot back in 2000 ? actually orchestrated by G.O.P. strategists ? that shut down the presidential vote recount in Florida?s Miami-Dade County.

So what?s the implication of the fact that Republicans are refusing to grow up, the fact that they are still behaving the same way they did when history seemed to be on their side? I?d say that it?s good for Democrats, at least in the short run ? but it?s bad for the country.

For now, the Obama administration gains a substantial advantage from the fact that it has no credible opposition, especially on economic policy, where the Republicans seem particularly clueless.

But as I said, the G.O.P. remains one of America?s great parties, and events could still put that party back in power. We can only hope that Republicans have moved on by the time that happens.

[weedapeapl]

Oops....I am supposed to be ignoring you.
Posted by Stuart2560 at 3:35 PM : Apr 13, 2009

You mean, this one?

Or was there another one that also disappeared?

[weedapeapl]

I want my buddy weedapeapl to give me his take on the TeaParty people.
Posted by Stuart2560 at 4:01 PM : Apr 13, 2009

I plan to be there, and I plan to bring my small children with me to experience the excitement of actually participating in the USA political process.

One of my neocon buddies plans to meet me there with a camera, so if some Democrat bully attacks my children and tears up the signs they're holding, my buddy can take a picture of me taking down the mean Democrat.

LOL!

[weedapeapl]

What happened to my post for weedapeapl? Darn CBS
Posted by Stuart2560 at 3:54 PM : Apr 13, 2009

Even I didn't see anything offensive about it.

I don't know why anybody would delete it.

But it's OK. I quoted the whole thing in my reply.

So it's still there in spirit.

[weedapeapl]

As far as I can tell there is absolutely nothing that they like.
Posted by Stuart2560 at 4:24 PM : Apr 13, 2009

Why don't you just look for yourself

http://taxdayteaparty.com/

[julesarcher1]

I wonder if that Captain is back home. I missed the normal news today. Was caught up in learning about the TeaParty people. Whew.........
Posted by Stuart2560 at 4:20 PM : Apr 13, 2009


Tea party? That's some scary stuff.

[julesarcher1]

It's not about the home economics, it's about the come back. See drug dealers...
Posted by gravypants at 4:12 PM

I have to say..................................HUH???
Posted by Stuart2560 at 4:14 PM : Apr 13, 2009


Well put.

[TheMasses01]

I'm fond of gravy as well, but I crave fondue.
Posted by gravypants
---------------------------
Gravies of all kinds are great.
Put it on anything.

[TheMasses01]

Yeah maybe so but it was good!
Posted by Stuart2560
----------------------------------------
I do detect some jockularity in your posts.
That's what the world needs more of.
Thank you for your contribution to society and the American way!

[TheMasses01]

What happened to my post for weedapeapl? Darn CBS
Posted by Stuart2560
----------------------------
Your comment was deemed too CNNish ...........

[TheMasses01]

TheMasses, I am MUCH fonder of what is in YOUR pants!!
LMAO!
Posted by raflin1
------------------------------------
At least you are honest or funny.
Okay either way.

[TheMasses01]

Mr. gravypants, I like your screen name, as I am fond of gravy.
Posted by raflin1
-----------------------------
Sounds more lijke your fond of what's in his pants.
Wrong thread dude.

[weedapeapl]

Oops....I am supposed to be ignoring you.
Posted by Stuart2560 at 3:35 PM : Apr 13, 2009

Yes, I tricked you by talking about something besides tax cuts.

[weedapeapl]

I've just read something which implies that the White House has more Special Ops still happening, unsuprisingly. There is no lull in that theatre, Obama isn't waiting for the pirate response.
Posted by amer_icon at 2:51 PM : Apr 13, 2009

Well I certainly hope so.

As I've posted repeatedly, this can not be the end of it.

It is IMPERATIVE that Obama take some tough and SWIFT action.

Otherwise this will be only the first of many such attacks.

The president must act NOW, and he must act DECISIVELY.

No matter what the liberal fakers think.

[mjinba07]

I agre with you but we tried this from 1991-93 and it did not work because the warlords there was stealing the shipments and selling them for arms. It became a very dangerous and volatile place for the relief workers even with the 5-6000 troops we had there.
Posted by Livinontheedge at 3:04 PM : Apr 13, 2009

Good point. However, something has to be done, these pirates are just gonna attempting to take ships, and hostages. And this is too important shipping lane to just go around. I think if they look at the failures in the past, maybe they can come up with some better ideas.
Posted by gravypants at 3:09 PM : Apr 13, 2009

~~~~~~~~~~

There are options besides direct aid and military intervention. As I understand it, Somalia has a new government. There are state things we can do to support good people working within the country to improve it. Liberia has a new president after years of civil crises, things are looking up there. Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu have been bringing good things about in South Africa after seemingly impossible conditions there.

It's rare but not impossible. It's bound to be a lot less rare if there's support to constructive efforts.

I recently heard that the fees for cargo ships going through the Suez Canal are so high right now, and the price of oil dropped enough, that it's cheaper for them to sail around the horn of Africa. Good news for the pirates, bad news for the shipping industry unless something is done.

[weedapeapl]

Just a fodder for real thought
Posted by mysteriousjz at 2:44 PM : Apr 13, 2009

I know exactly what you mean

You are just sick.

Why do you hate the USA so much?

Why do you defend the pirates who took a man hostage and threatened to kill him?

Nobody has the right to do that, no matter how starving they are.

[gmarker3]

I have been one of Obama's biggest critics because of his far left views and social policies. In this case he made a made a good decision to let the navy commander use his own judgement of whether force was needed. I thank him for that.

[mjinba07]

I didn't get why Navy Seals couldn't have just gone under the boat, plant a small charge, and put the whole bunch of them in the water. Then we could have plucked them all out and dealt with the criminals.

And not to say that pirates shouldn't be dealt with swiftly and decisively, but we already know that crime rates go up when there's a serious lack of law abiding ways to survive. People are driven to increasingly desperate measures. Piracy is a kind of opportunism that doesn't seem so very different than the violence associated with poaching in wildlife refuges, or violent gangs who cash in on crime, including extortion and drug sales, in impoverished parts of any big city or country.

From what the news tells us, pirates are often aiding in the support of their families and their villages now, and consequently they're seen as equivalents to Robin Hood.

So yes we need to join international efforts to prevent and deter piracy. But maybe we could be more effective in the long run by also supporting Somalia in their independence and stability.

Diminish the need for piracy and fewer men are going to be inclined to risk it, and fewer law abiding citizens will support it.

Come down on increasingly popular pirates and all we do is generate increasingly polemic sentiment against the US.

[mysteriousjz]

It is sad to see that a man held at see by a bunch of unsophisticated people without any harm is being given so much attention, while the US is THE crime capital of the world. It is easy to condemn other nations, call the indigenous inhabitants savages and barbaric, hector the world through own hypocrisy. But it would only be man enough for you to see thru this:-

In 2005, there were-

1,390,695 violent crimes including:-
16,692 murder and NON-negligent manslaughter
862,947 aggravated assault
and millions other crimes including violent----this is all in developed and "rich" country of USA.

Why would you first curse a bunch of hungry people stealing bread for their starving stomach?

Where were the rescue teams when Jon Benet Ramsey was brutally raped and murdered?

I would like to see the backyard cleaned first before criticizing other people and nations.

Just a fodder for real thought