Four Americans taken hostage by Somali pirates off East Africa were shot and killed by their captors Monday, the U.S. military said, marking the first time U.S. citizens have been killed in a wave of pirate attacks plaguing the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean for years.
U.S. naval forces, who were trailing the Americans’ captured yacht with four warships, quickly boarded the vessel after hearing the gunfire and tried to provide lifesaving care to the Americans, but they died of their wounds, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement from Tampa, Fla. Two pirates died during the confrontation and 13 were captured and detained, the U.S. Central Command said. The remains of two other pirates who were already dead for some time were also found. The U.S. military didn’t state how those two might have died.
On Monday, two pirates had peacefully come aboard the USS Sterett to negotiate with naval forces for the release of the hostages, and remained aboard overnight.
But on Tuesday, pirates aboard the Quest unexpectedly fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the Sterett. Shortly afterward, gunfire erupted inside the Quest cabin, and U.S. special forces responded, approaching the Quest in small boats and boarding the vessel, Vice Adm. Mark Fox, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said in a Tuesday press conference.
Some pirates moved to bow and put up their hands in surrender. The U.S. forces killed two pirates in the course of clearing the vessel – one with a handgun and one in a close-combat knife fight. There were no injuries to U.S. forces or damage to U.S. ships, Fox said.
The Quest was the home of Jean and Scott Adam, a couple from California who had been sailing around the world since December 2004 with a yacht full of Bibles. The two other Americans on board were Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, of Seattle, Wash. Scott and Jane Adam documented their maritime missionary work on their website, S/V Quest Adventure Log.
This story seems to be missing something…..perhaps a rescue attempt gone awry?
We need the military to follow these pirates ..
http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/02/18/koch-brothers-behind-wisconsin-effort-to-kill-public-unions/
The above is clearly racketeering, conspiracy, fraud, abuse of power, government corruption. The solution to this is clear
#47 Alfred
Weren’t you singing Hoover’s praises a few months ago? Make up your mind…
#71 No surprise you support government collusion with corporations as well as the church.
You already approved of the GOP to buy the Supreme Court to funnel unlimited money to buy elections and legislation favoring corporations.
The next act is to eliminate the counterbalance of individuals to participate in collective bargaining – an enabler of American worker rights, child labor laws, etc. Al under the guise of balancing the budget.
You’re a shameful traitor to America and a coward.
Definitions of conspiracy:
* a secret agreement between two or more people to plot or carry out harmful, illegal or political plot.
* a group of conspirators banded together to achieve some harmful, illegal purpose on others.
#55 Alfred:
The last time this happened there was a standoff, Obama ordered a take down as a last resort, and you crucified him for “mudering” that poor innocent pirate boy.
Which is it? Is he too involved or not enough?
I just called to to task on being consistent, but I guess you are: Whatever Obama does is wrong. Even if its something you or your conservative peers used to believe in.
#71 Alfred:
Wisconsin has the 3rd highest ACT test scores in the nation.
Wisconsin teacher starting salary is $25k. Average is $46k. Not exactly mind blowing salaries. Especially for the hours they put in.
You want to spew some more BS?
# 61 JohnnyBGoode said:
“Now why the f@&$!ck didn’t the Navy kill the pirates BEFORE they heard the shots?”
To prevent the captured from being killed. Imagine the hatred if that had happened: “Now why the f@&$!ck did the Navy go off half cocked?”
= = = = = =
The Indian Ocean: 30 million square miles. There aren’t enough ships in the entire Navy to patrol it effectively. Even limited to the busiest 10%: 3 million square miles, about the same as the total land area of the United States, maybe there are enough ships in the Navy to patrol that much, but it might take them all, leaving us undefended everywhere else.
Somalia: 246 thousand square miles, almost as big as Texas, with 9.4 million inhabitants in the tensest, touchiest area in the world. It’s a combination world-class porcupine and Brer Rabbit’s “tar baby” — can’t touch it without getting stuck, in both senses of the word.
This situation is not going away any time soon, and none of the simplistic solutions suggested here would help at all. In fact they’d all be a total disaster — not solving anything and pissing off the entire rest of the world at us.
The only thing that can do any good is some kind of “nation building” in Somalia, but since we’re NO GOOD at that, it would have to be done indirectly, with cooperation from (or even mainly done by) other nations in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere. Even in the best-case scenario, this is going to go on for years.
= = = = = =
# 67 fritz43 said:
“Such bitterness, such hatred. Don’t you realize that, aside from being a massive emotional energy sink, hatred ultimately turns on and devours the hater?
“Listen to someone much wiser than yourself: ‘When you harbor anger or hatred against someone, it’s as if you are drinking poison and expecting the other person to become ill.’ Nelson Mandela”
Too late. Alfie gulps it down every day like Kool-Aid, then spews it forth all over this blog. Compared to him, the (pre-conversion) Grinch and (pre-apparitions) Ebenezer Scrooge are Pollyanna — all sweetness and light.
#76 – And there is clearly still work to be done. I don’t see how stripping workers of their rights helps kids read. I don’t see how paying teachers less than $12 per hour helps kids read.
You have yet to rise to my challenge from another thread: How does your private education plan account for people too poor to afford a private education?
What percentage of kids wont be able to read once their education and station in life is determined before they are born?
#82
1. There is typically a gap between the value of a voucher and the cost of private education. A voucher program only helps to reduce the cost for people who can almost afford or can easily afford to send their kids to private school. It still leaves a vast uneducated underclass who will never rise out of poverty, generation after generation.
2. Vouchers?!? issued by the government!??! That sounds like a government subsidy, you crazy baby eating liberal.
3. Teachers over paid? Not really http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/6785/
4. http://www.privateschoolreview.com/state_private_schools/stateid/WI
I don’t see any school on this list that charges less than $60k a year. You already thing $10k per year cost is exorbitant. If private schools can do it cheaper, then why don’t they? If the market supports that price now, what happens when you increase demand by eliminating public schools?
#85 – You got any stats to back up that wild and convenient assumption?
#89 and #86
No, you say I compare mountains and molehills. Prove it.
#88 Show me where private schools provide and education anywhere near as cheap as the public school system. I showed you a list of tuition costs. Is “Limbaugh says” all you got?
You still have not addressed how private education cost is accessible to the poor. I provided an argument against vouchers (the gap). I also pointed out it amounts to a government subsidy, which conservatives are supposed to be against. Your answer was “its a conservative idea” – So subsidies are ok as long as they’re your idea? How are vouchers not “stealing my tax money to educate other peoples children?” Where will the cost of these vouchers come from since taxes are so evil? I thought all the states were broke?
#87 So when Tea Baggers protest, they are patriots exercising their freedom.
When anyone who disagrees with the right protests, they are “fomenters of malcontent.”
Agree with you or be silenced. Got it.
I’d like to apply for a janitorial position at Dvorak.org. Ive been wiping the floor with Alfred/TEAdude.
>We need the military to follow these pirates ..
http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/02/18/koch-brothers-behind-wisconsin-effort-to-kill-public-unions/
Dallas don’t leave WalMart out of your spiel. Just because WalMart gave money to Center for American Progress, and CAP gives them a pass, that doesn’t mean the rest of the left should let it slide that they were a big contributor to Scott Walker’s campaign.
The Tea Party is saying the government knows best and support taking away the rights of hard working Wisconsin citizens. I guess they are all for big government when it might help their big business benefactors.
Lets get back on topic
any one think we should be just a bit bothered when US citizens on go where the US government warnds them not to go get into trouble and now the US taxpayers have to pay for 4 war ships to follow them around and possibly unnecessarily put the lives of some of our service men at risk pule add more fuel to those who like to look for reasons sell hate America propaganda to despondent youth in
Arab lands
Why is the tea party is saying the government knows best and support taking away the rights of hard working Wisconsin citizens? I guess they are all for big government when it might help their big business benefactors.
Lets get back on topic
Any one think we should be just a bit bothered when US citizens on go where the US government warns them not to go, gets into trouble and now the US taxpayers have to pay for 4 war ships(now not protecting commercial shipping) to follow them around and possibly unnecessarily put the lives of some of our service men at risk plus add more fuel to those who like to look for reasons sell hate America propaganda to despondent youth in
Arab lands
Pirates are as far south as Kenya and East as far as Oman. They don’t have radar but are able to locate a yacht out at sea?
#101–Howard==you make a distinction between commercial shipping (no restriction to USA vessels and most of them are non USA registered) and US Citizen Pleasure craft.
What is the protection worthiness distinction that you think is valid?
On schools: the education of our kiddies is NOT a free market activity. The fact that too many, but certainly not all or maybe even most, of our local governments are incompetent for a number of reasons doesn’t change that fact.
The free market works “best” when the goods and services are “needed”–kinda like Swiss watches.
#93 – Your source starts by condemning the “leftist media” so already anything they have to say is suspect.
Second, I was very careful to give examples of *actual violence* perpetuated by people who thought they were furthering a right wing agenda. I did not provide sources (and there were many) about violent right wing rhetoric.
I still contend that the takeaway about crazy/violent people is that they are *crazy/violent.* Their politics are a sideshow at best.
Again, please prove that violence is rare among conservatives and an every day occurrence for liberals. Show your work.
#96
http://payscale.com/research/US/State=Wisconsin/Salary
Tell me again how the Wisconsin teachers are paid “far more than the poor taxpayers paying their salaries”
Lets also remember that the teachers also pay taxes. You keep defending taxpayers like the teachers are getting that money tax free.
102
It blows my mind how you keep repeating the same claims and keep not backing it up with any sort of evidence.
If private education is so cheap, then why isn’t it?
And if it isn’t, how do you propose we get all of our citizens access to an adequate education regardless of the socioeconomic status they inherited from their parents?
#107. You do realize you’re rationalizing with a Bill O’Reilly School of Make Shit Up to Prove a Point alumni?
The bottom line is sheeple want the safety and predictable herding by corporations. Happy to work for a wage set by the average teenage pay in Beijing and maybe a ham for Christmas for having no sick days.
The ‘budget’ discussion is a red herring to rally the teabaggers to show up and clap. I predict this governor will end up like Khadafi when it’s all over.
Yes, Dallas I know. I shouldn’t even validate his fantasy crap by responding. But today I had enough of his unsupportable bs. Today I hold his feet to the fire.
104 bobbo
Commercial shipping is vital part of the US and world economy and I’m happy with some of my tax dollars being spent on keeping it some what secure.
Ski/Board out of bounds get lost/in trouble you have to pay for your rescue. I think the same could apply to fools who go pleasure boating in the Gulf of Aden against the State departments advice.
On schools I’ll wait for a school thread instead of pirates thread for that topic.
To those upset about the offtopicness: I apologize.
I just couldn’t led Alfred’s bs stand unchallenged, even if off topic.
May I express what I’m feeling at just this moment? With a mind fresh after seven hours of sleep? These are a couple of dumbasses who at least partially deserved their fate. Furthermore someone will use their story to benefit in some political way. Genuine evangelists speak to groups of people and don’t sail with their asses flapping in the wind in PIRATE COUNTRY. It’s unfortunate that the “survival of the fittest” theory applies to these folks too.
#112: So you dispute that that graph shows “State: Wisconsin
Median Salary by Job?”
My point was that they don’t make “far more than the private sector” They make in line with what a variety of jobs in Wisconsin make. You failed to dispute that – your link addresses nothing about how Wisconsin teacher salary compares to other careers. If you dispute that graph, then show me one of yours. You’ve been saying it all day, you must be able to show that data.
#114 Another call to privatize education, when you haven’t solved any of the obvious issues that I’ve raised.
Put up or shut up.
Once again we see the sad pattern that repeats throughout history. The Lord only protects his servants when they take extraordinary measures to protect themselves. That’s why many Christians love guns so much. They know that only if they arm themselves mightily will God truly be on their side.
These missionaries should have loaded their yacht with fewer Bibles and a large cache of weapons. If they had prayed before setting sail, God would have been glad to help them pick out which guns to take with them on their sacred journey spreading the gospel.
If you let him into your heart, the Lord will be your daily companion and small arms adviser, but sadly, these people were probably sissy pacifists.
Could it be that they started preaching to the pirates and the pirates just snapped?
They chose, poorly