"The United States government policy is to not negotiate," - Vice Admiral William Gortney
Al Jazeera reports: "Richard Phillips, the captain of the Maersk Alabama, was freed after an operation against the pirates on Sunday, Laura Tischler, a spokeswoman for the US state department, said.
"I can confirm that Captain Phillips has been safely recovered," she said.
Three of the four pirates holding Phillips were killed in the operation while the fourth was taken into custody, US officials said.
Al Jazeera's correspondent Mohammed Adow said: "US forces are reported to have attacked the lifeboat when the pirates were expecting a diplomatic exchange ... [and] have taken the remaining pirate to one of their ships in these waters."
"The ransom money pirates have been getting is so huge, that many more people have been drawn into the activity.
On some sites, like Michelle Malkin's, President Obama was criticized for not making bold speeches about the situation, letting his military commanders do their jobs. Jennifer Lovin and Philip Elliot from the AP reports: "President Barack Obama twice authorized the military to rescue a U.S. captain held by Somali pirates and whose life appeared to be at risk.
Officials say Obama gave the OK on Friday and Saturday to rescue Capt. Richard Phillips from a lifeboat off the Somali coast. Officials say both times the Pentagon believed Phillips' life was at risk. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
Administration officials say Obama was told Sunday of the rescue while he was in the White House residence. Officials also say Obama has phoned Phillips and Phillips' family."
So now our Somalian children will have to be supervised, and the rest of the hostages being held will have to be delt with.From al Jazeera: "Ali Abdullahi, a security consultant and risk management analyst specialising on Somalia, said the only way to tackle piracy was to address the political and economic problems there.
"A lot of the time, we're not talking about the core issues which have made piracy a major event in Somalia," he told Al Jazeera.
"There has been a lot of illegal fishing by international agents, toxic waste dumping on parts of Somalia, a lack of bad governance as well, all of which are the real causes of piracy."
Hijackings are an ongoing problem in the busy shipping lanes off largely lawless Somalia.
At least a dozen ships have been seized in the Indian Ocean and more than 200 crew members are being held hostage."
A Reuters reporter gives some background to reporting in the region: "One of the best sources on piracy in the region is Andrew Mwangura, coordinator of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme. Based in Kenya's Mombasa port, the body is a champion for sailors' welfare, essentially a human rights group.
Mwangura believes some authorities in the region, and wealthy kingpins in places like Nairobi, Dubai and London, are complicit in masterminding and sheltering piracy.
Last year, Mwangura accused Kenya of trying to cover up the real destination of tanks on board a hijacked Ukrainian ship. Mwangura was labeled a "mouthpiece" for pirates by the Kenyan government, and went to jail on charges of giving "alarming" information and possessing $3 worth of marijuana. He was later released, but the case hangs over him in what he says is a crude attempt to gag him from telling the truth.
Kenya's sensitivity over Mwangura mirrors some of the moral ambiguities over covering piracy. Are journalists fanning criminality when they speak to the gangs, or adding to a necessary understanding of the phenomenon?
Answers, please, in a bottle on the Indian Ocean."
Officials say Obama gave the OK on Friday and Saturday to rescue Capt. Richard Phillips from a lifeboat off the Somali coast. Officials say both times the Pentagon believed Phillips' life was at risk. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
Administration officials say Obama was told Sunday of the rescue while he was in the White House residence. Officials also say Obama has phoned Phillips and Phillips' family."
So now our Somalian children will have to be supervised, and the rest of the hostages being held will have to be delt with.From al Jazeera: "Ali Abdullahi, a security consultant and risk management analyst specialising on Somalia, said the only way to tackle piracy was to address the political and economic problems there.
"A lot of the time, we're not talking about the core issues which have made piracy a major event in Somalia," he told Al Jazeera.
"There has been a lot of illegal fishing by international agents, toxic waste dumping on parts of Somalia, a lack of bad governance as well, all of which are the real causes of piracy."
Hijackings are an ongoing problem in the busy shipping lanes off largely lawless Somalia.
At least a dozen ships have been seized in the Indian Ocean and more than 200 crew members are being held hostage."
A Reuters reporter gives some background to reporting in the region: "One of the best sources on piracy in the region is Andrew Mwangura, coordinator of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme. Based in Kenya's Mombasa port, the body is a champion for sailors' welfare, essentially a human rights group.
Mwangura believes some authorities in the region, and wealthy kingpins in places like Nairobi, Dubai and London, are complicit in masterminding and sheltering piracy.
Last year, Mwangura accused Kenya of trying to cover up the real destination of tanks on board a hijacked Ukrainian ship. Mwangura was labeled a "mouthpiece" for pirates by the Kenyan government, and went to jail on charges of giving "alarming" information and possessing $3 worth of marijuana. He was later released, but the case hangs over him in what he says is a crude attempt to gag him from telling the truth.
Kenya's sensitivity over Mwangura mirrors some of the moral ambiguities over covering piracy. Are journalists fanning criminality when they speak to the gangs, or adding to a necessary understanding of the phenomenon?
Answers, please, in a bottle on the Indian Ocean."
Speak softly but carry a big stick. In the case of Iran, celebrating "Nuclear Day," and who is now boasting that they control all cycles of nuclear technology, our big stick is Israel. The Jerusalem Post reports: "President Shimon Peres had some unusually aggressive words for Iran Sunday, seemingly threatening military action if US President Barack Obama's overtures to the Islamic republic fail to bear fruit.
In an interview with Kol Hai Radio, Peres also said that the arrest before the weekend of a Hizbullah terror cell in Egypt was a blow to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's power.
"Ahmadinejad recruits forces against us, but there are also forces against him," Peres said. "What happened in Egypt created a fierce opposition and we must unify all his opponents - the Sunnis and the Europeans, as well as those afraid of nuclear weapons and terror."
Peres went on to say that he hoped Obama's call for dialogue with Ahmadinejad would be heeded, but warned that if such talks don't soften the Iranian president's approach "we'll strike him." Let's hope they go after the carrot that Obama offers, instead of getting whacked by the stick.
In an interview with Kol Hai Radio, Peres also said that the arrest before the weekend of a Hizbullah terror cell in Egypt was a blow to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's power.
"Ahmadinejad recruits forces against us, but there are also forces against him," Peres said. "What happened in Egypt created a fierce opposition and we must unify all his opponents - the Sunnis and the Europeans, as well as those afraid of nuclear weapons and terror."
Peres went on to say that he hoped Obama's call for dialogue with Ahmadinejad would be heeded, but warned that if such talks don't soften the Iranian president's approach "we'll strike him." Let's hope they go after the carrot that Obama offers, instead of getting whacked by the stick.
Which reminds me of a teaching story. One day Nasruddin came upon a man trying to get his donkey to move. He was pushing it, pulling at it, cursing it, beating about it with his hat, but it just wouldn't budge out of the middle of the road.
Nasruddin said "That is no way to treat that animal. No wonder it won't move with all that violence."
"I suppose you can do better" said the man.
Nasruddin went to the side of the road where he found a big stick. He then went up to the donkey and hit it right between the eyes. He then picked up the lead rope and the donkey followed.
The man said " Oh thank you. But I thought you said that violence was not the answer."
'Yes" said Nasruddin, "But you must get its attention first."
this is funny
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