Captain Richard Phillips is Freed!

Reuters reports from Mogadishu that the U.S. Navy SEALS rescued Captain Richard Phillips today from the liftboat.  

In the action that took place, three of the pirates were shot dead and another was captured.

Lt. Commander John Daniels told reporters, "I can tell you that he is free and that he is safe."

In the body of the Reuters article, the action took place when a U.S. Navy commander made a "split-second decision" to fire on the pirates because he believed that Phillips was facing imminent danger during the hostage talks with his captors; and the sea conditions were deteriorating.  Phillips was being held on the liftboat with the pirates holding AK-47s at him.

President Obama granted the Pentagon's request to use appropriate force to save the life of the captain.

U.S. Navy 5th Fleet, located in Bahrain, said that the rescue took place at 12:19pm EDT; and that the lifeboat had by then drifted to within 20 miles off the Somalian coast.  

A photograph of a smiling Phillips was shown in a picture released by the U.S. Navy after his rescue. 

President Obama said in a statement to the news media, "To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes."

The pirates of course vow revenge.  Captain Phillips rescued and thus thir ransom money hopes are now gone.  Plus the French were able to recovered a hijacked yacht on Friday. "The French and the Americans will regret starting this killing.  We do not kill, but take only ransom.  We shall do something to anyone we see as French or American from now (on)." pirate spokesman Hussein to Reuters via satellite phone.

Quoting from the reuters article:  Andrew Mwangura - coordinator of the Mombasa-based East African Seafarers Assistance Program, said the rescue would change the stakes in future pirate attacks.  "This is a big wake-up to the pirates.  It raises the stakes.  now they may be more violent, like the pirates of old."  

NOTE:  This article will be posted on both of my blogs (www.theshanksdimension.com) and (http://flash255bunker.blogspot.com).  

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Ref. Reuters.com "U.S. Navy rescues captain, kills Somali pirates." by Abdi Sheikh and Abdi Guled.  April 12, 2009. (http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE53A1LP20090412).