CALIFORNIA YANKEE

Captain Phillips freed

Richard Phillips, the American captain of a cargo ship held hostage by pirates, jumped overboard from the lifeboat where he was being held, and U.S. Navy SEALs shot and killed three of his four captors.

The fourth pirate was aboard the USS Bainbridge negotiating at the time of the shooting. That pirate was taken into custody.

According to CNN, Captain Phillips is uninjured and in good condition.

Matt Friedman of the Associated Press provides the following video report:

Three cheers for the Navy and the SEALS. In the future perhaps pirates may think twice before bragging they aren't afraid of the U.S.

U.S. Navy Captures Suspected Pirates

Two months ago, in connection with the ongoing piracy off the Somalia coast, California Yankee asked where is the U.S. Navy. Today the "suspected pirates" know.

Reuters reports the U.S. Navy's guided missile destroyer Winston S. Churchill and other U.S. naval forces pursued a suspected pirate ship in the Indian Ocean off Somalia's coast and captured its crew:

Twenty-three hijackings and attempted seizures have been reported in the waters off the coast of Somalia since mid-March.

Somalia Hires Firm To Fight Pirates

Topcat Marine Security has been given a two-year contract to help fight piracy off the Somalia coast.

Piracy is a serious problem near Somalia. The International Maritime Board says there have been 32 pirate attacks off the Somali coast since March this year.

Earlier this month, pirates attacked a US-based luxury cruise liner.

I still don't understand why the U.S. Navy doesn't have a greater presence in the area.

Where Is The Navy?

United Press International reports the pirates attacking shipping off the coast of Somalia are now holding seven ships, and the attack this week on cruise ship Seabourn Spirit was the 19th this year.

According to the UPI the pirates operate from large mother ships allowing fast launches to attack even those that keep their distance from the shore. The Seabourn Spirit was 100 miles offshore when attacked.

I am surprised that the U.S. Navy hasn't tried to put a stop to these bandits.

Cruise Ship Used Sonic Weapon Against Pirates

According to the Associated Press, the crew of the Seabourn Spirit, the cruise ship attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia Saturday, used a sonic weapon against the attackers.

The sonic weapon, known as a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), blasts earsplitting noise in a directed beam. The LRAD was developed after the 2000 attack on the USS Cole in Yemen as a non-lethal way to keep operators of small boats from approaching U.S. warships. It has also been used in Iraq to control crowds.

Images from American Technology Corporation.