Negotiations Resume for Captain's Release, Lifeboat Surrounded

By Jeralyn, Section Foreign Affairs
Posted on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 10:44:22 AM EST
Tags: Somali Pirates (all tags)

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Last night negotiations broke down between the Somali elders and U.S. negotiators for the release of hostage Captain Richard Phillips. The sticking point was whether the Somali pirates should be arrested and turned over to authorities for prosecution.

Today, the Somali elders are trying again.

Media reports said that Somali elders set off from the port of Eyl on Sunday in a fresh attempt to find a compromise that will secure Phillip's release.

[More...]

The pirates want to bring the lifeboat to shore. One Kenyan report says they are now out of fuel and "drifting towards shore." If they do, they may escape with Captain Phillips, making it much harder to find and rescue him.

It's 100 degrees in the Indian Ocean. There are no toilets on the lifeboat. How long before someone snaps?

How involved is President Obama today? He should be enjoying Easter Sunday and the new puppy. But he's probably getting updates every few minutes and learning that holidays take a back seat to crises, even those those involving one American thousands of miles from home.

This needs to end well. As I opined last night, Captain Phillips needs to be returned safely, even at the cost of non-prosecution of his kidnappers.

The priority should be the safe return of Captain Phillips, not retribution. Prosecuting these particular pirates will not stop the next hijacking. Until the conditions in Somalia causing the piracy are addressed, the hijackings will continue.

If this ends violently and with the death of Captain Phillips, it will not be a victory over the pirates, no matter how many are killed. There will be another group tomorrow and they will be out for blood as well as money.

I don't envy President Obama today. The buck stops with him. Even on Easter Sunday.

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Negotiations Resume for Captain's Release, Lifeboat Surrounded | 22 comments (22 topical)

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Krugman on 'This Week' (none / 0) (#1)
by ruffian on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 11:38:32 AM EST

I paraphrase.....think of all the ships that don't get attacked by pirates, and whose captains aren't adrift in a lifeboat with thugs in 100 degree weather!

I feel so much better now!

He meant (none / 0) (#15)
by SOS on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 01:37:45 PM EST

The pirates are the only people who had a good 2008.


C'mon.... (5.00 / 1) (#16)
by kdog on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 02:05:25 PM EST

our so-called "depression" still beats the best of the best years of a Somali pirate.

Anybody here commenting have to stare down a warship in a dingy to make a living this week? I think not...I'll take an American "depression" every time.


Interesting article (none / 0) (#18)
by Inspector Gadget on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 02:29:15 PM EST

on the pirates of Somalia.


Like I said... (none / 0) (#19)
by Salo on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 06:08:09 PM EST

...better to demonstrate how Piracy will not be tolerated than let this problem grow. We fund a Navy in part, to prevent the depredations of piracy. It's literally the point of having a Navy.


: It should have been done a decade (none / 0) (#21)
by Inspector Gadget on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 08:04:24 PM EST

ago when it was in its early stages. Now, ALL the countries that are being victimized by this need to band together and get this to end. What happened today could have negative results in the effort to end the piracy sooner rather than later. They killed some recruits, the kingpins are fine.

hmm (none / 0) (#2)
by connecticut yankee on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 11:59:33 AM EST

One thing I find interesting is that these pirates don't seem to get along with the islamic court forces. Puntland was the local ally to the Ethiopian forces in the recent war.

After they hijacked a saudi tanker the islamic forces stormed into town, angry that the pirates were messing with muslims. heh. They don't make many friends.

Jesus H. Christ... (none / 0) (#3)
by kdog on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 12:15:26 PM EST

Let them go so they will let him go...of all the thievery in all the world, this is where we're gonna put our foot down at a cost to human life? Seriously.

CNN reports that he's freed (none / 0) (#4)
by Cream City on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 12:25:09 PM EST

3 of 4 pirates dead.. nt (none / 0) (#6)
by connecticut yankee on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 12:29:23 PM EST

Damn... (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by kdog on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 12:32:46 PM EST

was rooting for a Happy Easter for all...bummer.


Somalis are mostly Muslim (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by Cream City on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 12:47:17 PM EST

so this is not their holy day. And it is a good day for those Somalis who interceded for Phillips.

My hope is that the almost a million Somali refugees in the U.S., with the largest community in my region, do not endure any reprisals from idiots here. They are a wonderful people, and some have suffered for their Muslim faith here. That said, many small communities here have embraced them and their practice of all of the fine things about the Muslim faith, and those towns that have welcomed them and learned from them are the best of us.


CNN reporting (none / 0) (#11)
by gyrfalcon on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 12:57:45 PM EST

pirate leader lured onto the Bainbridge for negotiations, Capt. Phillips took the opportunity to jump overboard again, and this time the SEALS were prepared, grabbed the captain and shot the 3 remaining pirates on the lifeboat.

Yes, it's too bad, but that's what happens when you're stupid enough or macho enough to play chicken with the U.S. Navy from a powerless lifeboat with four lightly armed guys.


Maybe stupid.... (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by kdog on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 01:07:55 PM EST

or maybe just desperate.


: how about (none / 0) (#20)
by cpinva on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 06:46:14 PM EST

stupid and desperate, for $500 alex? possibly even a little suicidal.
once the lifeboat ran out of fuel, they were cooked. i think these guys were also not the best and brightest; once things went south, they had no clue how to adapt and overcome.

They weren't playing chicken (none / 0) (#17)
by Inspector Gadget on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 02:14:25 PM EST

They asked for free passage for themselves at the release of the captain.

Granted, we have not been informed by anyone with a name or right to speak openly, so certainly don't know everything that transpired.


: Four guys (2.00 / 1) (#22)
by gyrfalcon on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 11:02:42 PM EST

bargaining with the U.S. Navy from a powerless lifeboat is playing chicken no matter what they ask for. At least some of these guys were reportedly teenagers.

Tuned in now... (none / 0) (#7)
by kdog on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 12:30:38 PM EST

not hearing word on the fate of the pirates...anyone heard?


: Their DEAD (none / 0) (#14)
by SOS on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 01:17:57 PM EST

Have a nice trip

An Easter story (none / 0) (#9)
by Cream City on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 12:42:45 PM EST

for the media on a slow news day.

And our congregation, and a family member's congregation, and many others prayed for this news today. Who knows, maybe prayer works -- especially the prayers from the Phillips family as well as for them. I am so glad that they will not have a horrible memory of Easter every year.


i think they were angry (none / 0) (#5)
by cpinva on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 12:28:18 PM EST

that they didn't get a cut of the take, since cash is always the bottom line.

as i understand the situation, they're demanding:

a. 2 million in ransom.
b. safe passage back to somalia.

for the safe return of capt. phillips.

at this point, that's their only leverage. should they actually kill him, they have nothing. the longer they can be kept out there, the greater the likelihood of capt. phillips' safe release.

oddly enough, the british had a similar problem in the carribean, 250 years ago: lots of sea to cover, limited resources to do it with, and a land population all too happy to benefit from the pirate's booty. those pirates were also well-armed, with (for the day) swift vessels.

the british dealt with it by assigning naval vessels to engage in "search-and-destroy" missions. it took a couple of years, but the sea lanes were eventually cleared.

granted, the two situations aren't exactly parallel, but there are certainly a lot of similarities.

Navy Seals (none / 0) (#13)
by SOS on Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 01:12:39 PM EST

AP - 2 mins ago

MOMBASA, Kenya - An American ship captain was freed unharmed Sunday in a swift firefight that killed three of the four Somali pirates who had been holding him for days in a lifeboat off the coast of Africa, the ship's owner said and a U.S. official said.