Day By Day,  Somalia

Day By Day by Chris Muir April 9, 2009 – The Way We Were

April 9, 2009 /
day by day 040909

Day By Day by Chris Muir

The United States WILL be increasing its military presence in the Somalia area within 48 hours according to General Petraeus as a stand-off continues between a United States Navy Destroyer and Somali pirates.

A stand-off was continuing on Thursday between a US navy destroyer and pirates holding a US-flagged ship’s captain hostage, amid signs other pirate-held ships were being moved towards the area.

The USS Bainbridge arrived at the scene on Thursday morning to monitor events aboard the pirate-held lifeboat, containing four pirates and Richard Philips, captain of the Maersk Alabama, the first US-flagged ship to be seized by Somali pirates. The lifeboat ran out of fuel shortly after the pirates left the Maersk Alabama with it on Wednesday following a struggle with the vessel’s 20-strong crew of US citizens.

The crew had handed over a pirate they had held hostage in a deal that would have seen Mr Philips returned, but the pirates reneged on the deal and left in a lifeboat with him, only to run out of fuel only a short distance away.

In blogging matters today, it is my birthday, so blogging will be very light.

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One Comment

  • Ling

    April 10, 2009 at 9:22 am

    And now their pirate friends are cming to help with 4 other captured ships and lots more hostages. This is turning into a United States vs. Somalia pirates test of wills. These little schmucks need to be given the full treatment, I think. We should invite a few of them to stay at Gitmo.