Navy Seal Sharpshooters Took Them Out

[SoFlaJet]

from the destroyer...amazing shots on those seas...WOW very impressed

[davepc]

1. Good on the SEALs

[SoFlaJet]

4. Our Special Forces friggin ROCK

a proud brother of a Vietnam Green Beret...my brother Wayne is smiling somewhere from the great beyond

[BlooInBloo]

2. (prays that the story isn't being exaggerated)

But yah - the reports I'm hearing sound pretty amazing. Especially amazing is how well it seems overall-policy was transmitted down, decision-makers at each level doing well, etc.

Kinda reminds me of how my dad used to describe one of the advantage-balance issues in football: the offense has to do pretty much EVERYTHING right for a given play to be successful.

[jefferson_dem]

3. Three simultaneous headshots.

Booya!

[VeraAgnes]

5. How far away were the Sharp Shooters?

So; no attack on the lifeboat essentially ...Damn amazing! I love these guys!

[SoFlaJet]

6. I know they were towing them BACK out to sea

AWAY from the Somalia coast so it couldn't have been too far...still on a rocking boat and all and 3 headshots

[NYC_SKP]

7. They must have forgotten Pirate Rules no. 12 and no. 1.

Number 12: Do NOT stick your stupid ass head out and make a target.

Number 1: Bush is now gone, Don't fuck with America.

Back to pirate school with the lot of ya, ARRRRRGH!!!

[LiberalFighter]

10. Someone must had forgotten to inform them that Bush is not President anymore.

[jefferson_dem]

8. Ambinder has more on the super secret special forces team that took care of bizness...

:patriot:

SEAL Team Six v. The Pirates

Background information provided by the White House provides an intriguing clue as to the identity of the Navy SEAL team that rescued Capt. Richard Phillips from Somali pirates. After the mission, Obama telephoned several military officials, including "Vice Admiral William McRaven, Commander Joint Special Operations Command." Interesting choice; it means that at least some of the Navy Seals who participated in the rescue were part a classified special missions unit -- the Naval Special Warfare Development Group -- DevGru, popularly known as "SEAL Team Six." The commander of JSOC technically provides support for other special forces (SF) units. But really -- the JSOC commander overseas Delta Force, SEALTeam Six and other secret teams.

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/04/seal_team_six_v_the_pirates.php

[PopSixSquish]

19. You Have to be the Best to Be a Navy Seal and Seal Team Six is the Best of the Navy Seals

think about that for a moment...

[Clio the Leo]

9. Help me out here....

.... how did they do that if the lifeboat had a cover on it?

(I'm not being skeptical, that's a serious question.)

[hack89]

11. Two were sticking their heads out out of the portholes

while the third was on deck guarding the American who was taking a leak over the side. The fourth pirate was on the US Navy ship (luck for him)

[Clio the Leo]

12. And so then the third one......

..... after the first two got shot, stuck HIS head out too?

These pirate dudes ... not so bright.

[hack89]

13. I think the third one was in the open guarding the hostage. nt

[Clio the Leo]

16. It will be interesting to see.....

... whether or not that leak-taking was in any way strategy ... or just plan and simply leak taking.

I saw an interview with the Captian's father who apparently teaches sailors what to do if they are ever taken hostage. Cant wait to see how much of his training came in to play.

[stray cat]

14. Rescued via taking a leak

[hack89]

18. Here are the actual details - pretty amazing

Two of the captors had poked their heads out of a rear hatch of the lifeboat, exposing themselves to clear shots, and the third could be seen through a window in the bow, pointing an automatic rifle at the captain, who was tied up inside the 18-foot lifeboat, senior Navy officials said.

It took only three remarkable shots — one each by snipers firing from a distance at dusk, using night-vision scopes, the officials said. Within minutes, members of the Special Forces slid down ropes from the Bainbridge, climbed aboard the lifeboat and found the three pirates dead. They then untied Captain Phillips, ending the contretemps at sea that had riveted much of the world’s attention. A fourth pirate had surrendered earlier.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/world/africa/13pirates.html?_r=1&hp

[Brooklyns_Finest]

15. American Marksmanship

I can't speak for the Army, but I know in the Marine Corps, quality marksmanship is the the most important skill of a rifleman. I would assume that the Navy SEALs have some (but not all) of the best shooters in the US military.

Say what you want about America, our people, our politics, our culture, there is no doubt that we have the finest shooters in the world.

[SpartanDem]

17. They picked the wrong fucking military to mess with