American Hostage Jessica Buchanan Rescused by US Navy SEALs in overnight raid in Somalia

KUDOS once again to the US Navy Seals …

US Navy Seals rescued two hostages, including kidnapped Jessica Buchanan, in a night time raid in Somalia. Buchanan had been kidnapped by Somalia pirates about three months ago. The other individual rescued was 60 year old Poul Thisted from Denmark who also was working for a Danish relief organization in northern Somalia when they were kidnapped last October.

In a daring nighttime raid Tuesday, U.S. Navy SEALs rescued two hostages, including one American, who were being held by kidnappers in Somalia, U.S. officials tell NBC News.

American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and a 60-year-old Dane, Poul Thisted, were working for a Danish relief organization in northern Somalia when they were kidnapped last October. U.S. officials described their kidnappers as heavily armed common criminals with no known ties to any organized militant group.

According to the U.S. officials, two teams of Navy SEALs landed by helicopter near the compound where the two hostages were being held.

Hats off to our US Navy Seal team heroes.

UPDATE I: Is is being reported that Seal Team 6 is the one that pulled off the daring raid, the same Seal Team that took down Bin Laden.

US Navy Rescues Iranian Ship & Sailors held by Somali Pirates … Because America is Just So Evil … Iran Says a “welcome and humanitarian act”

How must the following story be reported in Iran to its people? AMERICA TO THE RESCUE …

Talk about your ironies … The US Navy ship was in the area due to Iranian hostilities. Once again, America to the rescue! The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Kidd responded to a distress call from the Iranian vessel, , the Al Molai, that had been held captive for more than 40 days, by Somali pirates. The result, the US cavalry to the rescue and 13 Iranian fishing sailors were saved. A U.S. Navy team boarded the ship and detained 15 suspected Somali pirates.

A U.S. Navy destroyer has rescued an Iranian fishing boat that had been commandeered by suspected pirates just days after Tehran warned the U.S. to keep its warships out of the Persian Gulf.

American forces flying off the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd responded to a distress call from the Iranian vessel, the Al Molai, which had been held captive for more than 40 days, the U.S. Navy said Friday. The Kidd was sailing in the Arabian Sea, after leaving the Persian Gulf, when it came to the sailors’ aid.

Image that? The US Navy ship was in the area due to the Iranian government in Tehran threats to cut off the Strait of Hormuz. We have been told by Iranian officials that the US is no longer welcome in the Gulf. I bet these Iranian fishing sailors rescued by the US Navy beg to differ. Whether at odds with a country or not, the United States is always there to lend a helping hand … A note to the haters of America, “It’s what we do.”

“It’s what we do. And it’s what we do in that part of the world. We get a distress call, as we did in this case, even though it came from an Iranian ship. When the pirates went after them, we respond to those calls,” Panetta said. “We did what we have to do in that situation. I think it just sends an important message to the world that the United States is going to abide by international rules and international order, and that’s exactly what we did here.”

This is what separates the Unites states from the other countries that US “haters” try to compare us to and say we are the same. Could we have expected the Iranian government to have come to a US boats rescue? Hmm? Not unless they wanted to take possession of the boat like a military drone.

OH, THE IRONY

UPDATE I: First the irony and now for something completely different … Wow, how much worldwide exposure did this humanitarian act get … Iran has finally commented and states that the  January 5 US Navy operation was a “welcome and humanitarian act.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told Iran’s Arabic-language broadcaster, Al-Alam, that “all nations should display such behavior.”

“We consider the actions of the U.S. forces in saving the lives of the Iranian seamen to be a humanitarian and positive act and we welcome such behavior,” Mehmanparast was quoted as saying.

Murder of 4 American Hostages Aboard ‘Quest’ by Somali Pirates Could Have been Averted

Last week it was reported that four Americans were murdered aboard the hijacked ’Quest” off the coast of Oman at the hands of Somali pirates. 

Now it is being reported  from the  UK Daily Mail that the murder of  four Americans, Jean and Scott Adam, from California, and Phyllis Macay and Robert Riggle, at the hands of Somali pirates could have been prevented. If this is the case, this hijacking and eventual murder of the four Americans is even more tragic than originally reported.

The killing of four American hostages on board their yacht may have been sparked by the U.S. Navy’s decision to detain two of the pirates who had come to negotiate with them, it emerged today.

Jean and Scott Adam, from California, and Phyllis Macay and Robert Riggle, from Seattle, were shot aboard the Quest off the coast of Oman, East Africa, on Tuesday.

A day earlier, two Somali pirates had boarded the U.S.S. Sterett stationed 600 yards away from the yacht to talk face-to-face, and American officials thought a breakthrough with the gang was imminent.

According to reports, the FBI negotiators did not take the leaders of Somali pirates that they were negotiating with seriously. The Somali leaders had left orders if they did not return, the hostages should be killed. Sadly, that is was happened.

A pirate source quoted by the newspaper said their leader had told them that if he did not return, they should kill the hostages. American officials say they do not know that to be the case.

Four Americans Aboard Yacht ‘The Quest’ Hijacked by Somali Pirates are Murdered

Sad ending to hijacked yacht by Somali pirates … all four Americans dead. The news broke early this morning on Fox News.

As reported last week, the Quest was hijacked by Somali pirates south of Oman with four Americans aboard. The Navy had been following the yacht since it had been boarded by pirates. As stated at Hot Air, the Navy had been negotiating with the pirates when the Somalis launched a rocket at the American ship, and gunfire erupted leaving the hostages mortally wounded.  The news broke today that the 4 American hostages, Jean and Scott Adam, Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle were all killed.

VIDEO 

A pirate fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a U.S. Navy destroyer shadowing a hijacked yacht with four Americans aboard Tuesday. Then gunfire erupted, the military said. U.S. special forces rushed to the yacht only to find the four Americans fatally wounded.

The experienced yacht enthusiasts from California and Washington are the first Americans killed by Somali pirates since the start of attacks off East Africa several years ago. One of the American couples on board had been sailing around the world since 2004 handing out Bibles.

The pirates claim that they killed the hostages after the US Navy fired on them. Because Somali pirates are known through out the world for their truth telling. Like that is supposed to be some kind of a justification to murder innocent civilians.

Maybe the following needs to be done the next time any of these pirates are seen any where in the water. It might just be the solution to the never ending problem.

One has to wonder what will ever put an end to this nonsense. Christan yachters handing out Bibles murdered by Somali savages. The Astute Blogger has the right idea and is correct, had this been met with force at the outset, these sea terrorists would never have ever shown their faces again.

Remember when the United States never tolerated any of their citizens to be murdered?

Somali Pirates Hijack Yacht ‘The Quest’ with 4 Americans Aboard … Jean and Scott Adam & 2 Others (UPDATE: FOX Reporting Four Americans Dead)

Its happened again … Somali pirates have hijacked a yacht with four Americans and bibles aboard. The Quest, owned by Jean and Scott Adam (website), a couple from California who has been sailing around the world since December 2004.   The Quest is a Davidson 58 Pilot House Sloop. Their 2011 travel plans have appeared to have met with a sudden unexpected hijacking.

Pic: SV Quest

An American couple that has sailed the world with a yacht full of Bibles was hijacked by Somali pirates, and the U.S. said Saturday it is assessing possible options.

Pirates say the yacht will make landfall in Somalia on Sunday, which would reduce the chances of a fast rescue dramatically. A British sailing couple hijacked by pirates was held hostage in a stiflingly hot Somali region for more than a year.

We wish the the Adams the best of luck in getting out of this one. A lot of praying and using the Bibles on board might be the best option. Of course it might be a thought for those tacthing to avoid Somali waters.

The Adams — who are members of the Marina del Rey Yacht Club in Marina del Rey, California — run a Bible ministry, according to their website, and have been distributing Bibles to schools and churches in remote villages in areas including the Fiji Islands, Alaska, New Zealand, Central America and French Polynesia.

This hijacking comes on the foot heal of a Somali pirate was sentenced to 33 years in prison by a New York court for the 2009 hijacking of the Maersk Alabama.

UPDATE I: Warship Shadowing Somali Pirates Who Captured Four Americans

UPDATE II: 2/22/11 - Oh dear God, Fox News this morning reported that the 4 Americans captured by pirates are dead. Further details were that the 4 captured Amercans and 2 pirates were killed. Terrible, just terrible.