US Marines free German ship from pirates

Fox News‘ Jennifer Griffin reports that a contingent of US Marines who happened to be in the neighbor of a pirated German vessel, the M/V Magellan Star, dropped in on the nine pirates early this morning and, after an hour long battle, freed the vessel from the Somali pirates (no word if Matthis or Bobby Whittenberg was among them);

Navy commanders are often frustrated by not having ships or aircraft available to respond to attacks, considering the large expanse of ocean they are patrolling.

A U.S. Navy spokesman said Thursday’s raid didn’t necessarily signal a change in tactics in the U.S. response to pirate attacks. But because commanders had resources available this time around, they decided to act.

I hope the stars stay aligned for more operations against these barbarians.

In related news, one of the Somalian pirates captured several weeks ago by the US Navy pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit piracy yesterday in a DC Federal Court Room.

The U.S. Justice Department said in a release 38-year-old Jama Idle Ibrahim, aka Jaamac Ciidle, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit piracy under the law of nations, and conspiracy to use a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence for taking part in the armed takeover of the Danish-flagged vessel MV/CEC Future in the Gulf of Aden in November 2008.

Under his plea agreement, the two sides agree a 25-year prison sentence is appropriate….

The best thing that could have happened to him. He gets to live on the taxpayers’ dime for 25 years – beats riding in a shitbox boat miles out at sea waiting to get his ass shot off. I’m sure that the ACLU will find something wrong with this and get him released and sent back to the pirate life.

Category: Legal, Military issues