The United States Navy has rescued the captain of a Maersk vessel who earlier had surrendered to Somalian pirates to give his crew a chance to retake their ship, according to news reports. Captain Richard Phillips, who was held hostage by the pirates for more than a hundred hours, was taken first to the USS Bainbridge and then to the USS Boxer, which are both in the area.
Three pirates were killed by U.S. Navy SEALs, while a fourth surrendered before the rescue attempt. CNN and ABC are reporting that the rescue was authorized from the top by President Barack Obama, who approved requests from the Department of Defense to use appropriate force to retrieve the captain.
Kudos to the men and women of the U.S. Navy for a job well done!