Presidents and War: Barack Obama, Captain Phillips and the Pirates
Piracy is an event usually associated with 18th and 19th century history, but in the early years of this century, pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia were still occurring with unfortunate frequency. There were 236 attacks from pirates in the region in 2011, prompting a response from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), whose membership includes the United States. International counter-piracy cooperation efforts increased naval presence in the region. NATO’s efforts to combat piracy include operations in the Indian Ocean, as well as in the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa. NATO has conducted these operations since 2008, at the request of the United Nations. It had been working alongside other missions including the US-led Combined Task Force 151.
Operation Ocean Shield was an anti-piracy initiative in the Indian Ocean, Guardafui Channel, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea.. Naval operations began on August 17, 2009 after being approved by NATO. The program ended on December 15, 2016. The operation focused on protecting ships \which transported relief supplies as part of the World Food Programme's mission in the region. The initiative also helped strengthen the navies and coast guards of regional states to assist in countering pirate attacks. The US Navy was the largest contributor of ships, followed by the Indian Navy Additionally, China, Japan and South Korea sent warships to participate.
On March 25, 2010, Somali pirates attacked the Panamanian flagged merchantman MV Almezaan. One pirate was killed by Almezaan's crew during the boarding, and shortly afterwards the Spanish Navy frigate Navarra arrived and launched a helicopter. Warning shots were then fired and the pirates surrendered without further conflict. Six pirates were taken prisoner and their ship was sunk by gunfire. Seychelles Coast Guard engaged in another battle with pirates five days later on March 30, while patrolling just off the coast of Somalia. Their warning shots were met with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire from the pirates. The Coast Guard replied with 10,000 rounds of machine gun fire, and the pirate vessel eventually sank. Twenty-seven members of the pirate crew were rescued, but when returning to base, the coast guard vessel was attacked by a trawler and two skiffs. The Seychellois responded with return fire and the trawler exploded. One of the skiffs was sunk as well.
An American vessel, the frigate USS Nicholas was attacked by small arms from a pirate skiff while off the coast of Kenya and the islands of Seychelles. Nicholas returned fire with a 50-caliber deck gun and disabled the vessel and three pirates surrendered. Commander Mark Kesselring ordered the skiff sunk and proceeded to attack the nearby pirate mother ship from which the skiff was operating. The mothership was captured and two more pirates were taken into United States Navy custody. The pirate mothership was confiscated by the Americans.
That same day, the destroyer USS Farragut was involved in a pirate attack on a Sierra Leone-flagged tanker, MV Evita. Evita was fired on by three skiffs but was able to escape. The attack was reported to the nearby USS Farragut which arrived and boarded the pirate vessel with a SH-60B Seahawk for cover from the air. The pirate mother skiff was later sunk. Eleven pirates were captured. Nobody was injured during the engagements.
Some of the captured pirates from the incident were detained by the United States Navy and transferred to the United States to stand trial for piracy. Five of the pirates were put in the custody of the United States Marshal Service and charged with a variety of piracy and weapons related charges. The pirates were charged and tried in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk, Virginia where they were convicted and sentenced to serve in prison for life.
The United States Navy worked with the Republic of Korea Navy Special Warfare Brigade and with forces from Oman in Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden in January 2011. Operations were successful in freeing a captured Norwegian chemical tanker MV Samho Jewelry on January 21, 2011, freeing the ship and the captives while eight pirates were killed altogether.
There were a number of failed rescue operations, including an attempted rescue of MV Beluga Nomination on January 26. Boarding teams were repulsed, but the Seychellois were able to kill two of the pirates. Two of Beluga Nomination's crew managed to escape in a lifeboat and were rescued by the Danish, but four others were killed. The operation was aborted and the pirates sailed away with the tanker and seven remaining hostages.
In February 2011, pirates attacked an American private ship, the yacht SV Quest, which was taken over by nineteen pirates on February 4. The United States Navy responded by dispatching the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, the guided missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf and the guided missile destroyers USS Bulkeley and USS Sterett. The ships found Quest on February 21 off the coast of Oman and negotiations to free the hostages began. However, on the following day, the pirates opened fire on USS Sterret with rocket-propelled grenades. The American commander then ordered a team to board the yacht and after doing so, all four of the prisoners were found to have been killed by the pirates. Fifteen pirates were taken into custody, while two more were killed in the boarding action.
On May 5, 2011, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, and the Turkish frigate TCG Giresun responded to a distress call from the Panamanian-flagged, Chinese-owned bulk carrier MV Full City. An Indian Navy Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft located Full City, TCG Giresun boarded the merchant vessel, and USS Bunker Hill and its embarked helicopters intercepted the mother ship for the pirate attack. Bunker Hill's VBSS boarding party seized weapons and other equipment used by the pirates and the boarding party also sank a small skiff being towed by the dhow. Giresun's boarding party found Full City's Chinese crew safe.
In January 2013, there were no attacks, approaches or disruptions by pirates in the area. In comparison, in January 2012, there were four pirate attacks in which all were unsuccessful. Out of 80 suspected pirates captured by counter piracy forces, 59 were captured by NATO ships. In January 2011, there were 29 attacks and six ships were captured. The Operation was successful in decreasing piracy in the region while the task force was in power.
Operation Ocean Shield ceased operations on December 16, 2016. NATO opted to reallocate resources to the Mediterranean to deal with the immigrant crisis and human trafficking. Since the ending of Operation Ocean Shield, a number of piracy attacks have occurred in the region. These include a March 13, 2017 attack by gunmen who hijacked the Aris 13, a small oil tanker and demanded a ransom for the crew. Other attempts to steal cargo via piracy occurred in 2017.
One of the most famous incidents of piracy in the region no doubt contributed to American willingness to participate in the operation. The incident became the basis for the movie “Captain Phillips” starring Tom Hanks. In April of 2009 President Barack Obama issued a standing order to use force against pirates holding an American captain hostage. The President’s order including giving a Navy commander the authority to act if he believed the captain’s life was in danger. Navy snipers aboard the USS Bainbridge on Sunday shot and killed three of the pirates after the Bainbridge’s commander gave the order. The order came after one of the pirates was spotted aboard a lifeboat pointing an AK-47 rifle at Capt. Richard Phillips. The snipers fired after all three pirates became visible on the enclosed lifeboat where they were holding Phillips.
President Obama’s involvement in the decision to authorize lethal force was legally required because it was a hostage situation, not a combat situation. The incident was unrelated to the authorized U.S. effort against Al Qaeda and other terror groups.
Phillips’ rescue ended a tense five-day standoff between the US Navy and the pirates. President Obama had received more than a dozen briefings on the incident. He issued the order to use force at 8 p.m. Friday, April 10, and again at 9:20 a.m. on Saturday, April 11, after new Navy forces moved on to the scene. He had been briefed by the National Security Council for an update on the situation. The National Security Council provided a report to the President on planning for hostage contingencies. At 12:30 p.m. Sunday, April 12, President Obama received an update on action leading to the rescue of Captain Phillips. He called Phillips at around 4 p.m. that evening.
At the conclusion of the incident, President Obama said, “We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region. To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes.”
During the incident, one of the pirates, a 16-year-old boy, had come onto the Bainbridge for medical attention and was speaking to the crew about the conditions under which Phillips might be released. The seas had started to get rough and the pirates agreed to be towed out further from shore to calmer waters. The lifeboat where the pirates were holding Phillips was about 25 to 30 yards from the Bainbridge.
On Sunday, April 12, all three remaining pirates were located on the boat, including one holding the AK-47. Authorization was given for the snipers to shoot. All three were killed and a smaller boat was dispatched from Bainbridge to pick up Phillips.
For those interested in the history of piracy, the Great Courses (formerly known as the Teaching Company and now also known as Wondrium) has an excellent course on the subject entitled The Real History of Pirates, taught by Dr. Mahushag Powell of Purdue University.
Operation Ocean Shield was an anti-piracy initiative in the Indian Ocean, Guardafui Channel, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea.. Naval operations began on August 17, 2009 after being approved by NATO. The program ended on December 15, 2016. The operation focused on protecting ships \which transported relief supplies as part of the World Food Programme's mission in the region. The initiative also helped strengthen the navies and coast guards of regional states to assist in countering pirate attacks. The US Navy was the largest contributor of ships, followed by the Indian Navy Additionally, China, Japan and South Korea sent warships to participate.
On March 25, 2010, Somali pirates attacked the Panamanian flagged merchantman MV Almezaan. One pirate was killed by Almezaan's crew during the boarding, and shortly afterwards the Spanish Navy frigate Navarra arrived and launched a helicopter. Warning shots were then fired and the pirates surrendered without further conflict. Six pirates were taken prisoner and their ship was sunk by gunfire. Seychelles Coast Guard engaged in another battle with pirates five days later on March 30, while patrolling just off the coast of Somalia. Their warning shots were met with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire from the pirates. The Coast Guard replied with 10,000 rounds of machine gun fire, and the pirate vessel eventually sank. Twenty-seven members of the pirate crew were rescued, but when returning to base, the coast guard vessel was attacked by a trawler and two skiffs. The Seychellois responded with return fire and the trawler exploded. One of the skiffs was sunk as well.
An American vessel, the frigate USS Nicholas was attacked by small arms from a pirate skiff while off the coast of Kenya and the islands of Seychelles. Nicholas returned fire with a 50-caliber deck gun and disabled the vessel and three pirates surrendered. Commander Mark Kesselring ordered the skiff sunk and proceeded to attack the nearby pirate mother ship from which the skiff was operating. The mothership was captured and two more pirates were taken into United States Navy custody. The pirate mothership was confiscated by the Americans.
That same day, the destroyer USS Farragut was involved in a pirate attack on a Sierra Leone-flagged tanker, MV Evita. Evita was fired on by three skiffs but was able to escape. The attack was reported to the nearby USS Farragut which arrived and boarded the pirate vessel with a SH-60B Seahawk for cover from the air. The pirate mother skiff was later sunk. Eleven pirates were captured. Nobody was injured during the engagements.
Some of the captured pirates from the incident were detained by the United States Navy and transferred to the United States to stand trial for piracy. Five of the pirates were put in the custody of the United States Marshal Service and charged with a variety of piracy and weapons related charges. The pirates were charged and tried in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk, Virginia where they were convicted and sentenced to serve in prison for life.
The United States Navy worked with the Republic of Korea Navy Special Warfare Brigade and with forces from Oman in Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden in January 2011. Operations were successful in freeing a captured Norwegian chemical tanker MV Samho Jewelry on January 21, 2011, freeing the ship and the captives while eight pirates were killed altogether.
There were a number of failed rescue operations, including an attempted rescue of MV Beluga Nomination on January 26. Boarding teams were repulsed, but the Seychellois were able to kill two of the pirates. Two of Beluga Nomination's crew managed to escape in a lifeboat and were rescued by the Danish, but four others were killed. The operation was aborted and the pirates sailed away with the tanker and seven remaining hostages.
In February 2011, pirates attacked an American private ship, the yacht SV Quest, which was taken over by nineteen pirates on February 4. The United States Navy responded by dispatching the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, the guided missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf and the guided missile destroyers USS Bulkeley and USS Sterett. The ships found Quest on February 21 off the coast of Oman and negotiations to free the hostages began. However, on the following day, the pirates opened fire on USS Sterret with rocket-propelled grenades. The American commander then ordered a team to board the yacht and after doing so, all four of the prisoners were found to have been killed by the pirates. Fifteen pirates were taken into custody, while two more were killed in the boarding action.
On May 5, 2011, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, and the Turkish frigate TCG Giresun responded to a distress call from the Panamanian-flagged, Chinese-owned bulk carrier MV Full City. An Indian Navy Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft located Full City, TCG Giresun boarded the merchant vessel, and USS Bunker Hill and its embarked helicopters intercepted the mother ship for the pirate attack. Bunker Hill's VBSS boarding party seized weapons and other equipment used by the pirates and the boarding party also sank a small skiff being towed by the dhow. Giresun's boarding party found Full City's Chinese crew safe.
In January 2013, there were no attacks, approaches or disruptions by pirates in the area. In comparison, in January 2012, there were four pirate attacks in which all were unsuccessful. Out of 80 suspected pirates captured by counter piracy forces, 59 were captured by NATO ships. In January 2011, there were 29 attacks and six ships were captured. The Operation was successful in decreasing piracy in the region while the task force was in power.
Operation Ocean Shield ceased operations on December 16, 2016. NATO opted to reallocate resources to the Mediterranean to deal with the immigrant crisis and human trafficking. Since the ending of Operation Ocean Shield, a number of piracy attacks have occurred in the region. These include a March 13, 2017 attack by gunmen who hijacked the Aris 13, a small oil tanker and demanded a ransom for the crew. Other attempts to steal cargo via piracy occurred in 2017.
One of the most famous incidents of piracy in the region no doubt contributed to American willingness to participate in the operation. The incident became the basis for the movie “Captain Phillips” starring Tom Hanks. In April of 2009 President Barack Obama issued a standing order to use force against pirates holding an American captain hostage. The President’s order including giving a Navy commander the authority to act if he believed the captain’s life was in danger. Navy snipers aboard the USS Bainbridge on Sunday shot and killed three of the pirates after the Bainbridge’s commander gave the order. The order came after one of the pirates was spotted aboard a lifeboat pointing an AK-47 rifle at Capt. Richard Phillips. The snipers fired after all three pirates became visible on the enclosed lifeboat where they were holding Phillips.
President Obama’s involvement in the decision to authorize lethal force was legally required because it was a hostage situation, not a combat situation. The incident was unrelated to the authorized U.S. effort against Al Qaeda and other terror groups.
Phillips’ rescue ended a tense five-day standoff between the US Navy and the pirates. President Obama had received more than a dozen briefings on the incident. He issued the order to use force at 8 p.m. Friday, April 10, and again at 9:20 a.m. on Saturday, April 11, after new Navy forces moved on to the scene. He had been briefed by the National Security Council for an update on the situation. The National Security Council provided a report to the President on planning for hostage contingencies. At 12:30 p.m. Sunday, April 12, President Obama received an update on action leading to the rescue of Captain Phillips. He called Phillips at around 4 p.m. that evening.
At the conclusion of the incident, President Obama said, “We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region. To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes.”
During the incident, one of the pirates, a 16-year-old boy, had come onto the Bainbridge for medical attention and was speaking to the crew about the conditions under which Phillips might be released. The seas had started to get rough and the pirates agreed to be towed out further from shore to calmer waters. The lifeboat where the pirates were holding Phillips was about 25 to 30 yards from the Bainbridge.
On Sunday, April 12, all three remaining pirates were located on the boat, including one holding the AK-47. Authorization was given for the snipers to shoot. All three were killed and a smaller boat was dispatched from Bainbridge to pick up Phillips.
For those interested in the history of piracy, the Great Courses (formerly known as the Teaching Company and now also known as Wondrium) has an excellent course on the subject entitled The Real History of Pirates, taught by Dr. Mahushag Powell of Purdue University.