I'm so happy that the captured ship's captain Richard Phillips was rescued by our navy. The piracy problem is horrible and ridiculous. Why those ships aren't well armed and able to protect themselves is beyond me. I know it has something to do with maritime laws and the reluctance of the countries with ports to allow them to come into port when they are armed, but something needs to change.
I know that this situation could have turned out much worse. This was a relatively small pirate operation. Where 3 or 4 boats usually attack, only 1 did. They overreached I believe, but holding a hostage gave them quite a bit of power. The desire of the navy to protect the life of the captain was a priority. I'm sure his family is very thankful for that. The patience and care of the navy paid off. They were able to use snipers to take out the pirates and free the captain. I'm glad Obama authorized the use of force. If he hadn't he would have had a huge national hue and cry on his hands.
There are about 250 more hostages being held by pirates. They are from other nations, but I can't help but think of their families and how much they are worried about them. The pirates have been getting wealthy from the ransoms and that is causing the piracy to increase. More and more young men are wanting to get rich by becoming pirates. Something has to be done! But what? Until the international community (if there even is an international community out there) decides to take steps to stop it, then it will get worse.
I wonder if this incident will cause the pirates to target American ships for revenge, or if they will avoid American ships because they fear retribution. That is yet to be seen.
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