Justice Prevails in Pirate Standoff

Today’s happy lead story in The New York Times is titled, “Navy Rescues Captain, Killing Three Pirate Captors.”

At long last, a victory for the United States to cheer about after a lengthy drumbeat of bad news. The facts truly are astounding. Three navy snipers fired one bullet each to kill the three pirates holding Captain Richard Phillips hostage, after an aborted attempt to take over his ship, the Maersk Alabama.

And Captain Phillips is a hero in his own right. In addition to offering himself as a hostage to free his crew, he also tried to escape from the pirates as they were drifting in a life raft. Though recaptured, the attempt says much about his “can do” personality and leadership character.

President Obama, who approved the Navy’s action in advance, also deserves some praise for his handling of the situation, his first unexpected crisis. He okayed the use of deadly force should the captain’s life seem to be in immediate danger.

The pirates were running out of food and fuel, and the Navy detected the firing of a tracer bullet by the pirates. When two of the pirates poked their heads out of a rear hatch, and the third could be seen through a window, the snipers received authority to proceed.

The Phillips family and the the captain’s small hometown of Underhill, Vermont, had a joyous Easter, and the whole country shares in their jubiliation.