That's How It's Done! Go Shiver Your Own Timbers!

Piracy off the coast of Somalia is a growing problem. The rate of hijackings has increased dramatically over the past few years. Last year, Somali pirates took control of a luxury yacht, with at least 20 french citizens on board. And I admit I thought it was pretty BA when French commandos rappelled in off helicopters to free the boat and capture some of the pirates. Not after today though; a new standard has been set, and its colors are red, white, and blue (an American red, white and blue. Not those wimpy French shades of red, white, and blue).

Pirates attacked an American ship today; the first such attack on an American ship off the coast of east Africa since Thomas Jefferson was president in 1804. The American crew failed to evade the pirates, who boarded the boat with grappling hooks and were armed with AK-47's. The crew disabled the boat so the pirates could not sail it back to Somalia, then hid in the ships steering compartment. From this point on details are murky, but somehow the crew managed not only to take back control of the ship, but also to take one of the pirates hostage. The pirates ran off on the ships lifeboat with a hostage of their own, the ship's captain. The crew attempted to trade hostages with the pirates, though the deal fell through after the pirate hostage had already been released. An American destroyer has since arrived on the scene and a navy plane recently spotted the lifeboat.

As cool as French commandos rappelling onto a yacht and sniping pirates from a helicopter are, its way more impressive when an unarmed crew manages to take back control of the ship and capture an armed pirate. America rocks.