President Barack Obama announced Thursday that Chrysler would head into bankruptcy with the aid of up to another $8 billion in U.S. taxpayer money, a last-resort attempt to quickly restructure the struggling giant.
Pirate-held cap't: Military escorts needed
by Mark Silva
Heroes walk the halls of the Capitol.
We're not talking about John Kerry here.
We're talking about Capt. "Sully" Sullenberger, who saved dozens of people when he glide-landed his goose-stricken airliner on the Hudson River. He came to Capitol Hill.
We're talking about Capt. Richard Phillips, rescued by three well-placed bullets of the Navy SEALs after pirates attacked his U.S.-flagged container ship off the coast of Somalia and took the captain hostage in a lifeboat. He came to Capitol Hill today.
The master of the MV Maersk Alabama told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today what he has been telling everyone who will listen: The military and government personnel involved in this saga are "highly trained and motivated professionals and I want to use this opportunity to again say, 'Thank you.'''
"I need to make clear at the outset that I am unable to discuss the incident itself because of the ongoing investigation and pending legal action against one of the pirates,'' the captain said -- the teenage pirate is in federal court in New York.
"But I've had a lot of time to think about the difficult and complex issues of protecting vessel, cargo and crew in crime-ridden waters,'' he said, offering some advice "as to what can or should be done to respond to piracy and to protect American vessels and crews.''
Seafarers accept certain risks when they shove off, the captain said, but the government should think about military escorts for U.S.-flagged merchant ships in troubled waters, and think about arming the officers aboard the cargo ships.
(Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.), himself a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, led merchant mariner Capt. Richard Phillips to the hearing before his committee. Photo by Susan Walsh / )I
"I realize that my opinions may differ in some ways from other recommendations you have heard before and may hear today from others on the panel.'' he said.
"Nevertheless, I do believe that all of us in the maritime industry understand that it is imperative that we work together to address this complex problem, and I believe we are in general agreement on the main principles of keeping crew, cargo and vessel safe.
"First, I believe it is the responsibility of our government to protect the United States, including U.S.-flag vessels that are by definition an extension of the United States, their U.S. citizen crews, and our nation's worldwide commercial assets.
"So, it follows then that the most desirable and appropriate solution to piracy is for the United States government to provide protection, through military escorts and/or military detachments aboard U.S. vessels. That said, I am well aware that some will argue that there is a limit to any government's resourceseven America's.
" In fact, due to the vastness of the area to be coveredand the areas of threat are continually growing largerour Navy and the coalition of other navies currently positioned in the Gulf of Aden region may simply not have the resources to provide all the protection necessary to prevent and stop the attacks...
"In my opinion, the targetsthe vesselscan be "hardened" even beyond what's being done today and made even more structurally resistant to pirates.
"In addition, more can be done in terms of developing specific anti-piracy procedures, tools and training for American crews. I do however want to emphasize that contrary to some reports that I've heard recently, American mariners are highly trained and do receive up-to-date training and upgrading...
"I believe that discussions are underway now between the industry and government on the details of specific proposals to harden the vessels (the specifics of which should remain secret) and I am confident that we will soon have additional methods for protecting vessel and crew. And while they will be an improvement, there is no way they can be foolproof.
"I've also heard the suggestion that all we have to do to counter piracy is "just arm the crews". In my opinion, arming the crew cannot and should not be viewed as the best or ultimate solution to the problem. At most, arming the crew should be only one component of a comprehensive plan and approach to combat piracy.
"To the extent we go forward in this direction, it would be my personal preference that only the four most senior ranking officers aboard the vessel have access to effective weaponry and that these individuals receive special training on a regular basis.
"I realize that even this limited approach to arming the crew opens up a very thorny set of issues. I'll let others sort out the legal and liability issues but we all must understand that having weapons on board merchant ships fundamentally changes the model of commercial shipping and we must be very cautious about how it is done.
"Nevertheless, I do believe that arming the crew, as part of an overall strategy, could provide an effective deterrent under certain circumstances and I believe that a measured capability in this respect should be part of the overall debate about how to defend ourselves against criminals on the sea.
"As for armed security details put aboard vessels, I believe, as I indicated earlier, that this idea could certainly be developed into an effective deterrent. My preference would be government protection forces. However, as long as they are adequately trained I would not be opposed to private security on board.
"Of course, I realize that very clear protocols would have to be established and followed. For example, as a captain, I am responsible for the vessel, cargo and crew at all times. And I am not comfortable giving up command authority to others... including the commander of a protection force.
" In the heat of an attack, there can be only one final decision maker. So command is only one of many issues that would have to be worked out in for security forces to operate effectively.
"While there are many new ideas and much discussion going on about how to deal with piracy, I would respectfully ask the committee to be mindful that the seafarers I've met and worked with over my career are resourceful, hardworking, adventurous, courageous, patriotic and independent. They want whatever help you can offer to make the sea lanes more secure and their work environment safer.
" But we realize that while preparation is absolutely critical, not every situation can be anticipated. And we accept that as a part of the seafarer's life.''
Obama: Chrysler Has 'Strong Chance Of Success'
President Obama announced Thursday that Chrysler would head into bankruptcy with the aid of up to another $8 billion in taxpayer money, a last-resort attempt to quickly restructure the struggling giant. Read his remarks.
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