WASHINGTON — Before ending a standoff with pirates by firing three fatally precise shots, U.S. Navy SEAL snipers had passed on multiple opportunities to fire.
The marksmen had moved into position after the White House expanded the authority it had given the world's most powerful navy against a ragtag foe holding an American hostage. They kept their scopes trained on their Somali targets as prospects for a peaceful resolution seemed to shrivel.
But most of all, they waited as a series of seemingly insignificant moves -- from extending the pirates a rope to bringing an injured brigand on-board -- improved their odds of success.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday, April 15, 2009 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 4 Metro Desk 2 inches; 65 words Type of Material: Correction
U.S. naval vessel: An illustration in Tuesday's Section A that accompanied an article on the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips from Somali pirates included an incorrect diagram of the U.S. destroyer Bainbridge. The illustration used a silhouette of the Bainbridge (CGN-25) with a length of 585 feet. That ship was decommissioned in 1996. The current Bainbridge (DDG-96) has a length of 509 feet, 6 inches.
"Bringing them in closer gave them a smoother ride," said a senior U.S. military official, describing internal deliberations on condition of anonymity. "Also, if we had to take kinetic action -- as we did in this case -- the shot would have greater potential for success."
Even as details about the daring rescue were still emerging, U.S. national security officials were trying to assess whether it might lead to an escalation in violent tactics along the Somali coast, and were warning that a surge in pirate activity would be difficult to bring under control.
President Obama, in his first public remarks on the rescue, pledged Monday to mount a sustained campaign against the escalating attacks on ships off Somalia.
"I want to be very clear that we are resolved to halt the rise of [piracy] in that region," Obama said. "We have to continue to be prepared to confront them when they arise. And we have to ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes."
Piracy, with the prospect of million-dollar ransoms, has spawned an industry on the Somali coast and led to the creation of specialized teams, some expert at ship assaults and others that focus on negotiation.
"There's a level of organization to these pirates," said a senior U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue. "We've even seen some coordination among different groups."
Obama was briefed on the crisis at least 18 times, including a National Security Council session on "hostage contingencies" just hours before the snipers fired their shots. But the crisis seems to have crystallized for the administration on Friday, after the White House got word that Capt. Richard Phillips had tried to escape from his captors.
