Obama pays tribute to forces that rescued captain from pirates

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
US President Barack Obama says he is proud of the US military for successfully rescuing a cargo ship captain held hostage by pirates in the Horn of Africa. Obama made the comments at an appearance Monday at the Transportation Department, the first remarks that he has made in public about the five-day hostage siege. Obama, who gave the approval for the sniper shots that saved Capt. Richard Phillips, had made a written statement over the weekend. While speaking at the Monday event on the economic stimulus program, Obama made a point of stating that the captain's safety was the main concern for the administration throughout the crisis. And he resolved that the United States must halt an increasing threat of piracy off the coast of lawless Somalia.