(CNN) -   For the past five days the pirates had taken hostage
Richard Phillips, the American captain of the Maersk Alabama
container ship.  President Barack Obama had authorized the use
of deadly force if Phillips' life was in danger.  Unbeknownst to
the pirates, days earlier a contingent from SEAL Team 6 had
parachuted at night into the ocean near the USS Bainbridge
warship, which was shadowing the pirates in their boat. The
SEALs had taken up position on the fantail of the Bainbridge and
were carefully monitoring Phillips while he was in the custody
of the pirates.  One of the pirates had just pointed his AK-47
at the American captain as if he were going to shoot him. That's
when the SEAL team commander on the Bainbridge ordered his men
to take out the pirates.  Three U.S. Navy SEAL sharpshooters
fired simultaneously at the pirates from a distance of 30 yards
in heaving seas at nightfall, killing them all.  Obama called
Vice Adm. William "Bill" McRaven, the leader of Joint Special
Operations Command and of