Quote Originally Posted by BigBear View Post
Why is the US military defending other countries ships (or were they flying our flag) in international waters?
From the article:

Such action isn't a change in tactics but a case of having the right people in the right place, the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain said.



The United States is part of a joint piracy taskforce that includes NATO and navies from the European Union.



The Magellan Star, attacked and captured Wednesday, was initially helped by a Turkish Navy vessel, which was the first to respond to the ship's distress calls. The U.S. warships carrying the marines then arrived and subsequently boarded the Magellan Star.



In a statement, Turkish Navy Rear Adm. Sinan Ertugrul praised the work of the multinational force, saying, "units from the multinational maritime force, under Combined Task Force 151, are actively engaged in anti-piracy operations.