Wow the Obama adm. is looking Cowboy-like
with this rescue. Heck the French even
killed a few pirates although they also had
a hostage die.

What is the world coming to when ransoms go unpaid...

Answer to the eyepatch question:

Apparently covering one eye allowed the pirates to
easily look below deck (dark down there) without having to wait for
the eye to adjust as long as the patch was on while in light.

I would have worn patches over both eyes
and stumbled overboard.