Katy Gabel
9 April 2009
Nairobi — A United States Navy missile destroyer has arrived to help end an ongoing standoff between four Somali pirates and their American hostage off the east coast of Somalia.
The hostage, the captain of the container ship, the Maersk Alabama, is being held captive in a lifeboat after a hijacking attempt early Wednesday.
After the Alabama's 20 American crew members managed to wrest control of the ship back from the pirates later Wednesday, they initially detained one of the pirates. The Nato Shipping Centre reports that the crew "returned their hostage [sic] to the pirates, hoping the pirates would give back the captain of the ship... but this was not the case."
News agencies report the name of the captain being held hostage as Richard Phillips, who lives in Vermont in the United States.
The Nato agency reported at 6am UTC (2am Eastern U.S. time) Thursday that the USS Bainbridge, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, had arrived at the scene of the hijacking.
According to the Lloyd's Register-Fairplay shipping news web site, the pirates are "conducting ransom negotiations with a satellite telephone."
Maersk Line Limited, the U.S.-based owner and operator of the ship, said in a statement yesterday that they are "working closely with the U.S. military and other government agencies" to resolve the standoff.
The Alabama is carrying food aid and supplies to the port city of Mombasa, Kenya. The Alabama's hijacking by pirates was the sixth this week. Since Wednesday, the Nato Shipping Centre reports, two more ships, including a Yemeni fishing boat and a Marhsall-Islands flagged bulk carrier, have been attacked in the region.
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When Pirate ships are seen to be approaching other ships, they should be blown to kingdom come. Damned satanic idiots going on their demonic ways.
It is really annoying to say the least that these Somalis are wreaking their disorder on the rest of the world! Why don't you super pwers with all your arsenals torpedoe their little vessela surely you can spot them aerially or otherwise?
Secondly these people spend their money in neighbouring countries like Kenya where despite the depression housing is very expensive because of these guys who are buying and constructing property with the ill gotten loot. Catch them there again you have the intelligentsia work with the African governments along the Indian ocean. Deal a blow to these goons that they will never forget in a long time! God Bless all peace lovinh people of the world. We pray for the Captain.
Pirates must be blown off their heads.Greedy and uncivilised people,holding on emergency food supplies whilst the innocent children and woman suffer.
Tendai Sean joe
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Active Discussions: Crisis Over Somali Pirates