Thread: U.S. Crew retakes control of ship from pirates

U.S. Crew retakes control of ship from pirates

Apr. 8, 2009 09:10 AM
Associated Press .

WASHINGTON - A U.S. official says the crew of an American-flagged vessel hijacked off the coast of Somalia has retaken control of the ship and has one pirate in custody.

The official said the status of the other pirates is unknown but they were reported to "be in the water." The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The ship was captured by pirates near the coast of Somalia, in what is believed to be the first hostage-taking of American sailors in 200 years.

Somali pirates are trained fighters who frequently dress in military fatigues and use speedboats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. They are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and various types of grenades. Far out to sea, their speedboats operate from larger mother ships.

Most hijackings end with million-dollar payouts. Piracy is considered the biggest moneymaker in Somalia, a country that has had no stable government for decades. Roger Middleton, a piracy expert at the London-based think-tank Chatham House, said pirates took up to $80 million in ransoms last year.

This is the second time that Somali pirates have seized a ship belonging to the privately held shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk. In February 2008, the towing vessel Svitzer Korsakov from the A.P. Moller-Maersk company Svitzer was briefly seized by pirates.

Before this latest hijacking, Somali pirates were holding 14 vessels and about 200 crew members, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... tml?&wired

Per CNN, captain being held hostage.

I wouldnt even give pirates a trial. They all derserve to be hung. If they are ging to act like savages, then treat them like savages.