Pirates Hijack Ship With 20 Americans Off Somalia
Vessel-seizing pirates have struck again — this time hijacking a ship carrying 20 Americans, an event that will refocus international attention on this growing martime problem.
A U.S.-flagged cargo ship that routinely works under contract to the Department of Defense and its all-American crew were hijacked today by pirates operating off the Horn of Africa.
The crew of 20 is believed to be safe and the vessel is heading toward the coast of Somalia, maritime officials said.
The early-morning attack of the Danish-owned cargo ship occurred about 240 nautical miles southeast of the Somali port city of Eyl in the Indian Ocean, according to U.S. naval officials.
The ship’s owner, Norfolk, Va.-based Maersk Line Ltd., a subsidiary of Denmark’s A.P. Moller-Maersk, is a longtime Defense Department shipping contractor, operating at times with top security clearance.
But the hijacked vessel, the Maersk Alabama, was not sailing under a Defense Department contract at the time of the attack, according to Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman from the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain.
A Maersk spokeswoman in Copenhagen said the ship was carrying food and “relief aid,” but she did not know the final destination of the cargo.
The attack marks a rare hijacking of a U.S.-operated ship in Africa, where piracy has been surging along Somalia’s coast and in the Gulf of Aden.
“Every indication is that this is the first time a U.S.-flagged ship has been successfully seized by pirates,” Christensen said.
As we noted HERE pirates have returned to the news and sea-life forefront in recent years, this time operating in a 21st century context. And it appears as if capturing a ship with Americans has been a new goal: in December pirates shot at U.S. cruise ship in a failed hijack attempt.
Here’s a Reuters factbox on ships held by Somali pirates. Meanwhile, Reuters in a report on USA Today’s site also reports that the U.S. crew is reportedly safe:
The seizure of the ship tentatively identified as the Maersk Alabama comes after the Monday hijacking of a British-owned ship.
Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers’ Assistance Program said the crew is believed to be safe.
In the first three months of 2009, the news service says, only eight ships had been hijacked in the busy Gulf of Aden, which links Europe to Asia and the eastern Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal.
Last year, heavily armed Somali pirates hijacked dozens of vessels, took hundreds of crewmembers hostage, often for weeks, and extracted millions of dollars in ransoms.
The AP reports that U.S. officials are trying to get more details about the incident.
12 Responses to “Pirates Hijack Ship With 20 Americans Off Somalia”
This is actually a very big deal. It is not just that Americans are on board – this is an American-flagged ship. This is the first time the pirates have succeeded in such a capture.
How the current administration responds to this and resolves this crisis will be critical in many areas of foreign policy going forward. It is one of those situations where none of the options look particularly attractive, but sitting on our hands is not an option either.
I hope this ends well for the crew.
In situations like this I always ask the question what would Julius Caesar do? In this case we already have an historical example. After being kidnapped by pirates, he insisted that they raise the ransom, which was paid and he was released. Afterwards he returned to the pirates safe haven while they were enjoying their ransom, captured them and then gave them a justly deserved crucifixtion. I'm with Caesar on this one but will Obama be?
As an active merchant mariner and wartime veteran of the US Navy, I think this kind of international afront to our rights to safe passage through international waters should be dealt with quickly and effectively. Where do these pirates have their safe haven? It is time for action, but will it come!
These incidents over the last few years have done nothing but show how really spineless our leaders are!!!!
Joe – CNN is reporting the crew has taken control back from the pirates. If true, that is great news, especially of there is no loss of life (on the American side).
Great news?? That's an understatement. It's outstanding news!! And no American loss of life, even more outstanding. Just goes to show that Americans are truly strong and will not stand by and let thieves break the law and walk all over them. I think that if all of these ships that have been taken would have done the same as these BRAVE AMERICANS did then these pirates would get the hint that they are not above the law and that the world will not stand for this. Guess American citizens had to be the ones to show that it can be done. To the shipping companys of the world, take a lesson from the crew of this ship!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!
Well, this may be a bit of a special case. This shipping company does secret transport work for the U.S. government, even though this ship on this run was not. But their crews apparently are trained, and armed, to resist hijacking efforts due to the missions they sometimes perform.
I don't think a general merchant vessel would necessarily been prepared to fight back.
But still, it is great (fantastic, outstanding, pick your adjective) news by any measure, and to see the pirates beaten back by one of their targets may just make them think twice next time.
Americans don't need to be trained to fight back. It's in them … they sweat courage…and in their blood. I can't wait for the high pitch lisping comentators to wrinkle their starched collars over the poor oppressed pirates and their tormented lives leading them to desperation.
Nick Bottom,
I seriously doubt that there are any “high pitch lisping comentators” here that will support piracy.
Also, by your logic, a group of 90 year old American women who are wheelchair bound would have fought them off too.
The truth is that this is an American crew led by Merchant Marine Academy graduates and fully aware of the possible danger. It would be criminal if they were not prepared. They deserve as much praise as possible for a job well done.
I assume that your remarks are really a sarcastic moment for you and I applaud you for it.
My mistake, they are Massachusetts Maritime Academy grads, a school that teaches anti-piracy techniques to its students.
these pirates are so organized they have a spokesman. they've taken 153 ships. see context:
http://www.newsy.com/videos/somali_pirates_stri…
They are holding the captian hostage in their little boat they rode up in. And one of our battle ships are racing to the area as we speak. They will probally ask for a ransom for him to be released safely and we will pay it and they will get away with another crime. Why do we always have to go the political route on things like these. America needs to flex our muscles and show that we will not be intimadated and will not put up with this crap anymore. Mr. Nice Guy has left the building. Time to clean house starting off by picking these guys off with some firepower from the battleship and set the example for the other pirate scum out there. NO MORE WARNINGS!!!
Obviously the crew are not being honest, the pirate taken the captain hostage, the crew forced them and the captain in a lifeboard? Something doesnt make sense here, the pirates could just as easily emptied thier rifles into the crew members, if a fight did occur, or if they actually taken a pirate hostage, which is stupid, the pirate could just come aboard and shoot everyone, someone is lying big time.
Captwalterp seems to feel that young Caesar's execution of the pirates was an act of justice. Actually, it was merely an example of revenge. The Roman governor of the region specifically refused to grant Caesar's petition to have the pirates (who may have comprised a very large group–perhaps several hundred) crucified. However, Caesar utterly disregarded this decision and, without any authority, ordered the military commanders at Pergamum (headquarters of the Roman army in Asia) to have the entire gang crucified. By the time the governor learned of this, the pirates had already been executed. Justice?