Dastardly Somali pirates seized a cargo ship along with the crew, including 20 Americans. The 17,000 ton Maersk Alabama was heading for Mombasa in Kenya, when it was hijacked about 280 miles southeast of the Somalian town of Eyl.

An international fleet of warships, including American ships, a NATO fleet, and warships from the navies of countries like India, China, Japan, and Russia is patrolling the Gulf of Aden, where the pirates had earlier been boldly attacking and hijaking passing ships.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says that the “The White House is closely monitoring the apparent hijacking of the US-flagged ship in the Indian Ocean and assessing a course of action to resolve this situation.”

Update 1: April 8, 2009 - Pentagon says the Maersk Alabama’s crew has regained control of their ship, one of the Somali pirates is in custody and 3 others jumped ship into the water, and their status is as yet unknown.

Update 2: April 9, 2009 - Maersk Alabama’s Capt. Richard Phillips is still being held hostage by the pirates. Several warships are on their way to the ship, and the USS Bainbridge is already there. The story known so far is that the crew, after being taken hostage, managed to seize one of the pirates, and were able to negotiate their own release. The Captain apparently offered to let himself be taken as a hostage, in return for his crew’s safety.

Update 3: April 9, 2009 - Capt. Richard Phillips is being held in the ship’s lifeboat by 4 pirates. The pirates apparently sank their own boat when they boarded the ship. Earlier, the crew had locked themselves up for 12 hours in the compartment which houses the steering gear, along with one of the pirates in their custody. The crew are unarmed, the pirates are armed with kalashnikov assault rifles. The crew released the one pirate they were holding, in return for the Captain’s release, but the pirates renenged on their end of the deal, and are still holding the captain hostage.

Update 4: April 9, 2009 - FBI takes over hostage negotiations with Somali pirates. Situation is a standoff, and the pirates have made no demands, as of now.

Update 5: April 10, 2009 - The Maersk Alabama is heading towards Mombasa, it’s original destination, under protection of Navy guards. Expected to reach Mombasa on Saturday. The pirates are still holding Capt. Phillips hostage, and their lifeboat has run out of fuel, so they’re dead afloat. In addition to the USS Bainbridge which is already breathing down the pirates’ neck, more US warships are enroute, including the guided-missile frigate USS Haliburton.

Update 6: April 10, 2009 - Pirate reinforcements enroute to save pirates trapped in the lifeboat - Four ships, holding over 54 hostages from multiple nations previously captured by the Somali pirates, are converging to the spot where the Maersk Alabama was hijacked.

Update 7: April 10, 2009 - Capt. Phillips jumps off lifeboat, starts swimming, trying to escape, but is recaptured by pirates. Alive and unharmed.

Update 8: April 11, 2009 - Pirate ships coming to help stranded comrades turned back by international warships patrolling the seas. Somali pirates demand $2 million ransom for the Maersk Alabama’s Capt. Richard Phillips. USS Boxer, the gigantic flag ship for a multination anti-piracy task force, on its way to join the USS Bainbridge and USS Haliburton.

Update 9: April 12, 2009 - Maersk Alabama reaches Mombasa, Kenya with 19 crew members safe and under Navy escort. The ship is being treated as a crime zone by the FBI, and the crew have not been allowed to leave, pending investigations. Video of the ship’s arrival in Mombasa below.

Update 10: April 12, 2009 - Negotiations between pirate reps. and American officials  shelved after pirates open fire at approaching vessel. Vessel backed off and no one was hurt. Somali elders from Gara’ad - a pirate-infested town about 30 miles from where the lifeboat is floating - were talking to American negotiators about the terms of Capt. Phillips’ release. They suggested letting him go without ransom, if the pirates were allowed to go free. Americans refused, demanding the pirates be arrested and handed over to Puntland authorities. Standoff continues.

Update 11: April 12, 2009 - Captain Richard Phillips is free after Navy seals shot dead three of the pirates. Apparently one of the pirates was pointing an AK-47 at the captain, and so the Navy was forced to forced to respond, and snipers killed the three remaining pirates. A fourth pirate, seeking medical aid, had already surrendered prior to the dramatic rescue. The rescued captain of the Maersk Alabama was then transferred to the USS Boxer.  President Obama called Capt. Phillips at 4 pm Sunday. Video of the rescued captain being welcomed abroad the navy ship below.

Maersk Line Limited, which owns the ship, is based in Norfolk, VA, and is one of the Department of Defense’s primary shipping contractors. It is a subsidiary of Denmark’s A.P. Moller/Maersk A.S., but is independently controlled by a board of directors comprised entirely of U.S. citizens. The Maersk Alabama (formerly known as the Alva Maersk) was one of Maersk’s A-Class vessels and a part of it’s U.S. Flag Commercial Fleet. The ship is crewed by Seafarers (SIU).

A few years back, the crew of the Maersk Alabama, along with Captain Kevin McHugh and Chief Mate Brian Mossman,  contributed $1,400 to buy supplies for 95 children in an orphanage in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The supplies included essentials and groceries, 2 goats and 50 mosquito nets for bunk beds.

Alva Maersk photo by Ken Smith/Navymar.com

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Posted on April 8th, 2009 by PLing
Filed under: Travel News