Pirates continue to hold the captain of the Maersk while armed guards from the U.S. Navy guide the ship into a Kenyan port. Somali pirates boarded and hijacked the Alabama Maersk yesterday and are asking for ransom in exchange for the captain’s return.
Hello, I’m Charlotte Bellis and you’re watching newsy.com
Pirates have wreaked havoc on the shipping lanes of east Africa in recent years, but this pirate attack is the first on a U.S.-flagged vessel in over 200 years.
NECN, ABC’s Boston affiliate, describes how the attack happened.
“Initially the crew fought off the pirates, dousing them with powerful fire houses. But the men returned with AK-47s. After heavy gunfire the pirates boarded the ship, the crew fought back, overpowering the four pirates on board, capturing one, and regaining control of the ship. Three pirates took the captain hostage, holding him captive on a lifeboat.” (NECN)
The LA Times brings us this ominous message posted on Facebook by the ships second in command just days before the attack...
“These waters are infested with pirates that highjack ships daily. I feel like it's only a matter of time before my number gets called.” (The Los Angeles Times)
Negotiations to free the captain are ongoing. PBS NewsHour says that giving in to ransom demands might not guarantee the captains return.
“In any of these cases it’s not just a matter of paying what the pirates immediately demand. This is a business for them. They will hold hostages for as long as they can in order to get as much money as possible.” (PBS NewsHour)
The BBC reports most captured ships net an average of US$2 million in ransom and that the money is really what the pirates want. According to one Somali man...
"They have money; they have power and they are getting stronger by the day. They wed the most beautiful girls; they are building big houses; they have new cars; new guns." (BBC)
Strategy Page offers an alternate motivation for the pirate’s actions...
“The pirates are media savvy, and are pushing the line that they are simply patriots, getting payback for the foreigners who illegally fish in Somali waters...and dump toxic wastes off the coast...” (Strategy Page)
The Dallas Morning News reports that since January, pirates have staged 66 attacks and are currently holding 14 ships and 260 hostages.
How should the international community respond? Should insurance companies keep paying out for hostages? Do you think the pirates are motivated by money or to save their waters?
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