pirates

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Somali Pirates Vow Revenge
 Somali Pirates Vow Revenge 

Apr 13, 2009 6:11 AM CDT

Somali Pirates Vow Revenge

Defiant pirate captain threatens to target American shipping

(Newser) - Somali pirates have sworn to avenge their colleagues killed in the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips yesterday. A pirate commander told AFP that the men had been killed after agreeing to hand over Phillips without ransom, and vowed that American citizens traveling at sea in Somali waters—and further afield—...

Obama Plays Cool Hand, Wins in Pirate Crisis

This will boost faith in his military prowess

(Newser) - The daring US Navy rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips from Somali pirates yesterday earned President Obama a key credit: He didn't screw it up, Michael Shear writes in the Washington Post. Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter both suffered for their early missteps abroad, in Haiti and Iran, respectively....

Piracy Jacks Up Insurance, Fuel Costs

Entering high-risk areas or navigating around South Africa both add millions

(Newser) - Piracy in the Gulf of Aden is driving up shipping costs as companies are forced to choose between paying higher insurance or taking longer routes, the AP reports. Premiums have reportedly risen at least tenfold for travel near the Somali coast, and avoiding the Gulf of Aden by navigating around...

Navy Made 'Split-Second' Call to Fire on Pirates

(Newser) - Navy Seals opened fire on three Somali pirates today when a naval commander made a split-second decision that Capt. Richard Phillips' life was in imminent danger, the New York Times reports. Authorized by President Obama to use force, snipers shot two pirates who had stuck their heads out of the...

Captain Rescued, 3 Pirates Killed
 Captain Rescued, 
 3 Pirates Killed 
UPDATED
Apr 12, 2009 2:33 PM CDT

Captain Rescued, 3 Pirates Killed

Captain uninjured after brief firefight

(Newser) - The American sea captain held hostage by Somali pirates has been rescued after a brief firefight, with three of his captors killed and one in military custody, CNN reports. US Navy snipers saw a pirate with "an AK-47 leveled at the captain's back" and opened fire, a military...

Pirate Boat Drifts Toward Coast
 Pirate Boat Drifts Toward Coast 
Apr 12, 2009 6:17 AM CDT

Pirate Boat Drifts Toward Coast

Stalled talks to continue after a day

(Newser) - The lifeboat carrying American captain Richard Phillips has drifted within 20 miles of the Somali coast, where US military officials fear the pirates might escape with their hostage, reports Reuters. US warships continue to track the craft, as negotiations with the pirates over Phillips have been postponed by one day,...

Talks Collapse With Pirates, Who Fire on US Navy Boat

(Newser) - Negotiations between Somali elders and US officials broke down today over the return of American captain Richard Phillips, who is still being held by pirates on the Indian Ocean, the New York Times reports. Talks collapsed when the elders demanded that Somali authorities let the pirates go in exchange for...

Ship Docks Safely; Navy Foils Pirates Seeking US Captain

FBI joins standoff rescue

(Newser) - The Maersk Alabama and its 19 American crewmembers safely reached a Kenyan port today, but their captain remains in the clutches of Somali pirates, the AP reports. Bandits controlling a German cargo ship and other hijacked vessels ship have been trying to locate the lifeboat holding Capt. Richard Phillips to...

Somali Pirates Strike Again, Seize Tugboat
Somali Pirates Strike Again, Seize Tugboat
UPDATED
Apr 11, 2009 10:11 AM CDT

Somali Pirates Strike Again, Seize Tugboat

(Newser) - A little international publicity won't deter Somali pirates. Hijackers seized a tugboat in the Gulf of Aden today, the AP reports. The vessel is Italian-owned—initial reports said American—and at least 10 of its 16 crew members are Italian. The tugboat had been towing two barges off Somalia's...

Pirates Warn US Raid Would 'Create Disaster'

Somalis plan to transfer Capt. Phillips to bigger boat

(Newser) - Somali pirates holding an American captain hostage in a lifeboat are hoping to transfer him to another pirate ship in the area to thwart rescue efforts like the French commando raid that freed some hostages, but left one dead, along with two pirates, AFP reports. "We are getting information...

Hostage Captain 'a Regular Guy' and Ferocious Ball Player

'That swim—it didn’t surprise me at all': friend

(Newser) - The American captain being held by Somali pirates is a regular guy on land and a true professional at sea, his friends and family tell the New York Times.  Richard Phillips is placid and relaxed during his downtime with his wife and their college age-kids at his Vermont home,...

Pirate Hostage Dies as French Rescue 4

Operation successfully rescues four others

(Newser) - French forces rescued four hostages from a yacht held by pirates off the coast of Somalia, but one hostage was killed during today's operation, the BBC reports. Two couples and a child were on a yacht captured by pirates last week in the Gulf of Aden. The child was among...

Pirates Want $2M Ransom, Threaten to Kill Captain

(Newser) - Somali pirates holding an American ship captain hostage say they want a $2 million ransom and have threatened to kill him, Reuters and the AP report. The ransom demand followed an escape attempt by Richard Phillips, who attempted to swim for safety early this morning. Reports conflict on what happened...

Showdown Looms: Pirate Ships Head to Hijacking Site

Previously-captured boats carry 54 international hostages

(Newser) - As bandits hold a US captain on a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean, their pirate colleagues are rushing to their aid with an international gallery of hostages, the AP reports. The bandits apparently fear being shot or arrested if they hand over the captain and are hoping to get support...

Captain Recaptured by Pirates After Swim Escape Attempt

Family say hostage captain's sense of humor could keep him alive

(Newser) - The American captain held hostage by Somali pirates jumped into the ocean last night and tried to swim to a nearby Navy destroyer, but pirates swam after him and pulled him back, CNN reports. He was not believed to be harmed in the attempt, a US official said. The four...

Captain 'Offered Himself as the Hostage'

(Newser) - The high-seas hostage situation rolls on, with a growing armada of US vessels on site or en route and negotiations continuing between the pirates and the Navy, assisted by the FBI. The four bandits, adrift in a 24-foot lifeboat with the American captain, sound desperate: "We are surrounded by...

As Ship Resumes Sailing, FBI Joins Pirate Negotiations

(Newser) - As FBI hostage negotiators joined the effort to end the standoff with Somali pirates over a captive American captain, the Maersk Alabama got under way today, bound for its original destination, the AP reports. An FBI spokesman said the bureau was “fully engaged” with the Navy in strategizing how...

Pirates in Navy Standoff Running Out of Options

Pirate lifeboat 'dead in the water' as warships close in

(Newser) - Four Somali pirates still holding a American captain hostage this morning are rapidly running out of options in their standoff with a US Navy warship, the AP reports. The pirates are in a lifeboat seized to replace their own vessel, floating hundreds of miles away from Somalia with enough food...

US Warship Arrives at Hijacking Site; Captain Still Held

(Newser) - A Navy warship and other vessels have arrived in the waters off Somalia where pirates are holding the American captain of a cargo ship hostage, CNN reports. The pirates and the captain are in a lifeboat as the cargo ship's American crew continues negotiations to free Capt. Richard Phillips of...

Crewmember: Pirates Still Have Ship's US Captain

(Newser) - The American crew of a ship hijacked by pirates today off northern Somalia has retaken control, though a crewmember says the vessel’s captain remains a hostage. The AP called a satellite phone aboard the Maersk Alabama, and was told by someone with an American accent that the 20-member crew...

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