Somalia/US

US warship arrives after crew regain control, captain still hostage

Article published on the 2009-04-09 Latest update 2009-04-09 11:01 TU

The U.S. Navy destroyer Bainbridge, in 2008. The Bainbridge arrived before dawn on Thursday off the Somali coast.
(Photo: Reuters)

A US Navy warship, the USS Bainbridge has arrived in the waters off Somalia. The vessel is a guided missile destroyer and it reached the waters after the hijacking the merchant vessel Maersk Alabama, which carries a US flag, the first American merchant ship to be hijacked since the 19th century.

Twenty unarmed crew members were held by four pirates before they overpowered their captives and regained control of the ship. The captain of the crew remains with the pirates who are in a lifeboat just off the ship.

The crew says it is in contact with the captain via radio. Navy aircraft are also in the area to provide surveillance information.

"President Barack Obama is monitoring the situation," says correspondent Mike Kellerman, "the US Pentagon of course is as well and is in contact with private ship owners in regards to what is happening at this point."

The question of piracy off the Somali coast is also becoming an issue in US political circles.

 

Congressmen are "coming out on record now quickly after this incident to call for stronger measures by the Obama administration," Kellerman says, "in cooperation of course with all the other countries in that region who are being affected by this increasingly dramatic situation".

On France 24 TV  US crew retakes ship; captain still held hostage