Captured Pirate to Face Trial in US

Attempted takeover repelled by guards

(AP) - Somali pirates today attacked the Maersk Alabama for the second time in seven months, but guards on board the US-flagged cargo ship repelled the takeover attempt. When pirates attacked with automatic weapons early this morning about 350 nautical miles east of the Somali coast, guards on board the craft fired back, thwarting the attempted hijacking. A spokesman for the EU Naval Force called it "pure chance" that the Maersk Alabama had been targeted twice. More»

Freed pirate hostage calls for tougher ships, better armed crews

(NEWSER) - Military guards or military detachments on board ships are the best way to keep American shipping safe from piracy, Capt. Richard Phillips told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday. Phillips, freed by the US Navy after being held hostage by pirates last month, said better-armed crews and tougher vessels would also help deter pirate attacks, the Hill reports. More»

Seaman who thwarted pirates get hero's welcome back on US soil

(NEWSER) - The American sailors who thwarted a pirate attack off the coast of Somalia have arrived home to a hero's welcome, reports the AP. Dozens of family members erupted in cheers and applause as the 19 crew members from the Maersk Alabama stepped off a charter flight from Kenya at Andrews Air Force Base early this morning. More»

(AP) - The shipping captain held hostage by Somali pirates will return to the US with his crew tomorrow. Maersk Line said today that Richard Phillips and the crew of the Maersk Alabama are expected to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland late tomorrow, where they will reunite with loved ones in a private reception. They are taking a chartered flight from Mombasa, Kenya. More»

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 official said. Capt. Richard Phillips later boarded the Navy ship, where he was resting and "in good health. He's showered up and in a clean set of clothes." More»