Ship Docks Safely; Navy Foils Pirates Seeking US Captain

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 help his captors, but the Navy has thwarted their attempts, CNN says.

The FBI and three US ships—one equipped with a medical facility—have joined the fight to rescue Phillips, who was tied up after trying to escape this week. The standoff has also affected tourists disembarking ships in Mombasa. “Everybody's concerned about the route we were on because there was always the possibility that we would be approached by pirates,” said one.
(More pirates stories.)