Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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April 11, 2009

Pirates Seize Another US Boat in Gulf of Aden
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=2383485:A6F02AD83191E160D4D3AF5F76686A5C98CBE7246176B735&
 
Meanwhile, standoff between Somali pirates holding US Capt. Richard
Phillips on lifeboat and US warship continues hundreds of kilometers off
coast of Somalia 
Pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden have seized another U.S. boat. A
regional maritime group says the U.S.-owned, Italian-flagged tugboat
was captured with its crew and two barges Saturday in the latest
hijacking in the busy waterway. The Reuters news agency quoted NATO
officials as saying 10 of the 16-member crew are Italian citizens. Sign
calls for return of Capt. Richard Phillips in front of Underhill Country
Store in Underhill, Vt., 10 Apr 2009Meanwhile,
a high-seas standoff between Somali pirates holding a U.S. captain on a
lifeboat and a U.S. warship entered its fourth day hundreds of
kilometers off the coast of Somalia. Somali elders said they
were trying to reach the scene of the standoff in an effort to help
secure the American captain's release. Richard Phillips has been held
since Wednesday when pirates briefly seized a U.S. humanitarian cargo
ship. The four pirates holding him on the lifeboat have threatened to
kill him if they are attacked, and if a ransom is not paid. The
USS Bainbridge is trailing the lifeboat, which has limited fuel.
Pentagon officials say another Navy ship, the Halyburton, has also
arrived in the area, and the USS Boxer will be there soon. Capt. Richard
Phillips of Underhill, Vt., is seen in this family photo released on 08
Apr 2009On
Friday, U.S. military officials said the captured American captain
tried to escape the lifeboat by jumping into the sea, but he was
immediately recaptured by the pirates. White House officials say they
are working towards a peaceful solution, with the help of both FBI and
U.S. Navy negotiators. Reuters
news agency also reported Saturday that sailors of a Panama-flagged
bulk carrier were able to thwart off another attack in the Gulf of Aden
by spraying pirates with water hoses. There has been a sharp
increase in pirate attacks off Somalia in recent weeks, despite several
international naval missions to stop these. Some information for this
report was provided by AP and Reuters.


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