By Kristen Forbes
April 8, in the Indian Ocean, the U.S. flagged Maersk Alabama cargo vessel carrying humanitarian aid with 20 US crew members aboard was hijacked by Somali pirates, according to redcounty.com.
According to people magazine four armed Somali pirates, none older than 19, boarded the ship in darkness. The pirates initially shot at the ship before boarding the Alabama. Each of the four pirates who boarded the ship were armed with a gun.
The crew on board the Maersk Alabama went into emergency mode, cutting off the Alabama‘s power and locking themselves in rooms below deck, to hide from the pirates. As reported by People Magazine, Capt. Richard Phillips and two others stayed on deck to confront the pirates. “They threatened to kill him if he didn’t bring the crew up,” says John.
When one pirate went below deck to search for hostages, a crewman jumped him and another stabbed him in the hand with an ice pick. They dragged the wounded pirate into one of their safe rooms and kept him there while Phillips negotiated with the other Somalis on deck.
Negotiations began to take place but eventually Captain Richard Phillips was taken hostage by the pirates. The pirates used the Maerk Alabama’s lifeboat to escape. The boat eventually ran out of gas and the pirates and Phillips were stranded.
At one point Phillips tried to escape by jumping into the ocean and swimming away, but unfortunately Somali pirates jumped in after him and brought him back to the lifeboat and tied him up. Phillips was held hostage for five days on Alabama’s lifeboat.
Phillips was freed from the lifeboat after US snipers fired at the lifeboat, and all three pirates were killed with a single shot to the head. One pirate survived as he had to seek medical help from the injury to his hand that he got in the scuffle with the crew men. He was helped by US Bainbridge, a ship near by before the gun shots were fired.
According to USATODAY.com so far this year there have been 20 “successful” attacks and 46 attempts. So what are the consequences for captured pirates?
The captured pirate Abdukhadir Muse, according to thaindiam.com faces several charges: 1) piracy under the law of nations; 2) conspiracy to seize a ship by force; 3) discharging a firearm, and aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm, during and in relation to the conspiracy to seize a ship by force; 4) conspiracy to commit hostage taking and 5) brandishing a firearm, and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm, during and in relation to the conspiracy to commit hostage taking.
Muse will face, if convicted, life in prison. President Obama said in an article on Russian News and Information Society, “We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region. To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes”.
Western State Writers Spring 2009 