Latest update from CNN at http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/08/ship.hijacked/index.html says, basically:
- The pirates have the ship’s captain in the Maersk Alabama’s 28-foot lifeboat, the pirates sank their own boat after coming aboard (I guess the pirates “going overboard” means they got sent off in the lifeboat, not fed to the sharks)
- The crew exchanged their pirate prisoner for the captain after they’d had the pirate for 12 hours AND THE SOMALIS RENEGED ON THE DEAL (are we surprised?)
- They’re offering the Somalis the lifeboat and food/provisions to give back the captain and leave
- The crew hid in the room with the steering gear for ~12 hours and the pirates got “frustrated” because they couldn’t find them
- Pirates are armed with “Kalashnikov assault rifles”
- US warship is due in the area in a few hours—hope the Somalis can’t get CNN!
}:-)4
Pirates in a lifeboat can’t outrun USS Bainbridge ...