For the first time in the latest string of jihadi acts of piracy, Muslim pirates off of Somalia have hijacked an American ship flying under an American flag. Though these hijackings have been on the uptick, they almost always take ships flying under quasi obscure flags. This ship was flying the red, white and blue.
But President Hussein was so nice and subservient to them. Maybe that's why. They know he will do nothing. And I wouldn't expect the press to keep the pressure on in this hostage crisis like they did in Iran in '79. They don't want their terrible mistake to look bad.
I wonder if Hussein will tell us we must respect this, even if we may disagree.
Don't look for a Thomas Jefferson response to these pirates. Hussein will pay big tribute, as much as the jihad demands - he'll just add it to the porkulism bill.
The container ship, the Maersk Alabama, was carrying thousands of tons of relief aid to the Kenyan port of Mombasa, the company that owns the ship said.
The ship was taken by pirates at about 7:30 a.m. local time, 280 miles southeast of the Somali city of Eyl, a known haven for pirates, a spokesman for the United States Navy said. It is owned and operated by Maersk Line Limited, a United States subsidiary of A.P. Moller - Maersk Group, the Danish shipping giant.
The Maersk Alabama was at least the sixth commercial ship commandeered by pirates this week off the Horn of Africa, one of the most notoriously lawless zones on the high seas, where pirates have been operating with near impunity despite efforts by many nations, including the United States, to intimidate them with naval warship patrols.
There was no additional information immediately available about the crew, the company said in a statement. The ultimate destination of the ship’s cargo once it reached land was unclear.
“Our initial concern is to ensure proper support of the crew and assistance to their families,” the Maersk statement said.
