The Maersk Alabama, a US-flagged cargo ship transporting aid for the UN and USAID to Mombasa, Kenya, was captured by pirates off of the Somali coast early yesterday morning. This was the first attack by pirates on an American flagged ship in over 200 years.
The ship’s heroic crew fought off the pirates and regained control of the ship, but the ship’s captain, Richard Philips is being held hostage by the pirates on a life boat.
US Navy ships have moved in, the FBI is now involved, Hillary Clinton is “deeply concerned” and the AG is looking into the situation, John Kerry wants to hold pirate hearings, and General Patraeus wants to increase military presence in the lawless waters off the horn of Africa–the President, on the other hand, has nothing to say about the situation.
Didn’t we used to have “pirate hearings”… ending with a short drop with a sudden stop?