I was delighted when the news alert email broke through yesterday, informing me that Captain Richard Phillips of the hijacked Maersk Alabama had been rescued from captivity among the Somali pirates. I have to admit that while growing up, I never considered pirates a serious threat to the safety of contemporary mariners. Having lived through the Bay of Pigs, the seemingly never-ending spate of airplane hijackings, and the ongoing threat of nuclear war, I admit that I had relegated piracy on the high seas to a long-gone place in history. I never thought we'd have to worry again about sword-brandishing pirates boarding ships.
Times have indeed changed and come full circle at the same time. Yes, there are pirates again, only now they come armed with automatic weapons. What is even more difficult to comprehend than the pirates themselves is that the ship that was hijacked was carrying food aid whose destination points were Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda. Ships transporting international aid to stricken countries should not be facing risks like this. Nobody should. This is clearly a threat that will require nations to join together to confront. I am glad to hear that President Obama plans to address this international issue.
After the rescue, the crew of the Maersk Alabama found a safe harbor in Mombasa, Kenya. Many thanks to the people of Mombasa for taking in these beleaguered merchant mariners from the United States. Below are several links to articles, audio recordings, and videos telling the story of the captain and his crew. There are even more links once you get to the main site.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7996087.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7996723.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7996214.stm
Editor of AGNADL
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