WASHINGTON - PRESIDENT Barack Obama on Sunday said he was 'very pleased' that US ship captain Richard Phillips had been rescued by US naval forces, and pledged to combat the rise of piracy in the region.
'We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region,' said Mr Obama in his first public statement on the situation.
'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,' he added.
Somali pirates are currently holding more than a dozen other vessels, along with more than 200 hostages taken in their hijacking efforts.
'I am very pleased that Captain Phillips has been rescued and is safely on board the USS Boxer,' Mr Obama said, referring to the US warship onto which Cpt Phillips was transferred after the rescue after the tense five-day hostage crisis involving Somali pirates.
The captain's safety 'has been our principal concern, and I know this is a welcome relief to his family and his crew,' the US president added. The US Navy dramatically ended a high-seas standoff in an operation that killed three of his four captors.
Cpt Phillips had been held aboard the lifeboat since the pirates attacked his cargo ship, the US-flagged Maersk Alabama, on Wednesday. The unarmed American crew managed to regain control of the ship, but the pirates captured Cpt Phillips and bundled him into the lifeboat as they escaped.
The pirates had warned against using force to rescue him, and had reportedly demanded US$2 million (S$3 million) in ransom for Cpt Phillips' safe return.
As the hostage drama drew to a close, another group of pirates was taking an Italian vessel and its 16-strong crew toward the Somali coastline after having hijacked it on Saturday, according to pirate sources.
With foreign navies continuing their patrols of the Gulf of Aden, Somali pirates have sharpened their tactics, using previous ransoms to expand and favourable seas to wreak havoc in the Indian Ocean. -- AFP
