Reply #2: Pirates seeking hijacked lifeboat turn back

[TorchTheWitch]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Pirates holding a German cargo ship returned to port Saturday after failing to reach a lifeboat containing four pirates and their American hostage, a local journalist told CNN.

The German ship Hansa Stavanger was among several hijacked vessels that pirates were using to reach the lifeboat some 300 miles off the Somali coast, a Somali journalist told CNN.

The ship had set sail to help the pirates holding Capt. Richard Phillips, but turned back because of the U.S. naval presence, the journalist said. The Hansa Stavanger is now at the Somali port of Eyl, the journalist said.

The Hansa Stavanger, with a crew of 24, was hijacked April 4 off the Somali coast.

more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/11/somalia.u.s.ship/



While I'm encouragd that the pirates in the German ship decided to turn back, I'm discouraged that other pirates have killed a French hostage. They've always been happy to just collect ransom and escape without violence before, but this hostage killing incident means that the Somali pirate issue in general is escalating.