Somalia pirates hold U.S. captain

Maritime experts predicted that the crew's efforts could serve as a deterrent.

"This will send a message to pirates," said Candyce Kelshall, a specialist at maritime security firm Blue Water Defence and Security, based in Trinidad.

She said that as few as four armed pirates have been able to seize control of massive commercial vessels because seafarers, who are often low-paid and undertrained, have been told by ship owners to offer no resistance to avoid loss of life.

"We don't want to have a crew of Rambos," Kelshall said, noting that she disagrees with American military recommendations that commercial vessels carry arms for protection. "But if this crew was able to retake the ship without using arms by outnumbering the pirates or because of their training, this is something that should be encouraged."

Retired Navy Cmdr. Kirk Lippold, who was skipper of the U.S. destroyer Cole when it was attacked by Al Qaeda operatives in 2000, praised the crew members' bravery.

"It exemplifies that Americans, whether merchant marines or sailors, possess initiative and leadership," Lippold said. "It shows an incredible amount of courage."

Lippold said, however, that the attack and the capture of the ship's captain raise the stakes for the U.S. government.

"The problem of piracy has come home to roost and now American lives are in jeopardy," he said. He advocated increasing the Navy fleet and attacking pirate strongholds in Somalia.

Navy officials said pirate attacks against U.S. ships in the area have not been a problem.

"Every indication is that this is the first time a U.S.-flagged ship has been successfully seized by pirates in this region," said Navy Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain.

Andrew Mwangura, head of the East African Seafarers Assistance Program in Nairobi, said the last attack on an American vessel by African pirates was reported in 1804 off Libya. "It's been a very long time," he said.

More than 33,000 ships pass along the East African trade route each year. Pirates targeting them use navigational devices and electronic maritime databases to avoid capture, officials said.

U.S. warships, joined by vessels from several other North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries and other navies, have been patrolling the region since late last year.

When the arms-laden Ukrainian ship was hijacked last year, U.S. warships and helicopters provided 24-hour surveillance to ensure that none of the weapons were offloaded to militants.

The anti-piracy efforts have had mixed success. Attacks near Somalia's shore have declined, but pirates have just moved farther out into the Indian Ocean.

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edmund.sanders @latimes.com

julian.barnes@latimes.com