Pirates Move Saudi Supertanker Farther Offshore

We have heard quite a bit about pirates on the high seas lately taking over ships. I thought pirates were a thing of the past and something in books and movies. But Somali pirates have taken their greatest prize yet. It is a Saudi supertanker with $100 million of crude oil and they have moved it farther offshore in what appears to be a rare defensive move following threats by Islamic insurgents.

The pirates have dominated Somalia's high seas for the past year, bringing in some $30 million in ransom despite stepped up international efforts to fight them including foreign warships guarding the waters. However, the Nov. 15 hijacking of the Sirius Star was the pirates' most audacious to date and prompted threats from Somali extremists. Last Friday, Islamic fighters promised to fight the pirates and free the ship because it was Muslim-owned and flagged under Saudi Arabia. Two days later, pirates moved the ship about 28 miles, putting it about 30 miles off the coast of the coastal village of Harardhere.

Somali Pirates Free Danish Ship

The crew of a Danish cargo ship held by Somali pirates since early June have been released, Denmark's foreign ministry says. It said the pirates had turned the Danica White over to a French warship. The Danish vessel was hijacked on June 2, off the Somali coast while heading for the Kenyan port of Mombasa to deliver a cargo of building materials.