Somali pirates briefly hijacked the 17,000-ton freighter, but the 20 American crew retook control after a confrontation far out at sea.
With a U.S. warship on site keeping watch early today, Somali pirates and American seamen engaged in a standoff. The assault on the U.S.- registered Maersk Alabama cargo ship marked the first attack against a U.S.-flagged vessel off Africa since the days of the Barbary pirates more than 200 years ago, a maritime official said.
Four pirates were holding the captain, Richard Phillips (pictured), on the ship's lifeboat after he apparently volunteered to be a hostage for the sake of his crew.
The U.S. warship Bainbridge (shown above) is now on the scene as the Pentagon is seeking a peaceful solution.
The Pentagon is not ruling out any option in freeing Captain Phillips.
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