Somali Leader Embraces Foreign Assistance Against Pirates

The hijacking last Thursday of a Ukrainian-operated vessel carrying T-72 tanks and other weapons has galvanized the world's leading navies after more than 60 other pirate attacks this year on ships off Somalia and in the nearby Gulf of Aden...

The pirates are holding the Ukrainian-operated Faina a few miles off eastern Somalia. They have demanded $20 million for the release of the vessel and its crew of 13 Ukrainians, seven Russians and one other Eastern European. The ship's captain died of natural causes shortly after the hijacking, the pirates have said by satellite telephone.

The United States has deployed an unspecified number of warships and aircraft within sight of the Faina, and U.S. Navy officials have said they are intent on ensuring that the pirates do not unload the arms.

Russian navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said Russian commanders hope for a peaceful end to the hijacking, independent and state news agencies reported Wednesday...

The U.S. Navy is the leading force in the blockade of the pirates. A Bahrain-based international coalition that includes the militaries of the United States and 19 other nations stepped up patrols against the pirates in mid-August as pirate attacks soared.

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