US considers yacht hijack response
The US said it is considering its response to the hijack by Somali pirates of an American couple sailing the world with a yacht full of bibles.
Pirates say the captured yacht is expected to make landfall in Somalia, which would reduce the chances of a fast rescue dramatically.
The hijack mirrors the ordeal of British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler whose yacht was captured by pirates. They were held hostage in a stiflingly hot Somali region for 388 days and were released in November.
Pirates captured the Americans' yacht Quest on Friday, two days after a Somali pirate was sentenced to 33 years in prison by a New York court for the 2009 hijacking of the Maersk Alabama. That case ended in a spectacular rescue when navy sharpshooters killed two pirates holding the ship's captain, Richard Phillips.
The Quest is the home of Jean and Scott Adam from California, who have been sailing around the world since December 2004, according to a website the Adams keep. Two other Americans were also believed to be on board.
The pirates are unlikely to hurt the four Americans because they will not win any ransom money, said Graeme Gibbon-Brooks, head of Dryad Maritime Intelligence. He said the pirates would be wise to abandon the yacht because the hijacking threatens their "business", which relies on ransoms from large shipping and insurance companies.
"They risk the collapse of their business model if they change their status quo and the American government deems that they pose an immediate threat to the safety of American citizens," he said. "They've made a mistake and it's in the Somalis' business interest to get off the yacht as soon as possible."
The US military was monitoring the situation and Matt Goshko, a spokesman at the US embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, which oversees Somalia, said reports indicated there were four US citizens aboard the Quest. "All relevant US agencies are monitoring the situation, working to develop further information, assess options and possible responses," Mr Goshko said.
Pirates have increased attacks off the coast of East Africa in recent years despite an international flotilla of warships dedicated to protecting vessels and stopping the pirate assaults. Multi-million ransoms are fuelling the trade and the prices for releasing a ship and hostages have risen sharply.
Pirates currently hold 30 ships and more than 660 hostages, not counting the attack against the Quest.
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