Captain Richard Phillips freed after fire fight with Somali pirates
For five long days Richard Phillips, the captain of the American cargo ship Maersk Alabama, was held captive on a lifeboat by Somali pirates. In a dramatic rescue yesterday U.S. Navy snipers freed him. The standoff was ended, but the bigger situation is far from over. Pirates are still holding a dozen ships with more than 200 crew members from countries around the globe. Add to that the fact that some maritime experts expect the number of pirate attacks around the Horn of Africa to actually increase after this capture. For an overview of the pirates’ life we are joined by New York Times reporter Scott Shane.
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