High Sea Piracy Takes Bloody Turn

Nov. 20, 2009— -- When pirates attacked the chemical freighter MV Theresa VIII, with a South Korean crew of 28, they didn't hesitate. The captain, who fired flares during the attack, was injured so badly by gunfire that he died one day later. He is said to have been taken ashore to receive medical attention. "When he got back to the ship, he wasn't in good condition," a spokesman for the pirates said. Not long later, he said, the captain died. It was the 200th pirate related incident of the year, according to the East African Seafarers' Assistance Program, based in Mombasa.

Pirate attacks involving hostages off the coast of Somalia were never free of violence. But aside from a few exceptions, those kidnapped were, for the most part, released unharmed. But that has changed drastically. Operations by both the pirates and by those attempting to prevent piracy have increased, as have the ransom demands and the risks.

On Tuesday, pirates off the coast of Haradheere released the Spanish fishing boat Alakrana after a seven week standoff -- in return for an alleged payment of some $4 million. Nobody knows the exact amount and the Spanish government denies that any money was paid at all. "The government did what it needed to do," is all Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero would say about the matter. But the negotiations came to an unusually quick end.

High Stakes Game of Poker

The presumed ransom payment was the result of a high-stakes game of poker. Shortly after the hijacking, Spain managed to capture two of the pirates involved and send them to Spain to stand trial. In response, the kidnappers threatened to take three crew members from the Alakrana ashore and hand them over to the relatives of those imprisoned in Spain. Or to kill them outright. Spain refused, but the ransom allegedly paid was high enough that the pirates simply abandoned their comrades to the Spanish authorities and let their hostages go free.Following the transfer of the ransom money, a helicopter belonging to the Spanish navy opened fire on the pirates as they neared the coast, but without success. According to the Somalian news agency Mareeg, however, once the pirates reached shore, a shootout ensued between rival gangs as each tried to get their share of the booty.