NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Crews have held pirates off with Molotov cocktails, crates of rubbish and oil drums. They've electrified handrails, sprayed attackers with high-pressure fire hoses and simply kicked the pirates' rickety ladders overboard.But owners of ships plying the pirate-infested waters off Somalia's coast have balked at having firearms onboard, despite an increasing number of attacks where bullets pierced hulls or rocket propelled grenades whooshed overhead.The reason is twofold: Owners fear pirates would be more likely to continue shooting once on board if they confronted weapons, and the company might be held liable for deaths or injuries inflicted by someone on the vessel."There's basically resistance to the idea of armed guards because of the risk of escalation ... possible harm to the crew," said Neil Roberts, a senior technical executive at Lloyd's Market Association, which provides support to underwriters with Lloyd's, the largest maritime insurance marketplace in the world. "Most ship owners don't encourage it."The taking of the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama by pirates Wednesday has again highlighted the issue of protecting vessels traveling the waters off the Horn of Africa. The American crew was able to wrest control of the vessel from the pirates without weapons, but the captain was taken hostage as the hijackers escaped, leading to a standoff with the U.S. Navy...more..http://www.komonews.com/news/national/42801962.htmlPirates raise legal questions
http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=983130
Pirates free 17 Filipinos in Somalia
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/april/18/yehey/top_stories/20090418top7.html
Italy says no rescue
http://www.javno.com/en-world/italy-rules-out-military-rescue-of-pirate-hostages_251792
'Somali pirates are getting wilder': Belgian ship nabbed
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/18/pirates.foiled/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
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