(16 Apr 2009) SHOTLIST
1. Various of Liberty Sun being escorted into harbour by pilot boat
2. Crew members walking down ship exit ramp
3. Crew members overlooking side of ship
4. Crew member going up ramp UPSOUND (English) Reporter: "Was it hairy out there, sir?"
5. UPSOUND (English) Crew member, name not known: "No. No worries."
5. Close of crew member on ship
6. US Navy Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS) officers walking along port
7. NCIS officers pointing to ship
8. Close of US flag flying from ship mast
9. Wide back of ship
STORYLINE
An American cargo ship damaged by grenades and automatic gunfire in a pirate attack arrived safely to the Kenyan port of Mombasa early on Thursday, complete with its supply of food aid.
The black and red Liberty Sun sailed into the port early in the morning local time but television pictures from the scene could not immediately reveal the damage from the failed assault that did not harm its 20-member crew.
Pirates launched four rocket-propelled grenades on Tuesday, while and bullets pierced its bridge structure and blew out some windows, a US official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak about the private ship.
A crew member also reportedly told his mother by e-mail a rocket pierced the ship's bulkhead and the attack sparked a small fire.
The damage did not affect the ability to navigate by the crew, which barricaded itself into the engine room.
The military says a US destroyer was sent to the rescue but the pirates left before it arrived.
The Lake Success, the ship's New York-based company, said it carried corn meal, wheat flour and other food for needy African nations.
The ship had left from Houston and had delivered aid in Sudan before heading for Kenya.
On Wednesday, a pirate whose gang attacked the ship claimed his group was targeting American ships and sailors, and threatened to "slaughter" any upon capture.
Meanwhile in Washington, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced new measures to combat piracy, saying the Obama administration would work with shippers and insurers to improve their defences against pirate attacks.
Clinton did not call for military force, although she mentioned "going after" pirate bases in Somalia, as authorised by the United Nations several months ago.
The Gulf of Aden, which links the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, is the shortest route from Asia to Europe.
More than 20-thousand ships cross the vital sea lane every year, but it is becoming more dangerous by the day.
So far this year there have been 79 attacks, compared with 111 for all of 2008, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
Somali pirates are holding more than 280 foreign crewmen on 15 ships, at least 76 of those sailors captured in recent days.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
