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| Hijacked US ship's crew fly home | Hijacked US ship's crew fly home |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Nineteen American crew members of a US-flagged merchant ship seized briefly by pirates off Somalia last week have returned to the United States. | Nineteen American crew members of a US-flagged merchant ship seized briefly by pirates off Somalia last week have returned to the United States. |
| The crew were greeted by friends and family at an air base near Washington after their flight from Kenya. | The crew were greeted by friends and family at an air base near Washington after their flight from Kenya. |
| Pirates seized the captain of the Maersk Alabama on 8 April after the crew disabled the ship's power and hid. | Pirates seized the captain of the Maersk Alabama on 8 April after the crew disabled the ship's power and hid. |
| Capt Richard Phillips was rescued by a US navy vessel after being held by the pirates for five days on a lifeboat. | Capt Richard Phillips was rescued by a US navy vessel after being held by the pirates for five days on a lifeboat. |
| The 19 crew members sailed their ship to Mombasa, Kenya, after the pirates left the vessel with Capt Phillips. | The 19 crew members sailed their ship to Mombasa, Kenya, after the pirates left the vessel with Capt Phillips. |
| He remains on board the destroyer USS Bainbridge, which has been hunting pirates off Somalia. The ship is due to dock in Mombasa, Kenya, later on Thursday. | |
| Anti-piracy plan | Anti-piracy plan |
| The crew members of Maersk Alabama were greeted with cheers as they stepped off their chartered flight at Andrews Air Force Base. | The crew members of Maersk Alabama were greeted with cheers as they stepped off their chartered flight at Andrews Air Force Base. |
| A large banner read: "Welcome Home Maersk Alabama". | A large banner read: "Welcome Home Maersk Alabama". |
| Pirates operating off the coast of Somalia have intensified attacks on shipping in recent weeks in one of the world's busiest sea lanes, despite patrols by the US and other navies. | Pirates operating off the coast of Somalia have intensified attacks on shipping in recent weeks in one of the world's busiest sea lanes, despite patrols by the US and other navies. |
| US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled a plan on Wednesday to tackle piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean off Somalia. | US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled a plan on Wednesday to tackle piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean off Somalia. |
| She said an expanded international effort was needed, as well as freezing pirates' assets, and plugging gaps in the shipping industry's own defences. | She said an expanded international effort was needed, as well as freezing pirates' assets, and plugging gaps in the shipping industry's own defences. |
| Improving the situation in Somalia itself was also key, she said. | Improving the situation in Somalia itself was also key, she said. |