Obama vows 'resolve' against piracy off Somalia

President Barack Obama on Sunday pledged to combat the rise of piracy off the coast of Somalia, as US naval forces rescued American merchant Captain Richard Phillips from his pirate captors. "We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region," said Obama in his first public statement on the pirate standoff. "To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes." Somali pirates are currently holding more than a dozen other vessels, along with more than 200 hostages taken in their hijacking efforts. Obama was regularly updated on events aboard the Maersk Alabama after pirates hijacked the cargo ship on Wednesday, and on Friday and Saturday he gave US forces authority "to engage in potential emergency actions," an administration official said speaking on condition of anonymity. "I am very pleased that Captain Phillips has been rescued and is safely on board the USS Boxer," Obama said, referring to the US assault ship where Phillips was flown after the rescue that capped a tense five-day hostage crisis with Somali pirates. The captain's safety "has been our principal concern, and I know this is a welcome relief to his family and his crew," the president added. After the successful rescue, Obama called Phillips and his wife, Andrea, as well as several military officials "to express appreciation for the work of our military personnel," the administration source said. The US Navy ended a high-seas standoff in an operation that saw snipers shoot and kill three of his four captors aboard a lifeboat from the Maersk Alabama where he was held since their hijacking attempt. The surviving pirate was placed in detention. The unarmed crew of the Maersk Alabama managed to regain control of the ship, but the pirates captured Phillips and bundled him into the ship's lifeboat as they escaped. The pirates had warned against using force to rescue Phillips, and had reportedly demanded two million dollars in ransom for his safe return. The incident added new urgency to finding a solution to the mounting piracy challenge off the coast of Somalia, ruled by a weak central government unable to stem the rise of lawlessness. "This could escalate violence in this part of the world," said Navy Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, the commander of US naval forces in the region. Gortney, who spoke to reporters in Washington via satellite from the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, suggested that the ultimate solution to piracy is on land. "Piracy around the world stems from activity where there is lawlessness, lack of governance, economic instability. And wherever you have that, you'll have criminal activity at sea," he said. Gortney said the US Justice Department could take the captured pirate to Kenya – which has signed a deal with Washington to prosecute such criminals – or to the United States. The Somali coast has seen an uptick of pirate attacks. In the past three weeks, there were 18 or 19 piracy attempts both in the Gulf of Aden and in the Somali Basin, Gortney said. However since the start of the year, piracy watchdogs had recorded a slump in the number of attacks and their success rate compared to 2008, during which pirates attacked close to 150 ships and harvested a bumper crop of ransom money. Keep up with the latest business news from the region with the Emirates Business 24|7 daily newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, please click here .