10/11/08 06:35 AM
SOMALIA
Pirates vow to blow up ship bearing weapons
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The pirates who hijacked an arms-laden Ukrainian ship off Somalia issued an ultimatum Friday and threatened to destroy the ship if no ransom is paid by Monday night, a spokesman for the bandits said.
U. S. warships surround the MV Faina, and a Russian frigate is heading toward the scene, raising the stakes for a possible commando-style raid on the ship, which is carrying 33 tanks and other weapons.
“We held a consultative meeting for more than three hours today and decided to blow up the ship and its cargo — us included — if the ship owners did not meet our [$20 million] ransom demand,” spokesman Sugule Ali said.
