Rescue off Somalia prompts calls for action

By Randall Mikkelsen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The dramatic rescue of U.S. cargo ship captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates on Sunday fuelled calls for aggressive action to stop attacks off the Horn of Africa, including the arming of merchant vessels.

Others called for called for changes to international law that would make it easier to pursue and try pirates.

"We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region," President Barack Obama said in a written statement after the rescue.

"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," he said.

The U.S. Navy ended the five-day ordeal of Richard Phillips, captain of the Maersk Alabama cargo ship, by killing three pirates who held him captive on a lifeboat. A fourth pirate was taken into custody.

Phillips was the first American taken captive in a wave of piracy that is rampant off the Horn of Africa, where Somali civil conflict has let the practice flourish for nearly two decades in an atmosphere of poverty and lawlessness.

"We've got to figure out a way in an international community to ... arm the crews, increase the number of warships that are there on scene (and) reduce the abilities of the Somalis to have ships that are anchored off the coast in a safe haven," Adm. Rick Gurnon, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy where Phillips was trained, told a news conference.

ARMING CREWS UNPOPULAR WITH SHIPPING COMPANIES