Pirates off the eastern coast of Africa fired on U.S. sailors Saturday as they tried to reach the lifeboat where an American captain is being held, a U.S. official familiar with the situation told CNN.
| That should have been their death warrant right there ... |
The gunfire forced the sailors, who did not return fire, back to the guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge, the official said.
The U.S. Navy -- which is in charge of the situation -- requested help from the FBI to resolve the standoff. The FBI is launching a criminal investigation into the hijacking and hostage-taking, two law enforcement officials told CNN. The probe will be led by the FBI's New York field office, which has responsibility for looking into cases involving U.S. citizens in the African region. Agents from the office were scheduled to leave for Africa sometime this weekend, the officials said.
Phillips appeared to be tied up by the pirates after the escape attempt, a Defense Department official told CNN.
For the U.S. Navy, bringing in more firepower is more than just a means to resolve a hostage situation, said Chris Lawrence, CNN's Pentagon correspondent. Attacks in the area have picked up so drastically in recent months that the Navy has to reposition some of its fleet to deal with the threats, he said. |