WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John D (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, issued the following statement regarding the U.S. flagged cargo vessel MAERSK ALABAMA seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia:
“The recent news of Somali pirates hijacking a U.S. flagged cargo vessel MAERSK ALABAMA is of great concern. This is the sixth vessel seized on the high seas off the coast of Somalia within a week and the first with an all-American crew. I applaud our men and women in the United States Navy – they deserve high praise for their quick response today and their ongoing role in maritime security.”
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