White House 'closely monitoring' ship hijacking

Wednesday, April 08, 2009 WASHINGTON, April 8 (Reuters) - The White House said on Wednesday it was closely monitoring the apparent hijacking of a U.S.-flagged ship in the Indian Ocean and assessing what steps to take to get the crew back safely, a spokesman said. The Danish-owned container ship, Maersk Alabama, was seized off the Somali coast along with its crew, including some 20 Americans, a company spokesman said. "The White House is closely monitoring the apparent hijacking of the US-flagged ship in the Indian Ocean and assessing a course of action to resolve this situation," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. "Our top priority is the personal safety of the crew members on board." (Editing by Sandra Maler) Source: Reuters, April 08, 2009