Negotiating With Kidnappers

" The US government is said to be working around the clock to free the captain of a cargo vessel that was briefly seized by Somali pirates. And -- late word tonight that contact has been made with that captain. National correspondent Steve Centanni is live at the Pentagon with a brand new update -- state."

" very delicate situation out there and American being held hostage by Somali pirates in a drifting life -- While a huge 500 foot long American destroyer looms -- and surveillance planes buzz overhead. Now tonight America Alabama is back underway that's the cargo ship. It has a navy security team on boards steaming out toward the Kenyan port of Mombasa. -- argue over who humanitarian supplies. When -- gets there the nineteen merchant sailors who regained control of the ship from pirates yesterday we'll be heading home replaced by a new crew. Meantime the ship's captain 55 year old Richard Phillips continues to be held hostage aboard that small -- US navy says it's made contact with captain -- the the latest time within the past couple hours and they say so far he's unharmed. All this is taking place in the Indian Ocean several hundred miles off the coast of Somalia. The lifeboats and enclosed -- sheltered from the elements and supplied with enough food and water for ten days. But without fuel it's powerless to do anything to -- in the wind in the current. USS Bainbridge a navy destroyer is shadowing the lifeboat and remains in communication with the pirates by radio. The FBI's assisting from their base in Quantico Virginia. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton said today that -- century's old crime that demands a 21 century response."

" These people are nothing more than criminals. And we -- bringing to bear a number of our assets including. -- naval and FBI. Work. In order to resolve the hostage situation at hand dad bring the pirates to justice."

" And a new surveillance device called the scan eagle has also been deployed that the small aircraft that's catapulted from a -- of a ship. Sending back real time high resolution video of the area. And according to General David Petraeus the top commander in that region more military might is on the way -- Can tell you it -- definitely going to be more ships in that area within the next 2448 hours because there's two more sailing two it. Right now. So despite the military build up the Pentagon is hoping that a situation dissolved peacefully and the captain is released unharmed -- But -- look like tight quarters there. Very tight right -- state tax some."