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the week the pirates had spotted the Alabama , they had already attacked five other vessels. To combat the problem, the United Nations Security Council adopted a res- olution giving the world’s navies permission to go after the pirates. The edict gave each country, including the United States, the authority to “enter the terri- torial waters of Somalia for the purpose of repressing acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea.” The UN told member nations to use “all necessary means” to stop and arrest the pirates, who seemed unfazed by the rules of engagement. “We attack many ships every day, but only a few are profitable,” one Somali pirate told Wired.com in July 2009. “No one will come to the rescue of a third- world ship with an Indian or African crew, so we re- lease them immediately. If the ship is from a Western country…then it’s like winning a lottery jackpot.” ‘Just Business’ Captain Phillips awoke for good at 6 am . He showered, dressed, and peered out the window. It was a sunny day. “Perfect sailing weather,” he thought to himself. When he reached the bridge, Phillips poured a cup of coffee and be- gan planning what he and his crew were going to be doing that day. Suddenly a sailor’s voice roared: “Boat approaching, three point one miles out…” In the distance, Phillips could see a white skiff bouncing off the calm

CNN pirate footage

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