World | pirates As Ship Resumes Sailing, FBI Joins Pirate Negotiations By Kevin Spak Posted Apr 9, 2009 10:26 AM CDT Copied In this family photo released on Wednesday, April 8, 2009, Capt. Richard Phillips of Underhill, Vt., is seen. (AP Photo) As FBI hostage negotiators joined the effort to end the standoff with Somali pirates over a captive American captain, the Maersk Alabama got under way today, bound for its original destination, the AP reports. An FBI spokesman said the bureau was “fully engaged” with the Navy in strategizing how to extract Capt. Richard Phillips without resorting to combat. The cargo ship made for Mombasa, Kenya, with 18 new passengers—a military team of armed guards. Meanwhile, the Pentagon substantially stepped up its monitoring of the situation, sending a P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft to collect videos of the scene. And a spokesman said the pirates have issued no demands to the Maersk shipping company. Read These Next Bill Belichick's first big UNC game didn't go well. Is India, under hefty tariffs, turning away from the US? A game of doorbell ditch turns fatal for 11-year-old. That CEO who grabbed a tennis pro's hat has some words. Report an error