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U.S. Navy converges on kidnapping pirates

CNN) -- Several U.S. navy ships have converged near a Ukrainian cargo ship, seized last week by pirates off the coast of Somalia, a navy official told CNN Monday.

Lt. Nathan Christensen said the ships, including the USS Howard, were working toward the safe release of the seized ship, which is loaded with Soviet-era tanks and weapons. He further went on to add that if peaceful negotiations could not be reached, the Navy would also consider "blowing that sucker out of the water" to prevent the weapons falling into the wrong hands.

The navy ships were not involved in negotiations between the pirates and the shipping company, he said.

The pirates, who Christensen said were "loitering on and around the ship," have lowered their ransom demand from $35 million to $20 million. They also requested 16 men on a dead man's chest, a bottle of rum, and the release of Captain Jack Sparrow.

The pirates hijacked the ship Faina off the coast of Somalia on Thursday. The ship was headed to the Kenyan port of Mombasa after departing from Nikolayev, Ukraine, and was seized not far from its destination after being overtaken by the Flying Dutchman and the Black Pearl.

The Kenyan government said Sunday it had not been contacted by the hijackers.

Rashid Abdi, an independent Horn of Africa analyst with the International Crisis Group, said the pirates have been making their ransom demands in interviews with media outlets. They have also discussed selling the movie rights to Jerry Bruckheimer and have proposed a Pirates of the Horn of Africa themed ride at Euro Disney.

"The pirates are very clever and well connected," Abdi said. "They know the importance of using the media to put forward their side of the story."

A spokesman for the pirates who was reached by sattelite phone had this to say. "Arr, ravage, pillage, plunder, maim and put big hickeys on all the fair damsels, arrr!"