Saudi FM says hijacked oil tanker's owners negotiating

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The owners of a hijacked oil tanker are negotiating with the pirates that are holding it, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said Wednesday. Asked if he could confirm reports that a ransom had been demanded, he said the owners of the tanker "are negotiating on the issue" but did not elaborate. Speaking after talks in Rome with his Italian counterpart, Faisal said that the Saudi government does not like to negotiate with "pirates, terrorists or hijackers" but the owners of the tanker are "the final arbiter" on the issue. The MV Sirius Star was seized off the Kenyan coast Saturday with 25 crew members and has been taken to a pirate stronghold off the Somali coast. The ship's oil cargo alone is estimated to be worth $100 million.