Pirates lower Ransom down to $8 Million

After originally demanding $20 million in ransom for the ship and it's crew the islamic pirates are now demanding $8 million.

The only thing these pirates should get is a couple of lead bullets to the head.Guardian

The ransom demand for a hijacked Ukrainian ship carrying tanks and weapons has been cut to $8m, according to one of the Somali pirates on board.

The pirate, who identified himself as Jama Aden, is not the usual spokesman for the gang but answered the satellite phone of the spokesman, Sugule Ali.

"There are high hopes we will release the ship within hours if they pay us $8 million," Aden said. "The negotiations with the ship owners are going well."

....

"The crew is doing very well," Aden said. "We have enough food." He said a small boat was resupplying the vessel with food and qat, a narcotic leaf popular in Somalia.

The reduction in the ransom price would mark progress in the standoff. Only yesterday, Ali was reported as saying the pirates would fight to the death before giving in to Russian and US authorities.