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Somali pirates, who have been holding Saudi super oil-tanker for nine days, have reportedly halved their ransom demand of $25 million.

While Islamist spokesman Abdirahim Isse Adow said Monday "the middlemen proposed a $15 million ransom figure for the Saudi ship," an Arabic newspaper claimed the hijackers reduced the ransom demand to $12 million.

The Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, quoting unidentified sources, said that the ransom demand could be cut further, and expected the impasse to be resolved in the next four days.

Adow, whose men wanted to confront the pirates and release the Sirius Star because it was a "Muslim" ship, added that the pirates have taken the ship further out to 100 kilometers off the coast of central Somalia fearing a chase by the Islamist militia.

The Liberian-flagged oil tanker, owned by Saudi Aramco, was seized on November 15 in the Gulf of Aden, southeast of the Keynyan port of Mombasa.

The mammoth tanker is carrying a cargo of two million barrels of oil, with 25 crewmembers on board.

The Saudi owners were negotiating with the pirates over a $25 million ransom, despite pleas from the British and Saudi governments to resist paying the money.


Sources :
RTTNews : Pirates halve ransom demand for super-tanker | 11/24/2008 8:35 AM ET.