local time, the Fifth Fleet said.

"This successful mission by combined maritime forces secured the safety of the ship's crew and returned control of the ship to the civilian mariners," a Fifth Fleet statement said.

No shots were fired, the Navy spokesman said, and there were no injuries. The pirates surrendered "within minutes."

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates approved the mission, the spokesman said, and the military had permission from the ship's owners to board it.

Members of the ship's crew had locked themselves in a safe room, so the military felt it was a good time to board the ship, the spokesman said.

Nine pirates were in task force custody "pending further disposition," the Fifth Fleet said.

A Turkish frigate and combined task force flagship were the first on the scene, responding torocking, and, by getting narrower until it reaches the dimension of a rather precise guide, causes the vehicle to be stabilized and balanced.
The correct and stable position of the vehicle secures, or at least favours, the operation of the mechanism of clamping to the haulage cable, and it facilitates the boarding and the getting out of passengers.
The arrangement of such a guide solid with outer support means causes strong stresses between the guide and the related wheels of the support devices of the vehicles which arrive after each other, by being hauled by the haulage cable. In fact, although the end portion of the guide element is enlarged and is arranged in a cantilevered position, the bump occurring between the individual wheels and the guide generates in the