Hijacked Oil Tanker Anchored Off `Pirate Stronghold'

Ships passing close to Somalian waters carry oil from the Middle East via the Suez Canal and Asian-made goods to Europe and the U.S. Some companies including Odfjell SE, the world's largest chemicals shipping line, have said they will shun the canal because of the attacks off Somalia, threatening one of Egypt's biggest foreign-currency earners. Oil rose more than 1 percent on concerns about supplies.

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Saudi Arabia is unlikely to be considering an armed response to the hijacking because it may endanger the crew, according to Nick Day, London-based chief executive officer of Diligence Inc., a security and intelligence group.

``Once in port you've got several hundred people around there, heavily armed,'' said Day, a former member of the U.K.'s Special Boat Service.