Feed: Somali piracy murders: Americans mourn the loss of hostages - AggScore: 13.0

Somali piracy murders: Americans mourn the loss of hostages

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caption id alignalignleft width210 captionToday39s pirates are armed with rocketpropelled grenades, automatic weapons and explosives. Photo NewswithViews img srchttpcdn2b.examiner.comsitesdefaultfilesstyleslargehashf2f1f2f12a77d04fdbe8481ea58dfe2c9c03.jpg alt width210 height114 captionPeoplethroughout the United States todayare mourning the loss of four Americanskilled by Somali pirates aboard a sailing vessel in the Indian Ocean this morning. U.S. officials were in the process ofnegotiating with the pirates for the safe return of the captured Americans when the murders took place, officials said.U. S. Central Command officials said that in the midst of negotiations, U.S. forces responded to gunfire aboard the SV Quest. When the forces reached the boat, officials said, they discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors. Despite immediate steps to provide lifesaving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds.The four retireeshad been sailingthe waters off the coast of Africawhen they were taken hostage by Somali piratesabout 200 miles off the coast ofOman.Following thismornings U.S. Navy rescue operation four pirates are dead and 15 are in custody in the bloodiest piracy incident in recent history, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command told reporters in a press conference call today.Navy Vice Admiral Mark I. Fox, who also commands the Navys 5th Fleet, said the pirates shot Scott and Jean Adams of California and Phyllis Mackay and Bob Riggle of Washington state. The surface vessel Quest was sailing around the world when the Somalis hijacked it off the coast of Oman, according to the AmericanForces Press Services Jim Garamone.White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters on Air Force One that President Barack Obama authorized the use of force if there was an imminent threat to the hostages. He said the president was informed of their deaths at 442 this morning.The loss of our fellow Americans is a tragedy, AdmiralFox said from his headquarters in Manama, Bahrain. The admiral gave reportersa timeline of the actionemPirates captured the vessel about 190 nautical miles southeast of Masirah Island, Oman, February 18. Four U.S. Navy warships responded the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, the guidedmissile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf and the guidedmissile destroyers USS Sterett and USS Bulkeley. ememThe ships found the vessel and made contact with the pirates via bridgetobridge radio, and began a series of negotiations. Yesterday, two pirates boarded the USS Sterett to continue negotiations. ememAt 8 a.m. etthis morning ... a rocketpropelled grenade was fired by the pirates from the Quest toward the Sterett. Immediately thereafter, gunfire erupted from inside the cabin of the Quest. Several pirates appeared on the deck of the Quest and moved up to the bow with their hands in the air in surrender. ememU.S. special operations forces closed in on the Quest in small boats and boarded the yacht. They discovered that all four hostages had been shot by their captors. The service members took immediate steps to provide medical care, but the four Americans died of their wounds. The boarding party also found two dead pirates aboard the vessel. emThe special operations forces did not fire weapons during the boarding, AdmiralFox added.While clearing the vessel, two additional pirates were killed, the admiral said. The remaining 15 suspected pirates are in U.S. custody.Fox said two additional pirates were killed as the special operators cleared the boat. One was killed with a pistol, the other in a knife fight, the admiral said. There were no casualties to service members or damage to Navy ships. The Navy and the FBI are investigating the incident, said Garamone.