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Somali Pirates Vow Revenge on US
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by Barbara McPherson | April 13, 2009 at 09:42 am
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A spokesperson for Somali pirates is telling a different version of how the hostage situation ended for the captain of the Maersk Alabama. That version is disputed by Vice Admiral Gortney. Abjulkadir Walayo, Somali government spokesperson, backed up the Americans' actions in freeing Captain Richard Phillips.
A Somali pirate chief has vowed to target Americans in revenge for the death of three pirates killed during a US raid to free an American hostage held by the pirates.
Abdi Garad said on Monday that the US forces had shot and killed the men, even after they had agreed to free the hostage.
"They were pointing the AK-47s at the captain," Vice Admiral William Gortney, head of the US naval central command, said in a Pentagon briefing from Bahrain.
"The on-scene commander took it as the captain was in imminent danger and then made that decision and he had the authorities to make that decision and he had seconds to make that decision," he said.
Abdulkadir Walayo, a Somali government spokesman, hailed the operation.
"I hope this operation will be a lesson for other pirates holding the hostages on the ships they hijacked," he said.
Piracy off the coast of Somaila has been increasing since the '90s.
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