WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama gave authority to kill the Somali pirates holding U.S. cargo ship captain Richard Phillips, and a commander acted when he concluded the pirates were about to kill the hostage, a U.S. Navy official said on Sunday.
'They were pointing the AK-47s at the captain,' Vice Adm. William Gortney, head of the U.S. Naval Central Command, said in a Pentagon briefing from Bahrain.
Gortney also said Washington had rejected negotiations with the pirates. 'The United States government policy is to not negotiate,' he said.
(Reporting by Randall Mikkelsen; Editing by Doina Chiacu) Keywords: SOMALIA PIRACY/MILITARY (randall.mikkelsen@thomsonreuters.com; +1 202 898 8300; Reuters Messaging: randall.mikkelsen.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
'They were pointing the AK-47s at the captain,' Vice Adm. William Gortney, head of the U.S. Naval Central Command, said in a Pentagon briefing from Bahrain.
Gortney also said Washington had rejected negotiations with the pirates. 'The United States government policy is to not negotiate,' he said.
(Reporting by Randall Mikkelsen; Editing by Doina Chiacu) Keywords: SOMALIA PIRACY/MILITARY (randall.mikkelsen@thomsonreuters.com; +1 202 898 8300; Reuters Messaging: randall.mikkelsen.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.