Four Americans killed by pirates off Somalia’s coast

Four Americans taken hostage by Somali pirates off East Africa were shot and killed by their captors Monday, the U.S. military said, marking the first time U.S. citizens have been killed in a wave of pirate attacks plaguing the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean for years.

The U.S. Central Command says negotiations had been under way to try to win release of the two couples on the pirated vessel Quest.

More related to this storySomali pirate sentenced to nearly 34 years in U.S. prisonPirate killed in cargo ship hijack shootoutOn board the pirate-hunting HMCS Winnipeg

Gunshots were heard, but when U.S. forces reached the yacht, they found all four hostages had been shot.

The yacht Quest was hijacked on Friday off the coast of Oman, and owned by Scott Adam and his wife Jean, a couple from California. Organizers of the Blue Water Rally yacht race said the couple had with them two other Americans, Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, both from Seattle.

The Adams, who were members of the Marina del Rey Yacht Club in Marina del Ray, California, run a Bible ministry, according to their website, and had been sailing the world with a yacht full of Bibles since 2004. They had been distributing the Bibles to schools and churches in remote villages in areas including the Fiji Islands, Alaska, New Zealand, Central America and French Polynesia.

Robert K. Johnston of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena told The Associated Press that Mr. Adam — who last year earned a master of theology degree from the school — had sent friends emails detailing his international sailing trip. But Mr. Adam went silent Feb. 12 to avoid revealing the location of his yacht, the Quest, to pirates.

Mr. Johnston said that despite an adventurous spirit, the Adams were meticulous planners who knew the dangers they faced. The couple had sailed with a large flotilla to stay safe from pirates near Thailand earlier in the trip.

“They knew and we knew they still had to go by the Somalia coast,” he said.

Mr. Adam, now in his mid-60s, had been an associate producer in Hollywood when he turned in a spiritual direction and enrolled in the seminary a decade ago, Mr. Johnston said.

“He decided he could take his pension, and he wanted to serve God and humankind,” he said.

Mr. Johnston and Mr. Adam worked together to start a film and theology institute. Mr. Adam also taught a class on church and media at the school.

Craig Detweiler, a professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, who attended Fuller with Mr. Adam in the 1990s and early 2000s, also recalled his friend's adventurous spirit.

“It is safe to say all of his family and friends covet the prayers and concerns of the international community,” Mr. Detweiler said.

Two pirates died during the ensuing confrontation with U.S. Navy forces, and 13 were captured and detained. The remains of two other pirates who were already dead also were found. In total the U.S. said that 19 pirates were involved in the hijacking of the Quest.

The hijacking of their yacht came two days after a Somali pirate was sentenced to 33 years in prison by a New York court for the 2009 hijacking of the Maersk Alabama. That case ended when Navy sharpshooters killed two pirates holding the ship's captain.

Pirates have increased attacks on ships off the coast of East Africa, but Americans have rarely been targeted. The last attack against a U.S. crew — in 2009 — ended with Navy sharpshooters killing two pirates and rescuing the ship's captain.

Pirates currently hold 30 ships and more than 660 hostages, not counting the attack against the Quest.

The best-known case of Westerners being held hostage in Somalia was that of Paul and Rachel Chandler, a British couple held for 388 days. The two, who were captured while sailing in their private yacht, were released in November.

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Bahrain locked down after 5 protesters killed

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Bahrain locked down after 5 protesters killedAP VideoPublished Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 12:43AM ESTBahrain's leaders have banned public gatherings and sent tanks into the streets, intensifying a crackdown that killed five anti-government protesters and wounded more than 200.0 commentsEmailTweetPrintDecrease text sizeIncrease text size

Bahrain’s crackdown shows the limits of a revolutionMore videos in:Our picksNewsInvestingBusinessTechSportsArtsDriveLifePopular $("#article-video-nav li a").click(function(){$("#article-video-nav li").each(function(){$(this).removeClass("selected");});$(this).parent("li").addClass("selected");var sec = $(this)[0].id;$("#video-content").addClass('transition');$(".loading").show();$.ajax({url: '/template/ver2-0/article/article.video.list.jsp',dataType: 'html',data: {sec: '',owner: sec,currArt: '1912539',dir: '/template/ver1-0',dir2: '/template/ver2-0',pub: '350'},success: function(html) {$("#video-content-container").html(html);$("#video-content").removeClass('transition');$(".loading").hide();}});return false;});01:25 Bahrain locked down after 5 protesters killedFriday, Feb. 18, 2011 12:43AM EST

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Bahrain locked down after 5 protesters killedAP VideoPublished Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 12:43AM ESTBahrain's leaders have banned public gatherings and sent tanks into the streets, intensifying a crackdown that killed five anti-government protesters and wounded more than 200.0 commentsEmailTweetPrintDecrease text sizeIncrease text size

Bahrain’s crackdown shows the limits of a revolutionMore videos in:Our picksNewsInvestingBusinessTechSportsArtsDriveLifePopular $("#article-video-nav li a").click(function(){$("#article-video-nav li").each(function(){$(this).removeClass("selected");});$(this).parent("li").addClass("selected");var sec = $(this)[0].id;$("#video-content").addClass('transition');$(".loading").show();$.ajax({url: '/template/ver2-0/article/article.video.list.jsp',dataType: 'html',data: {sec: '',owner: sec,currArt: '1912539',dir: '/template/ver1-0',dir2: '/template/ver2-0',pub: '350'},success: function(html) {$("#video-content-container").html(html);$("#video-content").removeClass('transition');$(".loading").hide();}});return false;});01:25 Bahrain locked down after 5 protesters killedFriday, Feb. 18, 2011 12:43AM EST

Bahrain's leaders have banned public gatherings and sent tanks into the streets, intensifying a crackdown that killed five anti-government protesters and wounded more than 200.

01:13 Belgians strip to protest political wafflingThursday, Feb. 17, 2011 11:33PM EST

Belgian citizens marked 249 days without a government, a figure that they are treating as a world record in political waffling, by staging a huge party where some participants stripped down to their underwear.

01:36 Thousands protest in Wisconsin capitalThursday, Feb. 17, 2011 6:19PM EST

A group of Wisconsin lawmakers blocked passage of a sweeping anti-union bill Thursday by ignoring orders to attend a vote

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01:22 Harper doesn't care for Obama's border fee planThursday, Feb. 17, 2011 3:46PM EST

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01:13 Rideau Canal flash mobThursday, Feb. 17, 2011 10:36AM EST

Four hundred students from Carleton University broke into a choreographed dance on Ottawas Rideau Canal to Ke$ha's Tik Tok, a Johan Strauss waltz, and the hit, We No Speak Americano.

02:24 China fights flu with traditional medicineThursday, Feb. 17, 2011 9:45AM EST

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444 Front St. W., Toronto, ON  Canada M5V 2S9
Phillip Crawley, Publisher

© 2011 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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