# Four Americans killed by pirates in February, what happened?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-americans-killed-by-pirates-in-february-what-happened/578573>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 16, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-americans-killed-by-pirates-in-february-what-happened/578573 "2011-04-16T02:15:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rusalka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecd19e/32.png) [@Rusalka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rusalka)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-americans-killed-by-pirates-in-february-what-happened/578573/1 "2011-04-16T02:15:43Z")

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I haven’t heard of any explanation why the pirates decided to kill the four American sailors back in February, with a Navy Destroyer nearby. Did any details ever come out?

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**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-americans-killed-by-pirates-in-february-what-happened/578573/2 "2011-04-16T03:13:33Z")

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Because they come from a region where you can hack up your neighbor with a machete in the morning and go grab lunch without missing a step. Death is cheap in thar region.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-americans-killed-by-pirates-in-february-what-happened/578573/3 "2011-04-16T06:56:28Z")

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The Christian Science Monitor suggests it might have been in retaliation for the killing of pirates by foreign navies:

> **[Why did Somali pirates kill four American yachters?](https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2011/0222/Why-did-Somali-pirates-kill-four-American-yachters)**
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> As US forces negotiated the release of four Americans captured while yachting in the Arabian Sea, Somali pirates shot and killed them today. The incident raises questions about the new military approach to piracy.