The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. February 23, 2011 Pirates Kill 4 U.S. Hostages Near Somalia ------------------------------------------ Four U.S. hostages have been killed by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The victims' boat was hijacked on Friday, and negotiations had been underway with the U.S. Navy. U.S. Department of State Spokesperson P.J. Crowley condemned the attack. State Department Spokesperson P.J. Crowley: "This deplorable act firmly underscores the need for a continued international effort toward confronting shared security challenge posed by the piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa. Our deepest sympathies go out to the victims' families at this time; we will honor their memory by continuing to strengthen international partnerships in order to bring these Maritime criminals to justice." .