So claims McClatchy, citing unnamed Somali sources:

Vice Adm. William Gortney, commander of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, in a briefing for reporters, said U.S. Navy SEAL snipers perched at the back of the USS Bainbridge — a guided-missile destroyer floating about 30 yards off the 28-foot lifeboat where Phillips was being held — opened fire on the pirates when one of them pointed an AK-47 rifle at Phillips’s back…

According to Somalis with knowledge of the discussions, the pirates, who at one time had demanded $2 million for Phillips’s release, had grown desperate with their situation — adrift under a searing sun in waters infested with sharks, staring at two massive Navy ships armed with guided missiles, running low on fuel and having spent their ammunition.

A relative of one of the pirates, who said he spoke with the men by satellite phone at about 3 p.m. — four hours before the Navy opened fire — said they “were getting scared” and trying to persuade the Americans to let them go in return for the captain’s release.

“They were trying to save their own lives,” said the relative, Hassan Mohammed Farah, speaking by phone from Haradheere, a coastal town in central Somalia where pirates are known to operate. “The only thing they could bargain with was the captain, but the Americans would not accept.”

I’m calling total bullshit, pirate-allied propaganda on this. 

First of all, the shot was a risky one that could’ve resulted in Captain Phillips’ death. The Navy SEALS had to parachute onto the carrier, wait until they could get all three pirates in their view, and fire simultaneously. Failure would’ve likely meant the death of Phillips. Who honestly thinks the Navy would go through that if there was an easy resolution?

Second, there’s this report from the Associated Press: 

First, a tracer bullet arced from the lifeboat toward the Bainbridge.

Then, through one of the few openings on the lifeboat, Phillips could be seen with a gun pointed at him, almost touching him.

So a bunch of people out of ammunition and looking to hand over Phillips were firing tracer bullets at the destroyer and aiming a gun at their hostage? Then there’s this:

A fourth pirate had surrendered, boarding the destroyer for treatment of a wound to his hand.

So the Navy was more than willing to accept peaceful outcomes. 

Keep in mind that a French attempt to rescue hostages last week ended with one hostage killed. So the Somali pirates have no issue taking lives, and the US Navy felt that they were willing to do so again. There’s no reason that individuals seeking safe passage, out of ammunition, and looking to return their hostage would fire at a naval destroyer and ratchet up threats against Phillips. And as Allahpundit writes:

As for the alleged offer of his return in exchange for amnesty, I would have nixed it too. What’s the disincentive to taking hostages if you can use them to buy your way out of a jam? Hannity isn’t really knocking Obama over this, is he?