NPR 2009-04-13

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From NPR News in Washington, I'm Craig Windham.

The American cargo¹ ship captain who was held hostage for days by Somali pirates has been rescued and is said to be in good health. A top navy official says the commander in charge ordered snipers to attack the pirates when at least one of the pirates was seen aiming an AK47 rifle at the captain. More from NPR's Dina Temple-Raston

President Barack Obama had given the navy permission to move in if they felt Philips was in imminent² danger. Navy snipers aboard the USS Bainbridge saw an opportunity to take up the pirates and took advantage of it. Briefing reporters, Vice³ Admiral William Gortney said the intent had been to let the negotiations⁴ work toward a non-violent end, but it became clear that Philips's life was hanging in the balance. The navy declined to provide specifics aside from saying they thought the pirates were about to shoot Philips. The navy sharpshooters who were about 100 feet away were able to get a clear shot at the three pirates on the lifeboat and took them out. A fourth pirate was on board the Bainbridge, negotiating Philips's release. He's now in custody⁵. The justice department will decide whether to prosecute⁶ him in the US. Dina Temple-Raston, NPR News.

The commander of US troops in Iraq says the United States plans to abide⁷ by the Iraqi prime minister's decisions regarding US troop withdrawals⁸ in the coming months. NPR's Paul Brown has more.

All US combat troops are supposed to be out of major Iraqi cities by June 30th of this year and US troops are to cease conducting combat missions in Iraq by September of next year. Recently violence has been increasing in Iraq after a downturn, prompting questions about whether US troops can change missions and pull out on schedule. General Raymond Odierno told CNN's "State of the Union" that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki still has the final say.

If we believe that we'll need troops to maintain presence in some of the cities, we will recommend that. But ultimately it will be the decision of Prime Minister Al-Maliki.

Asked specifically whether President Obama's goal to have all US troops out of Iraq by the end of 2011 can be met, Odierno said he thinks it can. Paul Brown,NPR News,Washington.

Easter Sunday Service is at St.Patrick's Cathedral in New York. It was the last Easter Mass to be celebrated⁹ by Cardinal¹⁰ Edward Egan before he steps down later this week as head of the city's Roman Catholic Archdiocese. In his message, Egan said a recent ailment¹¹ has made him more aware than ever that life is fleeting¹² and that in his words, “we are here for a moment in eternity¹³.” He added that Easter is all about hope and message that Egan says is more relevant than ever in a time of financial turmoil¹⁴. “My prayer for all of us is that we listen to the message Easter that we become enthralled¹⁵ by it and that we hold onto it as tightly as we can.” Egan will be succeeded by Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan.

This is NPR.

Rainy weather is hindering cleanup efforts in the Arkansas community that was heavily damaged by a tornado¹⁶ late last week. The storm has left 3 people dead and injured at least 30 others.

A women's rights advocate in Afghanistan who served on a Provincial¹⁷ Council in that country has been killed by the Taliban. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson has more from Kabul.

Sitara Achakzai was gunned down in front of her home in the city of Kandahar as she was getting out of her car. Her colleagues say she was a dual¹⁸ German-Afghan citizen who was a strong defender¹⁹ of women's rights. The Taliban which opposes women's serving in government claimed responsibility for the attack. Last September in a similar attack in Kandahar, the Taliban shot dead the city's most high-profile female police officer. The night before in neighboring Zabul Province, officials said Afghan soldiers and police killed 22 militants²⁰ in a gun battle. The US military meanwhile reported killing²¹ 18 militants in Kunar, a volatile²² eastern province that borders Pakistan. Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson,NPR News,Kabul.

Gasoline prices have jumped almost 10 cents a gallon over the past 3 weeks. The national average now for a gallon of self-service regular is $2.05. And industry analyst²³ Trilby Lundberg says she expects the upward trend in prices at the pump to continue. “We could probably see about this rate of change about 3 pennies per week increase for the next month.” Lundberg says the reasons for the rise include a seasonal²⁴ surge in demand for gasoline and the cost of reformulating gasoline blends to meet spring and summer environmental standards.