Posted on 01/17/2013 2:42:02 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Two Americans escaped unharmed Thursday from a hostage standoff with an Al Qaeda-linked group as Algeria's state news agency reports special forces have completed a rescue operation to free the remaining foreign hostages, but casualties have been reported.
Algerian state television said that four captives, two Britons and two Filipinos have died. But the militants said at least 35 hostages had died in the state's rescue attempt. There was no way to independently verify the toll in the remote location, 800 miles from Algiers.
The two Americans who managed to escape the Ain Amenas gas plant where they were being held are en route to London.
A senior U.S. official tells Fox News that at least one unarmed U.S. drone is patrolling the Ain Amenas gas plant to provide intelligence on the situation. At least 20 gunmen attacked and took over the vast complex early Wednesday, reportedly in retaliation for France's military intervention against Al Qaeda-linked rebels in neighboring Mali, though Fox News sources say the attack may have been planned much earlier.
The reports of high casualties have deeply disturbed foreign governments, prompting a number to criticize Algeria's operation. Britain's Foreign Office attempted to prepare the British public by saying, "We should be under no illusion that there will be some bad and distressing news to follow from this terrorist attack."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Like the passengers of flight 93, any American grabbed by muzzies can assume they won’t survive the encounter and may as well die fighting (or trying to escape). This is “total war”, and the old rules are out the window.
Islam can’t win on the conventional battlefield, so this is the new face of war.
Bush`s fault
Video report from Jennifer Griffin at the Pentagon:
Not sure i believe the headline statement that “It’s over”.
This is all chain reaction from toppling Ghaddafi. The Rice-Clinton-Powers strategy that Obama adopted is completely responsible for the events in Benghazi, Mali, and now Algeria. Ghaddafi's weapons went to Mali which has become an Al Queda hotspot because of US intervention in Libya.
Why is Hollande now leading the mission instead of the US? It's all a sham. Obama is likely calling the shots but France is covering O's back so his base doesn't get upset.
My brother worked for Texaco in N. Africa 30 years ago. It is way past time for these worthless Algerians et alia learn how to get their own gas and oil out of the ground.
Yep,....see the Video ....
As a little background, the homegrown Algerian terrorist movement (1991-’97) were known for their Red Khmer type brutality, things like capturing and beheading every person in a string of villages. So the Algerian government learned to not mess around with such villains.
That is, rescuing hostages is just a bonus. The primary mission is to insure that every single terrorist is dead. And this earned a lot of cooperation from the Algerian people as well, giving the terrorists no safe haven or support.
If at first they don't suck seed....
suck and suck till they do suck seed.
This is a long way from Algeria’s populated areas and just across the Libyan border. I wonder where these terrorists came from?
Thanks.
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