Seal Team 6 Does it Again.....

[The Dad Fisherman]

US military raid in Somalia frees American, Dane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — U.S. Navy SEALs parachuted into Somalia under cover of darkness early Wednesday and crept up to an outdoor camp where an American woman and Danish man were being held hostage. Soon, nine kidnappers were dead and both hostages were freed.

President Barack Obama authorized the mission by SEAL Team 6 two days earlier, deploying the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden last year. Minutes after the president gave his State of the Union address to Congress he was on the phone with the American's father to tell him his daughter was safe.

The Danish Refugee Council confirmed the two aid workers, American Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted, a Dane, were "on their way to be reunited with their families."

Buchanan, 32, and Thisted, 60, were working with a de-mining unit of the Danish Refugee Council when gunmen kidnapped the two in October.

The raiders came in quickly, catching the guards as they were sleeping after having chewed the narcotic leaf qat for much of the evening, a pirate who gave his name as Bile Hussein told The Associated Press by phone. Hussein said he was not present at the site but had spoken with other pirates who were, and that they told him nine pirates had been killed in the raid and three were "taken away."

The hostage rescue was carried out by the same SEAL unit behind the operation in Pakistan last May that killed bin Laden, two U.S. officials said on condition of anonymity to discuss the operation. It was not clear if any members participated in both operations. The unit is the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, also known as SEAL Team 6.

One official said that the team parachuted into the area before moving on foot to the target. The raid happened near the Somali town of Adado.

New intelligence emerged last week that Buchanan's health was "deteriorating rapidly," so Obama directed his security team to develop a rescue plan, according to a senior administration official who was not authorized to speak publicly. A Danish Refugee Council official, Mary Ann Olsen, said that Buchanan was "not that ill" but needed medicine.

"As Commander-in-Chief, I could not be prouder of the troops who carried out this mission, and the dedicated professionals who supported their efforts," Obama said in a statement released by the White House. "The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will spare no effort to secure the safety of our citizens and to bring their captors to justice."

A Western official said the rescuers and the freed hostages flew by helicopter to a U.S. military base called Camp Lemonnier in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not been released publicly. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta visited Camp Lemonnier just over a month ago. A key U.S. ally in this region, Djibouti has the only U.S. base in sub-Saharan Africa. It hosts the military's Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

The timing of the raid may have been made more urgent by Buchanan's medical condition. The Danish Refugee Council had been trying to work with Somali elders to win the hostages' freedom but had found little success.

"One of the hostages has a disease that was very serious and that had to be solved," Danish Foreign Minister Villy Soevndal told Denmark's TV2 channel. Soevndal did not provide any more details. Soevndal congratulated the Americans for the raid.

The Danish Refugee Council said both freed hostages are unharmed "and at a safe location." The group said in a separate statement that the two "are on their way to be reunited with their families."

Olsen informed Thisted's family of of the successful military operation and said "they were very happy and incredibly relieved that it is over." Olsen said the two freed hostages were in Djibouti and would soon be moved to a "safe haven." She said Buchanan does not need to be hospitalized.

"One of the first things Poul and Jessica were able to do was to call their families and say they were freed," Olsen said. "They will be reunited with their families as quickly as possible," Olsen said.

The head of the Danish Refugee Council, Andreas Kamm, said he would have preferred to see the two hostages freed peacefully after working with Somali groups to win the pair's freedom, "but we're happy with the outcome. This is a day of joy indeed."

The two aid workers appear to have been kidnapped by criminals — sometimes referred to as pirates — and not by Somalia's al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabab. As large ships at sea have increased their defenses against pirate attacks, gangs have looked for other money making opportunities like land-based kidnappings.

The Danish Refugee Council had earlier enlisted traditional Somali elders and members of civil society to seek the release of the two hostages.

"We are really happy with the successful release of the innocents kidnapped by evildoers," said Mohamud Sahal, an elder in Galkayo town, by phone. "They were guests who were treated brutally. That was against Islam and our culture ... These men (pirates) have spoiled our good customs and culture, so Somalis should fight back."

Buchanan lived in neighboring Kenya before Somalia, and worked at a school in Nairobi called the Rosslyn Academy from 2007-09, said Rob Beyer, the dean of students. He described the American as quick to laugh and adventurous.

"There have been tears on and around the campus today," Beyer said. "She was well-loved by all her students."

Buchanan graduated in 2006 from Valley Forge Christian College, a small suburban Philadelphia school. The school's president, the Rev. Don Meyer, said Buchanan taught at Rosslyn as part of her studies and "fell in love with Africa."

"Ever since Jessica was captured, we all as a community have been praying for her safety and for her safe release," Meyer said. "We are also grateful that our prayers have been answered."

Buchanan and Thisted were seized in October from the portion of Galkayo town under the control of a government-allied clan militia. The aid agency has said that Somalis held demonstrations demanding the pair's quick release.

Their Somali colleague was detained by police on suspicion of being involved in their kidnapping.

The two hostages were working in northern Somalia for the Danish Demining Group, whose experts have been clearing mines and unexploded ordnance in conflict zones in Africa and the Middle East.

Several hostages are still being held in Somalia, including a British tourist, two Spanish doctors seized from neighboring Kenya, and an American journalist kidnapped on Saturday.

___

Associated Press reporters Julie Pace in Washington, Jason Straziuso in Nairobi, Kenya, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Patrick Walters in Philadelphia contributed to this report. Houreld reported from Nairobi and Dozier from Washington.

___

[PaulS]

Great job!

Got any picutres of Jessica Buchanan?

[MarshCappa]

Nice work! Sounds like another movie is going to be made. These guys in this group are going to be rich when they decide to leave the military. I'm happy both families get to see their loved ones again.

[JohnR]

B.Z.

[iamskippy]

Originally Posted by MarshCappa

Nice work! Sounds like another movie is going to be made. These guys in this group are going to be rich when they decide to leave the military. I'm happy both families get to see their loved ones again.

Sounds like anoyher way to distract the real issues here on our home soil!
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Saltheart]

I'm proud that the Seals had another successful mission but I'm not happy to hear they had to risk their lives to go rescue some crazy do-gooders who should not have been in that area in the first place. I mean if they didn't know playing around near Somalia was dangerous , what planet are they from? I'm all in favor of using the military to defend or avenge Americans in the civilized world or even in general if they are US citizens in an area that is not restricted by the state department but these two were not grabbed because they were Americans or even tourists . They were grabbed in a crazy place where they should not have been because the professional kidnappers who abound in that part of the world thought they could get some ransom from their parent organization. Why is that an affair for the United States Navy Seals?

Sorry to sound uncaring but many many more than one American could have been killed because these people didn't have the sense to stay away from one of the craziest places in the world. You want to rescue missionaries , use private money to hire mercenaries , don't get the USA involved in more foreign policy pickles by sending in the Seals.

That said , I'm glad they killed 9 kidnappers since they were there anyway.

[Raven]

ra ra seals proud of em really

but for the prez to use it ahead of s o u address

is unquestionably twisted..... diabolical

[Fishpart]

Originally Posted by iamskippy

Sounds like anoyher way to distract the real issues here on our home soil!
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Exactly!!!!
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by Raven

ra ra seals proud of em really

but for the prez to use it ahead of s o u address

is unquestionably twisted..... diabolical

Petty

He knew they had them rescued b/f the speech. Why didn't he announce it then if he wanted to politicize it?

[spence]

Originally Posted by Raven

ra ra seals proud of em really

but for the prez to use it ahead of s o u address

is unquestionably twisted..... diabolical

Huh?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[The Dad Fisherman]

Its pretty sad when you can't Congratulate a group of Soldiers on a "Job Well Done" without making it about OBama....but if thats the way you like it we can always move this thread over to the "Pit of Despair" and you guys can pick their accomplishment apart like a bunch of Catty Old Ladies at a bridge table

Sad

[Sea Dangles]

This isn't a love letter for seals,it is a forum for discussion regardless of where it is placed.

[The Dad Fisherman]

And when the Discussion turns to the usual political BS.....off to the Pit of Despair

[Fishpart]

Knew a lot of these guys in a previous life.

You have no idea what they do or when and all of a sudden their missions are a media item???

I thank God every day we have brave patriots like them watching out for us.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Its pretty sad when you can't Congratulate a group of Soldiers on a "Job Well Done" without making it about OBama....

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
it is of my opinion that Obama made it about Obama

i just merely disliked that he did so on National TV along with his clever little wink to Panetta... i don't like him -thats obvious
but,
just the way i viewed it.... he did it with Obvious intention
for the news of it to spread... another notch on his gun handle

the same way the OSAMA raid has played non stop for months!

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Raven

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
it is of my opinion that Obama made it about Obama

i just merely disliked that he did so on National TV along with his clever little wink to Panetta... i don't like him -thats obvious
but,
just the way i viewed it.... he did it with Obvious intention
for the news of it to spread... another notch on his gun handle

the same way the OSAMA raid has played non stop for months!

ok.
Be Honest.
Did you know when it happened (i.e. right before the SOTU) or did you only find out after it hit the news.

[Raven]

i start reading news at 430 -530 everyday and never stop!
and knew about the rescue long before the address .....

but this isn't about me....and i do understand the reason for the
astonishment.. i am pro military but not pro Obama even if he is the commander in Chief.
i think he's a total fly by the seat of his pants
operator... a micro manager at best...

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by Raven

i start reading news at 430 -530 everyday and never stop!
and knew about the rescue long before the address .....

but this isn't about me....and i do understand the reason for the
astonishment.. i am pro military but not pro Obama even if he is the commander in Chief.
i think he's a total fly by the seat of his pants
operator... a micro manager at best...

and not one announcer knew about it during the speach or mentioned it. Your amazing.

But you made it about youself and changed the subject of this thread which was about praising the great job the military did by criticizing the pres. for only shaking the Defense Secr. hand and only saying something like “good job today Leon, good job”. Somehow you think the Pres. quietly saying that and having a microphone pick that up made it about him. No one else (but you I guess) knew what he meant when he spoke to Panetta. He had an opportunity to announce it on national TV to a huge audience but didn’t and you still get your panties in a bunch - sad.

[Swimmer]

The only reason we found out about this one it involved two civilian hostages, or maybe one of them was a CIA agent. Either way, great job, glad thier all safe.

[Raven]

thank you

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Raven

thank you

Are you thanking Paul for saying "you're amazing?"