Al Qaeda snatches 7 Americans in raid
The Associated Press reports that an Al Qaeda-linked group called “Those Who Signed in Blood” has seized about 20 hostages at a BP natural gas plant in Algeria. Among the hostages are 7 Americans. Apparently, the motivation of the group is to punish countries who are helping the French in Mali;
Hundreds of Algerians work at the plant and were taken in the attack, but the state news agency reported that they have gradually been released in small groups, unharmed by the late afternoon.
A group called the Katibat Moulathamine, or the Masked Brigade, called a Mauritanian news outlet to say one of its affiliates had carried out the operation on the Ain Amenas gas field, taking 41 hostages from nine or 10 different nationalities, including the seven Americans.
The group’s claim could not be independently substantiated and the U.S. embassy said it wasn’t “aware of any U.S. citizen casualties.”
So, I guess this will be our trigger for an increased presence in Africa. It should also serve as an example of why we can’t leave piecemeal support units unprotected in the war against terror. Apparently this group tried to attack a bus full of people and were beaten back, so they attacked the plant and the barracks instead. It seems to me like there would be protection ready for the terrorists after the bus was attacked, but I guess that’s just me.
It’s a good thing that al Qaeda has been beaten though, isn’t it?
Category: Terror War
Guess that’s another one that the Left got wrong.
http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/27/time-to-declare-victory-al-qaeda-is-defeated-opinion/
Helping the French in Mali
Drone attacks in Pakistan
Using vegetable oil in McDonald’s fries
If they’re AQ the hostages are dead. If the group is a new age Barbary pirate, money transfer to follow.
Of course, since today is conspiracy day: trade of the hostages in return for the Blind Sheik.
Oh, here we go again.
Sorry, but I don’t really feel sorry for any American who gets captured who willingly works in a country anywhere in that area. You’re kind of “asking for it” at this point.
I have to agree with RandomNCO; these people willingly choose to work in volatile countries, i can understand the money angle of it but yeah, you went there knowing the place sucked and if you didnt, you lack the brains to use google and deserve the darwin award.
I was digging around in my past and found this bit of info that I had written up in 2009:
“Zbigniew Brzezinski was Obama’s foreign policy advisor when BO was a senator and now he’s on the WH staff in the same position. And he’s the one who talked Jimmy Carter into opposing the USSR’s incursion into Afghanistan and supporting the Taliban in 1979, and now, 30 years later, the USSR is gone and the Taliban is trying to take over the minds of all muslims.
In Jan. 1998, Brzezinski said, in an interview with Le Nouvel Observaeur “What is more important to the history of the world? The end of the Soviet empire or the Taliban? The end of Soviet control of eastern Europe and a free Europe, or a few disgruntled muslims?” And I’ll just bet he’s “advising” Obama to reduce the military right now.”
I wrote that in 2009. Note his use of “a few disgruntled muslims”, so dismissive of the possibility that they could ever achieve anything beyond herding goats and beating their women. And guess what the biggest threat is in the entire world these days. Go on. Guess. I dare you.
Anyone have any ideas what the hell that arrogant old fart is up to these days?
I’m an American who may be moving to the Middle East in the near future and disagree with the lack of sympathy for these folks. Nobody deserves to be captured, tortured and killed by these savages.
There are risks, and there are efforts to protect yourselves from them, both at a group and personal level. BP surely had some security measures in place, and unfortunately they were insufficient in this situation and as a result some hard-working people, including several Americans, may have been lost. That’s worthy of some sympathy.
It is BP, Obama’s cash cow. Bet your ass he’ll send in the cavalry so he can get more blackmail money out of ’em.
@5: I’ll disagree with that simply because it pains me to hear something similar from a few on the far, far left in regards to our soldiers. “You knew the risks, so I don’t have sympathy if some psychos kill you” isn’t acceptable to me when talking about good people serving their country or good people trying to make an honest living and support their families, even if the job takes them to a less-than-good place.
You want a crazier story that I still have sympathy for -especially for the families, since they knew the kids were naive- here’s one about a couple, with the woman being pregnant, who went wandering through Afghanistan and are now missing. It’s sad. Stupid, dumb morons, but still sad, especially for the families:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/31/missing-couple-afghanistan_n_2388199.html
Looks like more work for Seal Team 6.
But honestly how long before these asshats find a way to do things like that here, and they want to take away our guns and right to protect ourselves.
You can run but you’ll only die tired
I wonder if BP’s security was restricted to 10 rounds… Pray for a speedy and safe return.
You know, nothing good ever comes from “helping” the French. We always have to go in and finish the job after the French quit. Just saying.
Another Islamic state with terror issues. How utterly shocking.
I would just like to point out that when the US gets involved in contingencies at the behest of foreign governments, Russia and China have a shit fit and abstain from supporting. But when the French get asked, none of the countries on the UN Security Council have a problem with it.
Solution: Send the French in first and let them muck it up a bit. Much like @12 mentions, we’ll be in to fix things eventually.
Random, IIRC, if you’re working for an oil company overseas, you could very well be working in many different locations: Algeria one month, Nigeria the next, Saudi the month after that, etc.
So I wouldn’t put it on these workers who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Yes, they’re aware of the risks, just like anyone who takes an enlistment oath is aware of the risks (or should be.)
Here is an update on this business:
http://wgntv.com/2013/01/17/foreign-hostages-including-americans-escape-captors-in-algeria/
AP and Al-Reuters now reporting Algerian helicopter fired on group, reported 34 hostages and 15 terrorists killed.
HFS.
If a civilian is in a foreseeably bad place because he’s trying to make a legitimate living, he has my sympathy if he is hurt or killed doing so. On the other hand, I have no sympathy for those who elect to boat in pirate-filled waters or vacation in dangerous places just because they can. When they are kidnapped or hurt, others are placed at risk trying to rescue them. And that pisses me off.
This is the latest update on that story:
http://wgntv.com/2013/01/17/foreign-hostages-including-americans-escape-captors-in-algeria/
I have sympathy for the people trying to make an honest living getting taken. People hiking in Iran for fun, not so much.
Another update on it:
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/17/16565069-several-western-hostages-reported-killed-in-algeria-siege-operation?lite
Note that the US contact says the “situation is murky”. Translation: He has no idea what is going on.
Yet another reason to develop our resources here at home. Haven’t heard of any Al Queda activity in the North Dakota oil fields.
Algerian “special forces”…..
I bet they’re special all right….
@18 With respect to vacationers and tourist adventurers I am in complete agreement, with workers to some degree I agree with you. But, just because someone promises you big money to work in a dangerous place doesn’t mean you should hop the first plane to Africa to find your fortune….five minutes on the phone to State and you get an idea why they are paying the big bucks…because you might not live long enough to enjoy the money or see your family again. A lot of these corporations are not at all worried about worker safety, Algeria’s OSHA works a little differently than the US OSHA….
Algeria might be safer than Detroit, but at least in Detroit you can still drive to somewhere nicer on your own, being a working prisoner on a company compound in Algeria doesn’t lend itself to a quick getaway.
@23. I’m guessing then that a cab driver who is shot while on the job in LA, NY, or virtually any large US city will not engender much sympathy either. What’s worse, the pay sucks.
I am sure you all would have alot more sympathy if these people were working for Haliburton in Iraq, just the thought of Dick Cheney and his cronies losing some money or getting bad press would make most of you break out in a cold sweat, what awful human beings you are.
Air Cav I am not without sympathy for them, it’s just limited by the reality of their situation.
No one with half a brain can possibly imagine that working in Algeria (or any other 3rd world sh1thole) is going to be risk free, or even risk small…there’s usually a reason someone will pay you 3 or 4 times what you would earn in the US.
Regarding cabbies and pizza delivery guys in the states, you have to know those jobs suck too….it’s like walking through Central Park at midnight flashing 100 dollar bills, you know you CAN do it, the question is SHOULD you do it?
OG, I’d have a lot more sympathy for you if you just went back to the Molly Pitcher Service Center on the Jersey Turnpike and stayed the fuck away from here, ya douche.
And if you’d bothered to, you know, READ the fucking thread, you’d know I was defending these workers. I know a few folks who work in the oil patch, and I know while they make good bank, they often times have to suck shit through a straw to do it.
You may go now.
@27 I’ve been reading TAH for a while now and never have commented but your response to that moron above….lmfao….classic