Daring NATO raid rescues 4 aid workers kidnapped by insurgents in northern Afghanistan

[cali]

Source: Washington Post

KABUL, Afghanistan — NATO forces swooped in by helicopter before dawn Saturday to rescue two female foreign aid workers and their two Afghan colleagues who were held by militants for nearly two weeks in a cave in northern Afghanistan.

British Prime Minister David Cameron hailed the “breathtaking” operation, which he approved Friday afternoon after becoming increasingly concerned about the safety of the hostages, one of whom, 28-year-old Helen Johnston, was British.


Johnston was kidnapped along with Moragwa Oirere, a 26-year-old Kenyan, and the two Afghans while visiting aid sites in Badakhshan province on May 22. The four work for Medair, a humanitarian non-governmental organization based near Lausanne, Switzerland.

The rescue operation was carried out by British troops in cooperation with other NATO and Afghan forces, Cameron told reporters outside 10 Downing Street in London. He said it was “extraordinarily difficult” to decide to go ahead with the operation, which involved a “long route march” without being discovered.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/daring-nato-raid-rescues-4-aid-workers-kidnapped-by-insurgents-in-northern-afghanistan/2012/06/02/gJQA6YKj8U_story.html

[lamp_shade]

1. Good news on a Saturday morning. Thanks. n/t

[FLSurfer]

2. Butt........Is NATO willing to share credit for the raids success

with George Bush?

[cali]

3. huh?

[JNelson6563]

4. Why would they?

Though Fox "News" probably will.

[tabasco]

5. No, but NATO will acknowledge

that the corrupt Bush/Cheney oil cabal allowed Bin Laden to escape into Pakistan by allowing "our allies" Pakistan to "guard the border" for us during Tora Bora.

You see, US forces were on hold to invade Iraq, a country that posed no threat - so they could not be spared for operations in Afghanistan.

HOPE IT HELPS!

[may3rd]

8. A Jessica Lynch moment?

whatever happened to her ?



On Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, Jessica Lynch — now 28 — received her education degree from West Virginia University at Parkersburg, after completing her student-teacher training at the same elementary school she had attended, in Wirt County, West Virginia. She had joined the U.S. Army at 18 in order to "earn money for college and become a school teacher," according to Associated Press reporter Vicki Smith.[32]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Lynch

[Igel]

12. Eh.

The falsity of trying to build a female soldier into a valiant hero doesn't detract from the valor of those who rescued her.

In this, it is a Jessica Lynch moment: Good intel and planning, coupled with well trained soldiers, rescued somebody being held hostage.

Compliments to both sets of rescuers. I'm sure you agree, and aren't trying to say that those doing the rescuing had their own "cakewalk" and that it was really just a mock rescue.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

10. No, but Mitt Romney will tell us he would have done the same thing

He's polishing up his critter hunting gun right now.

[dipsydoodle]

6. SAS free British aid worker kidnapped last month in 'breathtaking and extraordinarily brave' night-t

A British aid worker kidnapped in north east Afghanistan last month has been freed after a dramatic SAS rescue mission authorised by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Helen Johnston, 27, Kenyan national Moragwe Oirere and two Afghan civilians were rescued during an early morning raid by members of the elite special forces unit.

All four hostages work for Medair, a humanitarian non-governmental organisation based near Lausanne, Switzerland and were kidnapped on May 22 in Badakhshan province.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2153620/SAS-swoop-Afghan-insurgents-breathtaking-rescue-British-aid-worker-kidnapped-month.html#ixzz1we0PYaHd

[Poll_Blind]

7. Very good news. Over the last ten years I've read all too many...

...stories about hostages kidnapped, forced to film a plea video, then beheaded or killed in some other way. Or just...never heard from again. What a terrible fate. I'm very glad these people know freedom again.

PB

[may3rd]

9. Whatever happened to that canadian journalist ?

Did canada ever pay ransome for her release?
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20090320/giesbrecht_kidnapping_AM_090320/

[OnlinePoker]

11. No.

She died sometime in 2010 of Hepatitis.

[SGMRTDARMY]

13. This old soldier

salutes those brave British and NATO and Afghan forces for a successful rescue.