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Subscribe to RSSWASHINGTON - American officials told NBC News on Friday that they were "aware" of Somali pirates' threats to kill an American hostage they had grabbed over the weekend, but for now the Pentagon and U.S. military has no plans to try and rescue him.
The American, Michael Scott Moore, who wrote a book on surfing, was in Somalia gathering material for another book on modern-day pirates when he was kidnapped by 15 armed men on Saturday.
A pirate commander was reportedly in charge of negotiating Moore's release, although it was unclear whether a precise ransom demand had been made.
The Navy SEALs caught the kidnappers by surprise, parachuting to the ground two miles away from their target. They killed all nine of the kidnappers, and rescued Jessica Buchanan and Poul Thisted who had been held since October 2011. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports.
Following the rescue of American aid worker Jessica Buchanan and her Danish colleague Poul Thisted this week, Moore's kidnappers threatened to kill him if the United States tried something similar.
There's was no indication, however, that a similar American mission is in the works.
As a rule, the U.S. military is "not in the business of hostage rescues," a senior official told NBC News. The officials spoke to NBC on condition of anonymity.
The American official said the decision to launch a rescue is made on a "case-by-case basis" and depended on the circumstances at hand.
Several factors led to the decision to try and rescue of Buchanan, U.S. officials told NBC. Firstly, the kidnappers themselves claimed that Buchanan was suffering from a potentially fatal health condition. Also, Somalia was largely lawless and there was little or no hope that local security forces would be able to track down the kidnappers and free their captives.
Finally, the group holding Buchanan was a fairly disorganized band of "criminals and thugs" making it a somewhat easy targets for the Navy Seals that saved her, the officials said. Given the public relations blitz already launched by Moore's kidnappers and their open threats to kill him, recovering him would be a much riskier mission, they added.
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Well he's not an attractive blonde so why in the world would anyone want to save him?
No, they'll wait until the next speech by the President before he orders the next one.
Going to Somalia is kind of like drinking anti-freeze. It's not a very smart thing to do.
The fact that this idiot was even in Somalia following the rescue pulled off by the SEALs shows that this guy is seriously lacking in common sense. It is one thing for the SEALs to go in and rescue aid workers who were taken hostage while they were there on a humanitarian mission (teaching the Somali people how to safely clear mines). It is something else entirely to expend resources to try and rescue someone who went there specifically to interact with these lawless pirates so he could get information to write a book. This guy showed extremely poor judgement and, while I do not like to see any person held hostage, this guy intentionally put himself in a dangerous situation and should have expected trouble. The US military does not have the resources go around trying to rescue every moron who decides to willingly put himself in harms way for questionable reasons. I guess if he ever makes it out of there alive he will have his material for the book, I hope in the end that he is alive to decide if it was worth it or not.
It would make great tactical sense to announce any plans on the internet.
Sure... why don't we just check our email for the meeting Invitation "Rescue American Captured by Somalian Pirates" to show up in our InBox so that we can all block it in on our calendars as "Busy Waiting".
Rescuing an NGO aid worker who is ill is a different thing from rescuing a guy who is there to write a book on pirates. He took a pretty steep risk and it did not work out for him. His choice. Guess he will have some good data for his book now.
Why does NBC feel the need to run this story? Does it help the hostage either way? Glad you clowns weren't around prior to D Day or most of Europe would be speaking German today.
He must have death on him" meaning he migt be ready to die", hell i don't know nothing suprises me anymore and the clowns on nbc don't make the situation any better .As long as they have a story to tell they don' care
what happened to the speech by the president .. simular to these word "we will not stand by and let outsiders kidnap and harm american people"
you pollies are so full of SH*T
American Government has lost it's Humanitarian Leadership.
Bad news. Nothing as an American to be proud of. Slaughtering in Syria; no acknowledgement, now these hostages, and the hostage that still waiting for execution in Iran.
Has it occurred to any of you idiots that every time some American decides to put themselves in danger, our government has to spend millions to try to save them. This man knew about the others who were kidnapped. Why risk your life for a story when you have any number of people who have been kidnapped who could recite chapter and verse on what it's like to be taken by pirates? First you whine about the deficit and now you expect our soldiers to keep rescuing people every week. They will have to put their lives in danger on numerous occasions and will do it gladly. Too bad none of you have the courage to do the same.
Dreeves:
It is not the Principle of your statement, it is human life .
Does America value human life, even if this event is something we really do not know much about--the happening. Let them rot?
She was there for a humanitarian effort. He was there for personal profit...
Somalia. What a waste of the planet's space. Anyone fool enough to travel there deserves the consequences.
Well, I agree with you, buckwheat. But here's a thought: If they are going to try and rescue him, I don't think they would say so. That would sorta take away the element of surprise.
You think they put it out for anyone and everyone to see if they WERE indeed planning a rescue? Even an anonymous source should know better.
No. But the pirates sure would be expecting it now after people posting this stupid sh*t
or would they..?
0.o
He must be a Republican.
Brian + numbers you got me ROFLMAO!!!
Must be... and certainly fits huh. Lets see Somalia has been a rogue state since 1991, yet you are so priviledged, that this has no implications for you, and you can walk around with immunity. This person should remind themselves of the definition for stupid...by looking in the mirror. You made that bed, don't whine for help.
It use to be that Americans were Americans. Now Obama has us divided in to race, class and political affiliation.
That is a ridiculous thing to say!! THis has nothing to do with dividing anything!!
You are the only one attempting to divide people. This article had nothing to do with politics. Everything the anonymous senior military official said was true. I mean it is basic common sense and the one thing that wasn't mentioned was actionable intelligence. It cannot be determined one way or another based on the article, but they had intelligence available in the rescue of the Jessica Buchanan. They might not have any for Michael Scott Moore.
Your constant dishonest lies and spin regarding our President are much more divisive than anything he has done ever could be, Brian. You don't even read the articles, you just rush to the bottom to type in your little anti-Obama screeds.
Brian, What are you saying? Do you really mean to say that we were NOT divided by race, class and political affiliation BEFORE President Obama? Come on. What you meant to say was "I can stand the fact that a black man is president and will be president another 4 years.". At least be honest about it.
I'm for leaving him there. He got there on his own, let him get out on his own.
Going to a country where Americans are the most hated people on earth and not expecting bad things to happen is really, really stupid!
Sorry bub, you did this to yourself. Not the taxpayers responsibility to save your dumb ass.
Call your boss at Der Speigle and tell him you need a loan.
Of course if there WAS a plan, they would CERTAINLY tell the press about it. What a stupid story.
"Yeah, we'll be sending in the Navy SEALs to rescue this guy at 3:22 AM local time on the 18th of February. There'll be a team of 18 going in, and they'll be flying in Blackhawk helicopters, tail numbers N38728 and N32114, traveling from the South Southeast, at 2100 feet MSL."
Started reading your comment, and spit my drink all over the screen.. hilarious.. We didn't broadcast our first rescue.. We broadcasted AFTER recovery.. What a bunch of geniuses these journalists are.. Mr. Moore isn't very bright.. Looking for real "modern day pirates".. Uh.... Pirates were NEVER a "good" thing, so did he think they would offer him tea and crumpets.. No, they pillage, MURDER, rape, and keelhaul people.. Yeh, lets go hang out with them.. smh..
With all the other kidnappings and ship seizures that have been taking place, one has to wonder about the TIMING of this. Granted it was successful and nine more so-called pirates are taking "6-foot eternal celestial dirt nap" according to Neil Boortz...BUT....this was done with political gamesmanship in hand. The President walked into the House Chamber and sought out Leon Panetta, the SecDef and loudly stated "Leon. Good Job Tonight. Good Job." No one knew what he was referring to until after the SOTU speech when the details were released by the Govt. Gee...I wonder why?
STILL....it WAS an outstanding job by Seal Team Six and its partners. I can imagine that the so-called leadership of most terrorist orgs. are now increasing their security and getting less sleep.
Why does the media think the government or the military has to provide an answer to any stupid question they ask? Let me guess . . . . the peoples RIGHT to know. Somebody tell me where that's a law.
There is a law on the peoples right to know. Unfortunately it only applies to hazards in the workplace and apparently is managed by OSHA.
No sympathy for this guy. He knew what he was getting into. Just what i want to read about, a bunch of teenage m0r0ns with AK 47's running berserk in the most god awful place on the planet.
Double standard? Just asking.
I heard that the girl who was rescued was VA resident. VA is home for certain govt organisations. Just saying.
I'm sure that after he is released, he'll celebrate by hiking on the Iran/Iraq border.
LOL!!!!!!! Stupidity has its own rewards... :)
If he went there to write about pirates this will be great for his book. Let him sit
.
If this woman had a serious health condition what the hell was she doing in such a country as an aid worker in the first place.
She wasn't sick. She was there with an aid org. The kidnappers were the ones that said she was sick thinking it would increase the chance they would get the ransome they were asking for sooner. Kind of blew up in their face. Instead it was why the Navy Seals went in and rescued them.
Very poorly written. Was any editing involved prior to publishing?
Very poorly written. Was any editing involved prior to publishing?
Why he went to Somalia in the first place. He should have known Somolia is a lawless space.
Let's see... he is in Somalia writing a book about modern-day pirates. I wonder if this is a ploy to promote his book. I see a LifeTime Channel movie deal...
this article sends a double message. If the US is able to come and save you, we will; we are a nation concerned about our citizens regardless of where they are in the world. If indeed it's too difficult, don't expect to be rescued. In other words keep your sorry behind out of dangerous places, because there is no guarantee you are ever getting out again!
why should anyone have to risk their life for any dumb ass ,who did not have enough sense to stay away from a rotten dirty place like somalia, dont our navy seals have more important things to do. and why should the taxpayer have to pay for such a rescue of such dumb @!$%#s.
she was CIA... he wasn't.
it ain't rocket science
Too bad this wasn't the other Michael Moore
AMEN Brother !!!!!
So out of 205 recognized countries on the planet, these nitwits choose to go to one of the most dangerous??
It's great that our SEALs were able to free those people, but they put their lives at risk for fools.
Clue: Stay out of hostile countries or you might get kidnapped or killed.