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Subscribe to RSSIntelligence officials tell NBC News four of the five Americans working at the natural gas complex survived: two escaped and two more are being held. The kidnappers are saying they will exchange the US hostages for two high-profile terror suspects currently in US custody. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.
One American was killed and two escaped unharmed from a natural gas complex in Algeria that was stormed by armed militants, U.S. officials said Friday. The fate of two others was unclear.
The officials said there was a total of five Americans at the In Amenas plant in eastern Algeria when the attackers seized dozens of hostages on Wednesday. The officials say two of the Americans managed to conceal themselves when the attack began and later escaped unharmed.
One U.S. citizen was found dead Friday by Algerian forces that had launched a raid on Thursday in an attempt to free the hostages, the officials said.
The deceased American was identified as Frederick Buttaccio, a U.S. official confirmed. Buttaccio's remains have been recovered from the plant and his family has been notified, the official said.
The official did not know the circumstances of Buttaccio's death.
Al-Qaida-linked militants claimed Friday that they were holding two American hostages and would exchange them for two people being held in the United States — the blind sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, convicted in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and Aafie Siddiqque a 40-year-old Pakistani neuroscientist and mother of three, who was convicted of attacking U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
That would appear to account for all five Americans thought to have been at the plant, one U.S. official said, if the militants are telling the truth.
On Friday, the Algerian military had launched a second raid on the multinational cabal of kidnappers — led by a one-eyed al-Qaida associate — who laid siege to the In Amenas gas plant on Wednesday, state TV reported.
The situation was fluid, but the U.S. said one thing was carved in stone: It would not be cutting any deals with the captors.
"The United States does not negotiate with terrorists," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said of reports the militants were seeking the release of Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, who is serving a life term for the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, and Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist convicted of trying to kill U.S. soldiers after being arrested in Afghanistan in 2008.
Nuland confirmed there were Americans still being held alive but did not say how many.
The official Algerian news service APS said a total of 132 foreign nationals were taken hostage, and 100 had been freed by midday Friday. It said more than 500 Algerians had also been rescued.
Citing a security source, APS said 12 hostages, including some Westerners, were killed when Algeria staged its first rescue raid on Thursday without consulting other countries in advance. Eighteen militants were killed, it reported.
McFaul family via Reuters
Belfast native Stephen McFaul (right) is pictured with his sons Dylan (left) and Jake in this family handout photo taken four years ago and made available Thursday.
NBC News could not confirm the figures. The French government confirmed one of its citizens had died, and its defense minister said in an interview on France 3 TV Saturday morning that he believed no more French nationals were being held at the plant.
One worker told Reuters that the hostage-takers were out for blood.
"The terrorists told us at the very start that they would not hurt Muslims but were only interested in the Christians and infidels," said the man, who gave his name as Abdelkader. "'We will kill them,' they said."
The brother of escapee Stephen McFaul said the hostages had their mouths taped and their necks draped with explosives. They were being trucked around the compound when the Algerian military hit the compound with explosives, he told Reuters.
"The truck my brother was in crashed and at that stage Stephen was able to make a break for his freedom," Brian McFaul said after speaking with his brother’s wife. "He presumed everyone else in the other trucks was killed."
A French catering employee who worked at the plant said he spent 40 hours hiding under a bed after the militants stormed in Wednesday with a spray of gunfire, only emerging when the soldiers arrived.
"I could see myself ending up in a wooden box," Alexandre Berceaux told Europe 1 radio.
One rescued hostage told Algerian TV that the ordeal was an "exciting episode" and he was "impressed" with the army.
"I feel sorry for anybody who has been hurt, but other than that, I quite enjoyed it," the man said.
Algerian TV via Reuters TV
A British escapee, interviewed by Algerian TV, says the Algerian army did a "fantastic job" with Thursday's rescue.
Another said he was "very, very relieved to be out."
"Obviously, we still don't really know what is happening back on the site, so as much as we are glad to be out, our thoughts are with colleagues who are still there at the moment," he said on Algerian TV.
The militants' attack on the plant, operated in part by BP, was reportedly masterminded by Mokhtar bel Mokhtar, an Algerian with ties to al-Qaida who specializes in lucrative kidnappings and smuggling, according to U.S. officials. He earned the nickname Mr. Marlboro for trafficking cigarettes.
The raiding jihadists were described as a motley crew by an escaped radio operator who told Reuters: "Some were clean, others were dirty, some with beards, others without, and among them a French national with sunglasses."
The Mauritanian news agency ANI reported the group was retaliating over French military action against Islamic incursions in neighboring Mali. But the French operation began just a week ago and the assault on the plant appeared to be long-planned.
On Friday, another possible motive emerged, as ANI said the militants put forth the offer of the prisoner swap.
The offer was not verified by NBC News, but an ANI editor told The Associated Press the kidnappers’ spokesman began calling Thursday with "sounds of war in the background" and "threatened to kill all the hostages if the Algerian forces tried to liberate them."
British Prime Minister David Cameron told the House of Commons in London that Algeria maintains it green-lighted Thursday’s rescue raid because hostages’ lives were in danger when it appeared the militants were trying to spirit them out of the compound.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said she spoke with the prime minister of Algeria on Friday and requested that the "utmost care" be taken to protect the hostages.
"This is an extremely dangerous situation," she said. "No one knows better than Algeria how ruthless these groups are."
Kari Huus, Catherine Chomiak and Courtney Kube of NBC News and The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
Expert: Islamists' Algeria raid could inspire copycat attacks
Details emerge in militant takeover, rescue operation at Algeria gas field
Violence in Mali, Algeria raises fresh fear of radical Islam
US military cargo planes to help French in Mali
Algerian militant dubbed 'Mr Marlboro' raked in millions from kidnappings
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Tell them that if they do not release the hostages we will execute the sheik for their murders. And mean it! End of story.
Actually, I think Algeria would do just that, matter of fact Algeria if it were not for the western countries would kill the sheik, as well as the kidnappers and possibly the hostages as collateral damage.
"I feel sorry for anybody who has been hurt, but other than that, I quite enjoyed it," the man said.
Really? Like really? This guy shoulda been replaced with the hostages that are still there
I saw that, too - very odd.
I wonder if it was poorly translated from another language or something...
Had the same thought LOL. This guy enjoyed it?!? I'd say detain him for futher questioning to determine whether he a) had something to do with it or b) is in need of some serious professional help. Doesn't seem he quite grasped the severity of the situation.
I guess you could put his comment right up there with the snake handlers, sky divers, rubber band jumpers, lion tamer, etc........
Have the Saudi Royals control their savage Islamic Pit Bulls - Saudi Arabia wants Algeria as part of their Muslim Kingdom (includes Libya, Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan...).
Time to go golfing, or hold a fund raiser in Vegas.
What shiek. They don't care about the sheik. This was set-up by Obama and the muslim brotherhood just like Bengazi. So Obama would trade prisnors for the hostages and be a hero to the rest of the world. The only thing is Al queda changes the rules and kills people and then Obama does something to get the attention off his ass. Ibet My president Bush is saying "DO YOU MISS ME NOW".
helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll nooooooooooooooooooooooo we dont miss that clown.....please tell your president to stay in richmond texas where their from for god sake....pleasssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssse
GEN . Sherman he is a lot better than this non American Islamic socialist dictator that we have now. It will take another year and all you liberal have the goverment do our thinking,raise our kids, goverment support me democrats will see.
@travelman54 the last time i checked a dictator doesnt have to be voted into office they just tell you they are staying...2nd your the same guy on page 3 saying your in turkey and hate obama...i wonder if your a traitor, maybe your over there giving the militants info about america...like where the cdc is in atlanta or where mt.wheater is...i dont know about you man we might have to keep you under the scope
For once I am in favor of negotiating with terrorists, namely:
You kill a hostage, we kill one of our prisoners.
You want the blind sheikh so badly, you can have him... we're going to fly over the area you are in and release him. Now, if you want him to have a parachute, that costs extra- every hostage alive. Already had some die? Too bad..... it's a long way down.
Dear Terrorists: Please understand that like past hostage taking, this President doesnt negotiate with terrorists! Release them and perhaps no harm will come to you. Keep them or kill them, and you will be hunted down by the United States, which had a long line of successes! You will not be safe wherever you go! Uncle Sam has a very long arm and a lot of patience!
Travelman:
In a hostage crisis like this, with innocent lives at stake, it is not the time for partisan politics. It is a time for unity with the President and government in securing their release. Remember, at a time of great economic crisis, with the country’s entire financial system near collapse, with the economy collapsing, with the stock market collapsing, with unemployment skyrocketing, with people losing their jobs and retirement money, the GOP announced that THEIR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY was to assure that Pres. Obama was a 1 term president---- even BEFORE he was sworn in!!! Knock it off and support your fellow Americans who are unjustly held hostage.
im with you on that but the shara desert is a very very large place with many places to hide...it might taker longer than we think to find them...we should just kill them now
I support the hostages but sorry I don't support this president. I supported Kennedy and all other Democrat but not this group. We would be better off if he was a one term President. It was Bush who said he would not negotiate with terriost never heard this one say that Tom of NH. I think my way you think yours.
@travelman54 come on man tell the truth now...you dont support obama because he's black...thats why you supported all the other dems but not this one...its cool travelman54 just come out and say it, it will be a load off of your chest and we all know thats the real reason anyway
Everybody who did not vote for him is a racist. You are an idiot. Maybe I do not like the white half of him you see you don't know @!$%#. I would vote for 100% black if he had the best interest of our country and preserving the rights and freedoms that the majority of my family from WW2 thru Vietnam including my son who spend 11 years in the Navy in Homeland security voted for who does not like him either. So you just keep collecting your welfare and food stamps go To California and marry your boyfriend and shut the @!$%# up.
@travelman54 you think you and your family members are the only one who served this country my grandfather served in ww2 germany and italy all my uncles were in vietnam and my uncle ERNEST LINDSEY has 3 purple hearts a silver star and had his face damn near blown off by a granade...so dont give me that...welfare lol your funny man i wouldnt take money from the government knowing their are women and children who need those services...i think i struck a nerve in you and its called when someone calls your ass out for being the racist you are
"...exchange for a blind sheik..." It's THE blind sheik, not some disabled something or other sitting around in Gitmo! How about providing the name of THE blind sheik?
LOL. Or just send them some random blind sheik instead?
Lets send a message to muslims.....nuke Tehran
meanoleman banned, rereg of multiple accounter honkychop.
tyler... You need to ban yourself for racial overtone (honkychop), really.?
This is an easy one. The US government should state clearly AGAIN that it does not negotiate with terrorists. Second it should state that unless all American hostages are released unharmed IMMEDIATELY, the blind Shiek which they sought, will be executed. Game over!
I was thinking the same thing. Thanks, Sarah!
Sarah,
You deserve many more votes, it is very good to read someone that has the most logical thoughts on this subject.
Not logical at all for so many reasons. Think about it.?
I can do nothing but praise the Algerian gov't for dealing with these terrorists appropriately and quickly. Kill them all! ASAP.
I agree. These people do not respect compassion. The only other complaint I have is that Islamic people around the world are not condemning this situation; maybe they are afraid. But that is the price of being Islamic!!! If the terrorist were Catholic, I would expect Catholics around the world to denounce these thugs and actually take up arms against them. Just a note to the islamic population around the world: if you and other islamic people can not take the time or fortitude to denounce this terroristic behavior, then I think you support their behavior and as such suffer the consequences.
Maybe they will go to France in some kind of attack. This thing is still going on! They should just end it and run in where they are get them.
Kill those towel-headed bastards!
Not the American taxpayer's problem.
Are you serious? There are Americans there-that MAKES it our problem. What isn't our problem is illegals without drivers licences, feds counting bullets and illegals who cannot get welfare so 'need' be 'grandfathered' -O'bama's next 'missions' or 'Immigration
Reform" as the Clueless One calls it- all at our expense, and at a cost we can ill afford. Apparently O'Bama didn't think a terrorist attack killing Americans including a Diplomat was our problem either since he didn't even bother to tell us about it until after his election, despite live feed of the Benghazi attack at the White House. Sorry to disagree but when Americans are involved-it IS our problem. Just as it was on 911, Benghazi and yesterday...please remind Teflon O'Bama, will you?
Americans who choose to work for a foreign company (BP) in a foreign land (Algeria) do so on their own free will. The Benghazi attack is different because it occurred on American sovereign territory.
I still do not understand why the media continually chooses to verbally legitimize these terrorist thugs by calling them "militants", "jihadists", or whatever. By and large, the "religion" is simply a blatant attempt at whitewashing their terrorist actions. It is not as if these people are "innocent until proven guilty".
I know this will sound mean and hard to most, but we cannot give into these nut cases, we need to go in there and just blow the whole place off map where the terrorists are holding prisoners. We cannot deal with these folks and the sooner they learn that the less problems we will have. The hostages that got away report that the remaining hostages have bomb belts strapped to them. The terrorists have no plans to let the hostages go and we need to not deal with them like they are civilized. These idiots are nothing more than sick animals that praise an even sicker non existent god and saint. The religion honors murder and they are all homosexuals just like their saint and supposed god.
Cliff:
Who are "WE"?
I no longer know who we are other than we have gutless spinelss politically correct idiots running the country now. We cannot give into terrorists and compromising with them only encourages them.
So if you are one of those praising our current regime and pretender king wanna-be then grow a pair and wake-up.
Who is compromising, Cliff? Did you read the article?
I thought we didn't apologize either for trying to make wrongs, right.
I AM SO TIRED OF THIS! WHY IS THIS STORY ON THE BACK PAGES with an article about Michelle's new 'bangs' and Beyonce performing at the inauguration all over the news including the front page??? The same with Benghazi-OUR PEOPLE among the hostages and it's front page news for 1/2 day? No presidential appearance about the subject? No press conference? GET THIS BOZO OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE...They don't even know (or apparently care to know) what is going on in this situation- a day later and all of Western Europe has better intel than us? I cannot take much more of this administration..my heart goes out to all those held...may they all make it home safely..
Not the responsibility of the American taxpayer.
How much of YOUR earnings, Mary, do you want to devote to be taxed for this?
100%? 150%?
@Mary-364630 what makes you think we dont have intel? we have sattelites that can spot a flea on a dogs ass...we can see everything that is going on...were not just going to get on t.v. and blurt out everything you want to know...we have enmies in the country also who would be listening...give the situation time to unfold before the blame game starts...and the administrarion doesnt own the news so they cannot tell these people what to put on their news website or papers...1st amendment says freedom of the press, so as soon as obama says hey put that story on the front page you will be like now he's trying to take away peoples 1st amendment rights
When will we here from Obama , its time to tell the people whats going on , Obama is not trusted enough by the Algerians to allow this weak inexperienced president to get involved . Do the math 15 embassy's attacked US flag torn down the black Al Quaeda run up , after 15 attacks on US soil our very weak leader apologizes for a dumb movie and when he could help ,this fool orders a stand down and four good men die , what a joke . Sooner or later AL Qaeda is coming to our shores because we have a inexperienced weak president who is dumb enough to fool around with our right to bare arms .
You mean like on Sept 11, 2001 when the warmonger Republicans were leading this country?
@thomasatwood thats what he diffently means
Good thing we had President Obama in office to take out Bin Laden when the Republicans could not.
What a waste of life. Algeria rejects help from the US/France/GB who have 10x the trained people and weapons to deal with this, and roll in with tanks! Algeria is clueless and inept. Time to let the big boys come in and handle this - you guys have screwed this up enough.
" If he had a son."
The hostages are not black....?
Sorry John, this reply was in reference to #94 - 94.3. I don't know how it jumped down under yours.
What's needed is an international coalition bent upon removing all the Islamist Extremists from the face of the Earth. This must include the North African and Middle East countries. Find the extremists and kill them all just as fast as possible.
Further, "if" Islam is such a peaceful religion, why isn't it joining the fight against these bastards?
@DrBoogie is-slum is no more peaceful than christ-insanity...both are ultra violent and have a very bloody past and im sure bloody futures
Thomas please, by the time O'Bama gets done I won't have any money left. And I would much rather it be spent defending and saving Americans than doubling the ranks eligible for welfare in 2014 under a little known, seldom mentioned provision of O'bamacare (yes, it is law-check with your state if you don't believe me)...actually the man has spent more than all presidents combined and we have, in my opinion NOTHING to show for it..so yes, I'd rather spend my LAST dime on saving ONE American, than giving a bunch of illegals driver's licenses...or any of the other garbage he has spent on...
Mary,
If every American shared your liberal attitude of having every cent of your taxes go to a nanny government to play bodyguard to every American everywhere on the face of this planet, this country would go bankrupt.
We are bankrupt.............
I think we should start gassing the bastards just for fun... I recommend sarin - pretty good way to watch someone die... very similiar to how a roach dies when you spray it organophosphates.
I have no love for anyone - least of all religious zealots.
This right here is why we need to quit being the world's policemen. Who gives a rat's ass about Algeria? Who gives a rat's ass about any of those sandbox countries? It's all about OIL. I would gladly pay $6.00 a gallon for gas if we could just get out of there forever. Let them kill themselves, wallow in their own stoneage exsistence and rot! One American life is not worth that entire region! Hell, one American pinky finger isn't worth it!
Just do the world a favor, nuke that entire area, from above the Sahara to the Indian border to the west and the Russian border to the north.
Just my two cents, others may disagree.
We should make it clear that if any hostages are harmed the Blind Sheik will be paying for it. #blindcastratedscreamingsheik
To the man who is comparing O'bamas response in Benghazi and yesterdays news with the response to 9-11: did you not see 911 get full press coverage? Was it not a main focus of the administration? It was. And that wss my point, in terms of this admin-Benghazi and yesterday's incident are much smaller, granted-but they are still of more importance than Michelle's bangs or the inauguration are they not? Do they not deserve a few words from O'Bama? More to the point-should we not have FULL intel and at least know what is going on? Should it be covered up (or so completely bungled) that we don't know what the story is until a week later-I mean a dead diplomat not to mention our own-dead ? Am I expecting too much? NO! I don't think so...call me crazy but I don't want our country to be more focused on a freakin' haircut than a terrorist attack involving our own....we have already become apathetic and used to the failed economy it seems and now we're going to hardly blink when terrorists capture Americans? Very sad...
@Mary-384630 shouldnt you be blaming the people who own the media about what they report on and not the president
To blame the news media would imply Nobama didn't know......
to blame the media would mean you guys actually had a shred of common sense