Obama Praises Military For Somalia Hostage Rescue
WASHINGTON (AP) — “Good job tonight,” President Barack Obama told his defense chief as he arrived for his annual State of the Union message.
Unknown to a global television audience watching Tuesday night’s speech moments later, a hostage rescue operation had just played out half a world away with an elite Navy SEAL team’s rescue of two hostages in Somalia, one of them an American. It was the same SEAL unit that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, a U.S. official said Wednesday.
Publicly, Obama did not mention the raid during his speech, though microphones picked up his congratulation to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta as he entered the House chamber.
Obama had learned shortly before that the operation to rescue American aid worker Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted of Denmark had been successful. Immediately after the speech, Obama returned to the White House to inform Buchanan’s father that she was safe and “on her way home,” according to a White House statement.
-
cadernografico liked this
-
lisbonworldnews reblogged this from thebardofavon
-
diana2345d liked this
-
heatheryi982 liked this
-
quintessentialliz reblogged this from thebardofavon
-
This was featured in #Somalia
-
thebardofavon posted this
