US Tries Rescue Mission in Afghanistan, Hostages Not Found

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

U.S special operations forces launched a rescue mission to retrieve two men kidnapped by insurgents in Afghanistan last month, but the hostages were not there when the rescue team arrived, U.S. defense officials said Thursday.

Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said the rescue mission was approved by Defense Secretary Ash Carter and authorized by the president. Cook said no U.S. personnel or civilians were injured and added that he would not provide any more details "in order to protect the safety of hostages and operational security."

According to defense officials, the mission was delayed one day because of questions about the intelligence and whether the hostages, an American and an Australian who worked at the American University of Afghanistan, were there. Officials would not provide the precise timing or location of the rescue attempt because they said it could jeopardize any possible future operations.

Because of questions about the intelligence — including the degree of confidence in the information that the men were at that location — administration officials did not forward the mission request to President Barack Obama until the next day, officials said. Obama approved the mission, and commandos went out that next night.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/us-rescue-mission-afghanistan-hostages-found-41956154

---

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — Sep 8, 2016, 5:07 PM ET

[elleng]

1. U.S. Rescue Attempt in Afghanistan Missed Western Hostages by Hours.nyt

Navy SEALs led an unsuccessful raid last month to free an American university professor and his Australian colleague who are being held by the Taliban, engaging in fierce gun battle with dozens of insurgents at a remote compound in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, American officials said Thursday.

American officials said the rescue mission was launched in the days after the professors, Kevin King, the American, and Timothy Weeks, the Australian, were taken at gunpoint on Aug. 7 from their vehicle in Kabul near the campus of the American University of Afghanistan, where they teach. The officials said the group of SEAL members, backed by Army Rangers, are believed to have missed the men by hours.

The Pentagon confirmed in a statement that a raid had taken place to rescue two civilians, but it said that “the hostages were not at the location we suspected.” No Americans were killed, though “a number” of insurgents were, it said.'>>>

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/09/world/asia/navy-seals-hostage-rescue-afghanistan.html?

[GreydeeThos]

2. I can't wait for Trump to take to Twitter about this

He will tweet out that the Taliban was tipped off by Hillary's email server.