Barack Obama condemns ‘brutal murder’ of American photojournalist

British-born photojournalist Luke Somers and South African teacher Pierre Korkie die after US-led raid on hideout

Luke Somers, 33, an American photojournalist born in Britain who was kidnapped over a year ago by al-Qaida and died in a US-led rescue operation. Photograph: Hani Mohammed/AP

 

It was always going to be a high-risk operation. Tragically for the two hostages held by al-Qaida militants in rural Yemeni, it didn’t come off. US drones yesterday zeroed in on southern Yemen, firing a missile that killed nine al-Qaida fighters. Then Yemeni jets strafed the area and
ground troops moved in, while American helicopters crammed with commandos buzzed overheard.
But when the elite unit finally landed in a tiny village in southern Shabwa province and burst into a string of homes, searching for American Luke Somers, a 33-year-old photojournalist, and South African teacher Pierre Korkie, it was too late.
“When forces entered the place where the hostages were being held, they called on the kidnappers to give themselves up because they were surrounded on all sides,” a senior Yemeni intelligence source told Reuters news agency. “But the kidnappers immediately killed two hostages, which prompted the forces to open fire on the kidnappers. They tried to give first aid to the hostages but they had lost their lives.”
US forces airlifted Somers and Korkie to a navy warship, but both men died soon after. Eight Yemeni civilians were also killed during the raid, a tribal elder told the New York Times.
“The United States strongly condemns the barbaric murder of Luke Somers at the hands of al-Qaida terrorists,” said President Barack Obama, who added that he ordered the raid because “Luke’s life was in imminent danger. As this and previous hostage rescue operations demonstrate, the United States will spare no effort to use all of its military, intelligence and diplomatic capabilities to bring Americans home safely, wherever they are located.”
British foreign secretary Philip Hammond offered his condolences to the families of both men and condemned the attack. He said: “Luke had close links with the UK and his family have spoken about Luke’s life and his work, and that is how he should be remembered. I salute the forces involved, who showed great courage in carrying out this mission. We continue to work with our international and Yemeni partners to counter the threat from al Qaida and other terrorist groups.”
It was the second failed attempt in the last fortnight to release Somers, who was snatched from outside a supermarket in the Yemeni capital last autumn. The previous raid freed eight hostages held near the Saudi border, but Somers had been moved several days earlier. On Wednesday, his captors released a video of him pleading for help, and threatened to kill him by the end of the week if their unspecified demands were not met. That message may have pushed Washington, which does not pay ransoms for American captives, to launch a second risky rescue bid.

The area of Yemen where the unsuccessful rescue operation took place. Photograph: Guardian

“Al-Qaida promised to conduct the execution [of Somers] today, so there was an attempt to save them but unfortunately they shot the hostage before or during the attack,” Yemen’s national security chief, Major General Ali al-Ahmadi said at a conference in Manama, the capital of Bahrain.
After Islamic State militants beheaded several British and US prisoners, most recently aid worker Peter Kassig, Obama said Washington’s approach to dealing with kidnappers was under review.
The failed raid highlights the challenges of rescue missions in hostile territory. Somers and other hostages were believed to have been held in chains in rugged mountain caves for much of their captivity. Shabwa is a harsh area of craggy, volcanic peaks and desert plains that alternate between punishing heat in the height of the summer and freezing cold in the winter.
Korkie was killed the day before his kidnappers had promised to let him go. He had been seized with his wife over a year ago, but her January release appeared to have paved the way for another exchange. His kidnappers had been demanding a $3m ransom.
“Pierre was to be released by al-Qaida tomorrow,” charity Gift of the Givers, which helped negotiate the deal, said in a statement. “Three days ago, we told [his wife] ‘Pierre will be home for Christmas’.”
The two American-led operations came after a long media blackout surrounding details of Somers’s captivity. It also follows the execution of three US hostages in Syria, James Foley, Steven Sotloff and Kassig, and two Britons, David Haines and Alan Henning, who were all killed by the Isis group.
Somers’s relatives, who had pleaded for him to be released, asked for privacy. “We ask that all of Luke’s family members be allowed to mourn in peace,” his sister Lucy Somers said. In her online plea for mercy, she had said: “Luke is a gentle and sensitive person. He’s a romantic and always believes the best of people. Photojournalism has been his way of highlighting the struggles of the Yemeni people. Please let him live.”
Last week’s video begins with a reading in Arabic from Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi, an official of the terrorist group, before Somers appears and gives a statement. “My name is Luke Somers,” he says. “I’m 33 years old. I was born in England, but carry American citizenship and have lived in America for most of my life. It’s now been well over a year since I’ve been kidnapped in Sana’a. Basically, I’m looking for any help that can get me out of this situation. I’m certain that my life is in danger.”
Ansi gave Washington three days to meet the demands or “otherwise, the American hostage held by us will meet his inevitable fate”. The three-minute video also features Ansi speaking about US activity in Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq as well as recent air strikes in Syria.

source http://www.theguardian.com