The same U.S. Navy SEAL unit that killed Osama binLaden parachuted into Somalia under cover ofdarkness early Wednesday and crept up to anoutdoor camp where an American woman and Danishman were being held hostage. Soon, nine kidnapperswere dead and both hostages were freed.
President Barack Obama authorized the mission bySEAL Team 6 two days earlier, and minutes after hegave his State of the Union address to Congress hewas on the phone with the American's father totell him his daughter was safe.
The Danish Refugee Council confirmed the two aidworkers, American Jessica Buchanan and Poul HagenThisted, a Dane, were "on their way to be reunitedwith their families."
Buchanan, 32, and Thisted, 60, were working with ade-mining unit of the Danish Refugee Council whengunmen kidnapped the two in October.
The raiders came in quickly, catching the guardsas they were sleeping after having chewed thenarcotic leaf qat for much of the evening, apirate who gave his name as Bile Hussein told TheAssociated Press by phone. Hussein said he was notpresent at the site but had spoken with otherpirates who were, and that they told him ninepirates had been killed in the raid and three were"taken away."
The hostage rescue was carried out by the sameSEAL unit behind the operation in Pakistan lastMay that killed bin Laden, two U.S. officials saidon condition of anonymity to discuss theoperation. The unit is the Naval Special WarfareDevelopment Group, also known as SEAL Team 6. Oneofficial said that the team parachuted into thearea before moving on foot to the target. The raidhappened near the Somali town of Adado.
New intelligence emerged last week that Buchanan'shealth was "deteriorating rapidly," so Obamadirected his security team to develop a rescueplan, according to a senior administrationofficial who was not authorized to speak publicly.A Danish Refugee Council official, Mary Ann Olsen,said that Buchanan was "not that ill" but neededmedicine.
"As Commander-in-Chief, I could not be prouder ofthe troops who carried out this mission, and thededicated professionals who supported theirefforts," Obama said in a statement released bythe White House. "The United States will nottolerate the abduction of our people, and willspare no effort to secure the safety of ourcitizens and to bring their captors to justice."
A Western official said the rescuers and the freedhostages flew by helicopter to a U.S. militarybase called Camp Lemonnier in the Horn of Africanation of Djibouti. Both officials spoke oncondition of anonymity because the information hadnot been released publicly. Defense Secretary LeonPanetta visited Camp Lemonnier just over a monthago. A key U.S. ally in this region, Djibouti hasthe only U.S. base in sub-Saharan Africa. It hoststhe military's Combined Joint Task Force-Horn ofAfrica.
Buchanan lived in neighboring Kenya beforeSomalia, and worked at a school in Nairobi calledthe Rosslyn Academy from 2007-09, said Rob Beyer,the dean of students. He described the American aseasy to laugh and adventurous.
"There have been tears on and around the campustoday," Beyer said. "She was well-loved by all herstudents."
The timing of the raid may have been made moreurgent by Buchanan's medical condition. The DanishRefugee Council had been trying to work withSomali elders to win the hostages' freedom but hadfound little success.
"One of the hostages has a disease that was veryserious and that had to be solved," Danish ForeignMinister Villy Soevndal told Denmark's TV2channel. Soevndal did not provide any moredetails. Soevndal congratulated the Americans forthe raid.
The Danish Refugee Council said both freedhostages are unharmed "and at a safe location."The group said in a separate statement that thetwo "are on their way to be reunited with theirfamilies."
Olsen informed Thisted's family of of thesuccessful military operation and said "they werevery happy and incredibly relieved that it isover." Olsen said the two freed hostages were inDjibouti and would soon be moved to a "safehaven." She said Buchanan does not need to behospitalized.
"One of the first things Poul and Jessica wereable to do was to call their families and say theywere freed," Olsen said. "They will be reunitedwith their families as quickly as possible," Olsensaid.
The head of the Danish Refugee Council, AndreasKamm, said he would have preferred to see the twohostages freed peacefully after working withSomali groups to win the pair's freedom, "butwe're happy with the outcome. This is a day of joyindeed."
The two aid workers appear to have been kidnappedby criminals -- sometimes referred to as pirates --and not by Somalia's al-Qaida-linked militantgroup al-Shabab. As large ships at sea haveincreased their defenses against pirate attacks,gangs have looked for other money makingopportunities like land-based kidnappings.
TheDanish Refugee Council had earlier enlistedtraditional Somali elders and members of civilsociety to seek the release of the two hostages.
"We are really happy with the successful releaseof the innocents kidnapped by evildoers," saidMohamud Sahal, an elder in Galkayo town, by phone."They were guests who were treated brutally. Thatwas against Islam and our culture ... These men(pirates) have spoiled our good customs andculture, so Somalis should fight back."
Buchanan lived in neighboring Kenya beforeSomalia, and worked at a school in Nairobi calledthe Rosslyn Academy from 2007-09, said Rob Beyer,the dean of students. He described the American asquick to laugh and adventurous.
"There have been tears on and around the campustoday," Beyer said. "She was well-loved by all herstudents."
Buchanan graduated in 2006 from Valley ForgeChristian College, a small suburban Philadelphiaschool. The school's president, the Rev. DonMeyer, said Buchanan taught at Rosslyn as part ofher studies and "fell in love with Africa."
"Ever since Jessica was captured, we all as acommunity have been praying for her safety and forher safe release," Meyer said. "We are alsograteful that our prayers have been answered."
Buchanan and Thisted were seized in October fromthe portion of Galkayo town under the control of agovernment-allied clan militia. The aid agency hassaid that Somalis held demonstrations demandingthe pair's quick release.
Their Somali colleague was detained by police onsuspicion of being involved in their kidnapping.
The two hostages were working in northern Somaliafor the Danish Demining Group, whose experts havebeen clearing mines and unexploded ordnance inconflict zones in Africa and the Middle East.
Several hostages are still being held in Somalia,including a British tourist, two Spanish doctorsseized from neighboring Kenya, and an Americanjournalist kidnapped on Saturday.
