Article

2013-01-20 Africa North

Algeria crisis: Hostage-takers 'taken alive' at gas plant

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by tipper 2013-01-20 12:35|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [11135 views ] Top

#1 That's a happy bonus. Looks like the Algerians will get some information, after all.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2013-01-20 13:04|| 2013-01-20 13:04|| Front Page Top

#2 Will they die trying to escape (without legs or arms) in a few days?

Posted by Glenmore 2013-01-20 13:17|| 2013-01-20 13:17|| Front Page Top

#3 Unfortunately prisoners 1 through 5 have responded negatively to today's conciliatory interrogation techniques. The Ryobi deep tissue foot massage therapy will begin tomorrow morning, at what would have been the breakfast hour. Our interviews and interrogation team are quite optimistic.

Posted by Besoeker 2013-01-20 14:15|| 2013-01-20 14:15|| Front Page Top

#4 The people arrested may be workers within the BP plant who are suspected of collusion with the terrorists. It should still provide information - but their interrogations will not be a happy process.

Posted by Raider 2013-01-20 14:35|| 2013-01-20 14:35|| Front Page Top

#5 Ryobi deep tissue foot massage therapy

Okay, that got me laughing.

To be followed by the DeWalt painless brain probe insertion...

Posted by Steve White 2013-01-20 14:36|| 2013-01-20 14:36|| Front Page Top

#6 Trepanning by an Algerian Michael J Fox?

Posted by Frank G 2013-01-20 14:55|| 2013-01-20 14:55|| Front Page Top

#7 There are initial results showing trepanning is helpful for some health issues, though I can't remember what.

Separately, there must be cell phones and tablets hidden somewhere in the facility...

Posted by trailing wife 2013-01-20 16:09|| 2013-01-20 16:09|| Front Page Top

#8 Death toll at 81 and climbing. Some bodies are too mangled to identify at this time. Link

Posted by JohnQC 2013-01-20 17:00|| 2013-01-20 17:00|| Front Page Top

#9 How many thousands of people were involved in this, anyway?

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2013-01-20 17:08|| 2013-01-20 17:08|| Front Page Top

#10 A total of 685 Algerian and 107 foreigner workers were freed over the course of the four-day standoff.

Which means, if the numbers are accurate, 90% got out alive. I'll wager they (the survivors) are happy with the odds as well as the outcome.

Posted by Besoeker 2013-01-20 17:10|| 2013-01-20 17:10|| Front Page Top

#11 "Death toll at 81 and climbing"

It's not clear who's a hostage and who's a terrorist. Could take some time to sort out. This event has been a nightmare from start to finish for Western Gov'ts.

Apparently the Algerians ran "clearance" operations to clear terrorists out of the plant. That is not the same as a rescue operation. You have to wonder why, when the terrorists were abducting hostages inside vehicles, that the Algerian soldiers did not just shoot out the tires. Why rip up the vehicles with fire from helicopters and security men?

Probably the truth will never be known ... except for those who participated. There will just bea final body count.

Posted by Raider 2013-01-20 19:08|| 2013-01-20 19:08|| Front Page Top

#12 Update
Five kidnappers taken alive in Algeria
But "three others are at large", station director Anis Rahmani told AFP.

An AFP correspondent at the In Amenas hospital was told 12 of the bodies stored at its morgue were Japanese, after Tokyo said it had no confirmation on the fate of 10 of its nationals who went missing in the 72-hour ordeal.

"A terrorist shouted 'open the door!' with a strong north American accent, and opened fire. Two other Japanese died then and we found four other Japanese bodies" in the compound, he added, choking with emotion.

Posted by tipper 2013-01-20 20:43|| 2013-01-20 20:43|| Front Page Top

#13 Every human being is a hostage to his/her community. At any time they can tear off your limbs and impale your children on a stake in the garden.

Civilization is a word that means how likely is that to happen.

Posted by rammer 2013-01-20 20:54|| 2013-01-20 20:54|| Front Page Top

#14 I expect these folks will get to grow all new fingernails and toenails soon. No permanent physical damage, but real painful when they're either being extracted, or having toothpicks inserted under them.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2013-01-20 21:49|| 2013-01-20 21:49|| Front Page Top

23:42 Procopius2k
23:33 rammer
23:25 Zhang Fei
23:02 Raider
22:13 Frank G
21:59 Procopius2k
21:56 Glenmore
21:49 Zhang Fei
21:43 Nimble Spemble
21:38 Barbara
21:38 Secret Master
21:12 JosephMendiola
21:09 JosephMendiola
21:02 JosephMendiola
20:54 rammer
20:46 JosephMendiola
20:43 tipper
20:43 JosephMendiola
19:52 Frank G
19:32 gorb
19:28 Procopius2k
19:08 Raider
19:06 Thing From Snowy Mountain
18:46 Canuckistan sniper
Merry-Go-Blog