The United States has pulled off a daring rescue mission of an American citizen in Nigeria. Reuters. The American, Philip Walton, a 27 year old living in Niger, was abducted from his farm by armed men on motorcycles. The captors were demanding money for his release. The Navy Seals were called and they were able to rescue Walton and kill his captors with no casualties of their own. It is unclear who the kidnappers worked for or if they were common criminals but Islamists in the region regularly abduct people for ransom and the United States has criticized other governments for paying.
My Comment:
Fairly impressive operation by the Navy Seals here. Not only did they rescue the hostage they also killed most of the hostage takers (other sources have said only one survived). This is very good work by one of America's premier special forces outfits. Hostage rescue is one of the more dangerous jobs out there but these guys made it look easy.
As for the kidnappers, they made a pretty big mistake when they tried to go up against the Untied States. Unlike other countries we tend to not mess around when it comes to hostage takers, especially since President Trump made it to office. This is going to be a lesson to other potential hostage takers: Don't do it to Americans if you value your life.
I do kind of wonder what the security situation was for Mr. Walton. Given the fact that he lived in a volatile area where kidnapping was a threat, it would seem that it would have been wise to have been armed. Perhaps he was and he didn't want to risk a shootout harming his family? Regardless, I probably would have found a way to have at least a rifle if I was working there.
For President Trump this is a late win in a close presidential race. His work saving American citizens has been underreported in general so it's nice to have quick reminder of what he has accomplished. The article said that 55 hostages have been rescued in 24 countries since Trump took office, which is a record he should take pride in.
As for Northeast Africa? It seems like their problems are getting worse. They have a serious issue with Islamic militias and kidnapping and it looks like it's not getting better. These terrorists are running amok and I hope that they are able to get the issue under control without the need for foreign intervention. Then again, unless those terrorists start to become a threat to the rest of the world there is little incentive for anyone outside of the region to work on the problem...
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