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Latest in the Algeria Hostage Crisis: Admin Says It ‘Won’t Negotiate With Terrorists’ After Militants Demand Release of Blind Sheikh

Jan. 18, 2013 3:34pm Tiffany Gabbay

Terrorists in Algerian Demand Blind Sheikh for Release of Hostages

Blind Sheikh Omar Abdel RahmanCredit: AFP/Getty Images

The hostage crisis in Algeria are unfolding rapidly and indeed details both abound and differ in terms of the number of hostages and casualties involved.

A brief review of Friday’s reports reveal that the al Qaeda-linked terrorist cell responsible for the attack has demanded the release of Omar Abdel-Rahman, better known as the ”Blind Sheikh,” in exchange for at least two of the Americans being held hostage.

The State Department confirmed to Fox News Friday that there are indeed still American hostages being held at the BP gas plant in Algeria, but, when asked about the potential for trading hostages for terror figures imprisoned in the United States, spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said: “The United States does not negotiate with terrorists.”

She added that the U.S. is working with the Algeria and other governments to try to secure the release of the remaining hostages.

CNN is also reporting on this unsettling development:

The [state-run Alegerian] press service said Friday that an Algerian military operation freed 650 hostages, including 100 foreigners. At least 30 foreign workers were still unaccounted for, according to the unconfirmed media report.

It said 12 hostages have been killed in the wake of the military operation, which began Thursday.

[...]

A spokesman for Moktar Belmoktar, a veteran jihadist who leads the group, made the offer in an interview with a private Mauritanian news agency.

The spokesman said Belmoktar is willing to exchange the Americans for Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, who orchestrated the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman who is jailed in the United States on terrorism charges.

In addition, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who called the siege an “act of terror,” has urged Algeria to do everything in its power to ensure the hostages’ safety and free them.

Clinton said that in her conversation with Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal Friday, she stressed that “the utmost care must be taken to preserve innocent life.”

The three-day-long carnage at the BP plant in the Sahara took a turn Friday as Algeria’s state news service reported that nearly 100 of the 132 foreign workers kidnapped by Islamic militants had been freed.

The Associated Press notes that while the number of hostages at the facility was a great deal higher than previous reports had indicated, questions about the fate of over 30 additional foreign workers remains unclear. The government’s latest hostage tally was far higher than the 41 foreigners the militants had originally claimed to have captured.

In addition to the Blind Sheikh, the Islamic militants are also reportedly demanding the release of Aifia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist who shot at two U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan in 2008.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Comments (60)

elderbat
Posted on January 19, 2013 at 12:11am
@integrican: drop him in KANSAS??? my first though was “gee, thanks”…on second thought give me a location because I know a lot of farmers who would quickly put him out of our misery…

as to this story in general, the narrative keeps changing with every news report on it. something stinks to high heaven here, and the obamabot corp has no sympathy for BP.

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- sonofgalt
  Posted on January 19, 2013 at 1:32am
  i think we should deliver the blind sheik and the woman as part of the bomb load of a flight of b-2s carpet bombing the terrorists
  
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stevephoenix
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 10:18pm
The Algerians did the right thing – if they had not struck that would only be the green light for more Islamic groups to seize more production facilities. They may not have had the skills or equipment of the SAS or the SEALS, but good on them for signalling exactly what they will do in the event of future terrorist acts – kill them. The hostages were most likely going to die anyway – better to be caught in crossfire than have your head lopped off on a YouTube video for all the world to see.

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- reform
  Posted on January 19, 2013 at 3:24am
  Watching the video how could they have even gotten that close to this compound? Such a vast road in out in the middle of nowhere, why does BP not have more armed guards to protect this site its not like they don’t make any money from it????? This once again stinks something is not right!!!!!!! Or do we need to be in all of Africa now????
  
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- G-WHIZ
  Posted on January 20, 2013 at 10:49am
  Dinna worry..The O’berri-adm will fundthe Muslimbrotherhood/terrorists to make sure that the U.S.A.-FREINDLY original-govt is killed-off. But wait! for a limmited time, you’ll get armmamments and all the equipment also for your JIHAD!! Just pay shipping/misshandeling! AND WAIT! For just you…THE shipping is free!!
  
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barber2
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 8:13pm
I find it strange that the Blind Sheik business has actually arisen hear when we heard rumors of the same months ago about Ambassador Stephens in Benghazi. Why can’t anyone pin anything on this rotten White House ?

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thegreatcarnac
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 7:59pm
The blind sheik must own a stable of virgin sheep hidden somewhere because these muslims are always wanting him to come back to the middle-east. You know we have a lot of drugs here in America. Some give you an instant heart attack. It would be strange if the blind sheik was found dead in his cell clutching his chest. Wait a minute….for a minuter there I was imagining Bush was still president. Obama probably loves the blind sheik.

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morasha18
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 7:53pm
They won”t negotiate with terrorists for the release of American hostages, but our gov’t has no qualms about funding the terrorists that are destroying the peoples and infrastructure of other countries including our allies: especially Israel. The free world is proping up and funneling cash to the terrorists that ARE killing Israeli’s every day, and our gov’t that we elected is spearheading the “leveling of the playing field”.For those who would find fault with the Colonialism of era’s gone by we have now sacrificed our principles of freedom to fund the proxy destruction of every bastion of democracy on the planet. I don’t know how to thank the 53 million who voted for Obama so that they can watch the carnage on their free phones.We now export sedition in Obama’s name: it used to be a crime. Shame on us. Are we American’s or are we mice??? Pass the cheese.

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media-bias-steals-elections
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 6:51pm
You mean there was actually a reason why our grand fathers did not hold people in prison for years? I wonder how they figured that out? Watching their grand fathers? Who watched their grand fathers, who watched their grand fathers give their hard earned money to people they did not know in Libya?

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lid.smoker
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 6:04pm
Israels policy;

The 1,027 Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged for the lone Israeli corporal turned out to include men and women convicted of some of the worst terrorism attacks in a country still haunted by the memory of the second intifadeh.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2097192,00.html#ixzz2IN4gebJi

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jhrusky
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 5:04pm
This will be interesting to watch.
When Benghazi happened, I was wondering if that wasn’t a failed attempt at Islamic militants taking American hostages and then offer to release them in exchange for the sheik, in which case obama would have swooped in and saved the day (be releasing the sheik) and getting the Americans back alive.

Being he does so many things pro-muslim and anti-American (and has even stated in his book that if push comes to shove, he’d stand with the muslims), something tells me somehow he’s going to let the sheik go.

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- mac410
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 5:42pm
  Bet Hillary is already over there passing out dates and coffee and asking what we can do to help them get their sheik back.
  
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- toto
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 5:56pm
  Yes, it was very likely to be a kidnapping, and it was Obama’s baby, along with Morsi, to trade Stevens for the Blind Sheik. That was the whole purpose of the video, Obama could not be seen to be dealing with terrorists, so the video was necessary to claim that it was an incensed, insulted, mob of Muslims that just could not control their rage at the insult to Mohammed and Islam. Never mind that no one had actually seen the video. When the ex SEALS disobeyed orders to stand down and went to the rescue, it messed up everything for Obama and Hillary, no wonder she got a tummy ache. So, they are still working on it . Obama is far more concerned with the sensibilities, real or imagined of the Muslims than he is with American citizens. Stay tuned for the next episode of “How I Can Give The Muslims What They Want and Return The Blind Sheik”. He WILL get it done, it’s just a matter of time. There is absolutely NOTHING in it for America.
  
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Cottoneyed77
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:59pm
The “blind shyte azz” is as good as free. He’ll be home for prayers next Friday.

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- drs1969
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:38pm
  He’ll probably be on a plane home just as BHO is dancng at his Inagural Ball. That would be just perfect!
  
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Southernsoul
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:59pm
I’d give them the Blind Sheikh. I would wrap him in bacon, fly him over wherever at a good safe altitude, and push him out of the plane. On his new bacon clothing I would attach a note that read; From this day forward, if any American citizen, be it soldier or civilian, is harmed then we will kill 1000 of your people per harmed American. If any piece of American property is damaged, we will nuke one of your cities, starting with Mecca. This is your first, last, and only warning.

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- toto
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 5:58pm
  Love it!
  
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zetuff
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:31pm
obama always uses the word.. Common Sense ..well here is some common sense !! this is what was planned in bengazi… kidnap the US ambassabor and trade him for the blind shieke..but they screwed up and killed him ..remember obama gave orders for the US military to stand down….so this new crisis is plan B its so obvious…. do you think that obamas commies are creating these crisis like sandyhook and now this new hostage situation so he can do what ever he wants.? fufilling. his new agenda?.disarm the USA and release the blind shieke.?

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TheGrtDcptn
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:31pm
‘Admin Says It ‘Won’t Negotiate With Terrorists’ After Militants Demand Release of Blind Sheikh’

Wanna BET…?! Is ANYONE awake…?!

Use ‘Search TheBlaze’ upper right and type in Blind Sheikh…

Who do they think they are fooling…?! Yet another FALSE narrative…ARGHHH…!!

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nesmond
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:28pm
Send Piers Morgan. We hate him about as much as the blind sheikh. Send Toure’ too. He’s a p**sy.

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powedj
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:21pm
I thought al Queda has been eradicated by our dear leader, Obama.

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- drs1969
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:42pm
  For all we know, these guys are just CIA spooks. The same ones who fled Benghazi after things went wrong.
  
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MDECKER
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:16pm
Victoria Nuland said: “The United States does not negotiate with terrorists.” This Presiden’t definition of terrorist is vastly different than that of the rest of Americans.

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- kaydeebeau
  Posted on January 19, 2013 at 8:51am
  You are so correct – O’s idea of a terrost is most of the tax paying American public, observant Jews, Christians, conservatives, “Republicans”, you me, my parents……
  
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MadeMyDay
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:03pm
I don’t understand? Did not Mohamed Morsi ask for the release of the blind moron as we gave him close to a billion $$ a couple of months ago? My head hurts

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Nevermind
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:02pm
honestynow

Why don’t we ask Amb. Stevens? Oh, yeah, we can’t!
Why don’t we ask Brian Terry? Oh, yeah, we can’t!

*******

You guys are funny. Amb Stevens was working with the CIA, Obama had nothing to do wiht that. Border agents die , its part of their job just as police. While i feel for his family he got into a firefight on the border as part of his job and got killed. Is Obama responsible for every law enforcement officers death since 2008?

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- Cavallo
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:14pm
  If I provide weapons knowingly to a criminal organization, they use that weapon to murder a cop, am I not held responsible for that death under the law? Oh, that’s right, your Messiah is above the law. I completely forgot that with you Statist sycophants, that some animals are more equal than others.
  
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- Fubared
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:32pm
  Nevermind=wanker extraordinaire.
  
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- toto
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 6:09pm
  If you look at everything that has come out officially about Benghazi, and look at it through the prism of a black op planned kidnapping, all of it, before, during and after, makes much more sense. Open your eyes. Pathway way cleared, refusal of protective forces for months, removal of 2 units of already meager protection just weeks prior to 9/11, pleas from Stevens himself for more security, pleas for help during the attack and all ready, trained, and willing people told to stand down, then, in the aftermath, no investigation, media people walking the grounds, but not investigators, must make plenty of time for all involved to evaporate away from the scene and the site be rendered worthless for investigation, no questioning of guy in Tunisia until he was properly prepped. Never believe your own lying common sense. Either Obama is a completely feckless American leader that couldn’t handle a pretty straightforward terrorist attack, or something else very sinister was afoot.
  
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- barber2
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 8:11pm
  TOTO: Given the way the Chicago radicals are playing with our economy and deficit and the fact that the anti-capitalist OWS movement easily set up camps in Democrat controlled cities, I ‘d say something sinister is afoot.
  
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stopprintn
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:58pm
This blind sheikh guy, should have took a long dirt nap right after his trial. What’s the latest on the Fort Hood shooter, are they going to allow him to keep breathing ?

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- mtcountrygrl
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:14pm
  That’s what my husband said. After we get intel from these fools, why do we not just put them in front of a firing squad and be done with it. Then there is nothing to trade for.
  
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Chuck Stein
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:58pm
The longer the blind sheik lives in jail, the more Americans will die. Two solutions: either release him or he (somehow) dies. “Oh, who will rid me of this meddlesome imam?”

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leary1
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:57pm
now is the time OBAMA WILL RELEASE HIS BUDDY THE BLIND SHEIK, afterall YOU WOULDN`T WANT TO WASTE A GOOD CRISIS!!!!!! He will claim this is the only bargaining chip he has. the ANTI-AMERICAN PRESIDENT WILL BUCKLE TO THE DEMANDS OF AN AFFILIATE OF ALQUEDA WHO OF COURSE HAS BEEN BROKEN, BEATEN AND ON THE RUN!!! the ring on OBAMA`S HAND marries him to islam and allah-allah-in free! Do you think the mighty messiah obama will fail at this task?…….HELL NO, if he fails, he WILL BECOME AN INFEDEL, and the peaceful, loving, tolerant members of RADICAL ISLAM will hunt him down,terminate him. So this proves obama has lots of motivation to succeed.

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- Vickie Dhaene
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 5:06pm
  I think We The People should put Obama in “Protective” custody. He just signed an executive order for security for the rest of his life. What if he becomes leader of Muslim Nation, replacing Mr. Farrakan?
  
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mrunner
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:50pm
I think they should deliver the blind shiek to the terrorists. Push him out of the back of a C130 gunship as they do a flyover of the gasfield. Maybe those flowing white robes can be used as a parachute?

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- integrican
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:09pm
  I think they should release the Blind Sheikh….right smack dab in the middle of Kansas.
  
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- integrican
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:11pm
  I say “RELEASE HIM!!! right in the middle of Kansas!!!”
  
  sorry if this is a re-post my connection if acting up.
  
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- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:21pm
  I’d rather see him be placed on Fire Island, nude, and try to find his way off.
  
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Nevermind
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:48pm
Last time someone attempted to hold Americans hostage were the pirates in Somolia, Obama sent in the SEALS and the pirates get lead in the head. The same fate will fall on those who have taken more Americans. I know you blazers hate Obama but he does not play when it comes to security of Americans. Ask Bin Laden& Al Awlaki, oh thats right you cant becasue they are dead

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- honestynow
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:53pm
  Why don’t we ask Amb. Stevens? Oh, yeah, we can’t!
  Why don’t we ask Brian Terry? Oh, yeah, we can’t!
  
  Report this comment
- mrunner
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:53pm
  Ask Ambassador Stevens…
  
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- mrunner
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:55pm
  If it does not provide him a political advantage, further his Marxist agenda, or provide a pretty photo op- he could care less.
  
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- thegreatcarnac
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 7:53pm
  nevermind,,,,,,.Tell us….tell us of the mighty things obama has done in Benghazi. Tell us of his bravery and how many of the ambassador’s killers has he caught or killed. Regale us with tales of his greatness when confronting the Muslim Brotherhood. Obama is a coward and he is Anti-American.
  
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- drs1969
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:51pm
  He didn’t kill OBL. Everyone in the ME knew OBL was dead for years. Most likely killed in the Tora Bora bombing raid (’03). You’re being fooled, just like most Bush voters were by believing we should invade Afghanistan to root out terrorists when, in fact, it was to free up the drug trade that the Taliban had shut down.
  
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- reform
  Posted on January 19, 2013 at 3:15am
  Show me proof that them 2 ******** are dead!!!!!! We seen the leader of Libya dead right and I-raq as well but the # 1 ENEMY no way why????
  
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- kaydeebeau
  Posted on January 19, 2013 at 8:53am
  @ Nevermind – hahahahahaha that was a good one…oh wait you were serious…nevermind
  
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haytanimore
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:47pm
why can’t the sheikh just be executed and get it over with

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:43pm
This is what I have monitored on news sites outside of the US and give them more credence to the matter at hand:

Of the Americans held, seven by account, six are said to have been released after an exchange of imprisoned terrorists by the Obama administration had been agreed to.

Given Obama’s association with the terrorists he has armed this kind of deal, I tend to believe it across the board. Now as this comical bad opera of a farce on the part of Obama develops watch for Muslim Brotherhood leader Morsi to ‘intervene on behalf of the United States’ and ‘secure’ the release of ‘all remaining hostages.’

In ‘gratitude’ for their aid, Obama will release the Blink Sheikh for ‘compassion reasons due to his ill health.’

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- honestynow
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:51pm
  He’s been trying to find a way to do this for years.
  
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- moreteaplease
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:56pm
  I agree as well.
  
  As I was reading the article here, I was wondering what kind of secret deals may be in the works because Obama is not going to stand tough against the Muslims…he’s one of them. They’ll make bold statements to the press for the benefit of Americans but most of us know the administration is most likely blowing smoke.
  
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65Mustang
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 3:39pm
Obama will not take time from his busy schedule to confront this issue and Clinton will do the same thing she did at Benghazi…nothing, all talk.

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