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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Woman rescued from captivity in Tulkarm |
| 2009-09-17 |
| Ten former IDF combat soldiers rescued a US citizen and her two-and-a-half-year-old son from a Palestinian village in the Tulkarm area where they had been held captive for 3 years, Israel Radio revealed on Wednesday morning. The woman, who had married a young Palestinian man she met in the United States, was being held captive in his house, together with their son. The man's first wife and four children from the first marriage also live in the house. The woman's husband allegedly hit her, prevented her from leaving the house and threatened that if she left, she would never see their son again. He also threatened that if she left the home, she would be apprehended by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). After efforts to bring about the woman's release by contacting Palestinian Authority officials failed, the woman's parents contacted a Jewish American man who had served in a combat unit in the IDF. He contacted friends in Israel who planned the rescue operation for several weeks, gathering intelligence on the family's routine, and carrying it out successfully on Monday, according to Israel Radio. The woman and her son were transferred to the US consulate in Jerusalem and left the country on an airliner to Ohio on Tuesday. Giora, one of the men who took part in rescuing the woman and her son, told Israel Radio that while the IDF was not aware of the operation, the US consulate was updated about every step of the mission. "The rescue mission was planned in a similar way to operations carried out during my time in the military in a way that ensured no lives were endangered," Giora told the station. The family promised a financial reward to the men for freeing their daughter, Giora said, insisting, however, that "we didn't do it for the money." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 This is very, very odd. Expect more details to leak out. A dozen Israelis organize a private commando op in the WB and Shin Bet doesnt even know about it? (Or Shin Bet does, but doesnt inform Tzahal?) Tut, tut. Shin Bet is not the IDF. The IDF not knowing is good OPSEC. |
| Posted by: Jame Retief 2009-09-17 10:11 |
| #3 "the IDF was not aware of the operation, the US consulate was updated about every step of the mission" This is very, very odd. Expect more details to leak out. A dozen Israelis organize a private commando op in the WB and Shin Bet doesnt even know about it? (Or Shin Bet does, but doesnt inform Tzahal?) Its good news for this woman and her son. It raises concerns wrt to the efficiency and organization of Israeli security, though. |
| Posted by: liberal hawk 2009-09-17 09:28 |
| #2 Thanks to Mr. Giora and crew. It's more than the US government did to recover US citizen captives. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-09-17 07:55 |
| #1 hope the husband tried to resist.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-09-17 07:50 |