Al Qaeda Video Threatens To Execute American Hostage in Yemen After Failed Rescue Attempt by Special Forces
Al Qaeda's Yemen affiliate released a video Wednesday night showing an American hostage on camera for the first time and threatened to kill him in three days if U.S. President Barack Obama doesn't "meet our demands".
The video came after U.S. commandos launched a rescue operation to free the American photojournalist.
Luke Somers, 33, was abducted in September 2013 in Sana'a, Yemen. The video featured an al-Qaeda member and Somers, who was wearing a purple shirt and his head completely shaved.
Somers said in the three-minutes video that he was born in England, but had lived in America for most of his life and also had an American citizenship.
"It's now been well over a year since I've been kidnapped in Sanaa. Basically, I'm looking for any help that can get me out of this situation. I'm certain that my life is in danger. So as I sit here now, I ask if anything can be done, please, let it be done. Thank you very much," he said, USA Today reports.
The senior al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) official Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi was shown sitting at a desk and reading from a sheaf of papers.
The rust red-bearded Al-Ansi said that AQAP was allowing President Obama "a time-frame of three days from the issuance of this statement to meet our demands about which they are aware. Otherwise, the American hostage held by us will meet his inevitable fate." He further states: "We warn Obama and the American government of the consequences of proceeding ahead in any other foolish action," ABC News reports.
His friends said that Somers was trying to earn some money by working as a freelance photographer and also by doing other works in Yemen before the terrorist group in the Arabian peninsula abducted him.
Last week, U.S. Special Operation forces and Yemeni troops had launched a rescue operation to free Somers. However, U.S. officials later said that they narrowly missed him as he had been shifted to another remote part of the country, but forces managed to free several hostages including a few Yemenis, The Washington Post reports.
