Four Frenchmen freed after three years in hands of al Qaeda-linked group - Polidicks

[url]http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/30/21245175-ordeal-of-a-lifetime-hostages-freed-after-three-years-in-hands-of-al-qaeda-linked-group?lite[/url] [QUOTE]NIAMEY, Niger -- Four Frenchmen held hostage in the Sahara desert by al Qaeda-linked gunmen for three years left Niger on Wednesday, with questions raised in France over whether a ransom had been paid. The men were kidnapped in 2010 while working for French nuclear group Areva and a subsidiary of construction group Vinci in northern Niger. They were freed on Tuesday after secret talks. The men boarded a government jet with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and another minister dispatched to pick them up. "I am very happy. It was difficult, the ordeal of a lifetime," said Thierry Dol, one of the freed men. Fabius denied the government had paid a ransom, but many French media and analysts, citing anonymous sources, said money had changed hands. Fabius said the men were in shock, having been isolated for so long. "They slept well, but on the floor as they are not yet able to sleep on mattresses," he said. No details have been given on the circumstances of the four men's release but Niger's President Mohamadou Issoufou said they had been retrieved from northern Mali. [/QUOTE]

That is a very, very long time to be held prisoner, wow. It's interesting to see how France handles such situations versus how the US handles such situations. There definitely seems to have been negotiation, whether ransom was paid or not, which is miles beyond what the US is ever willing to do.

French response: Quietly remove the guys American response: KILL THE FUCKERS! Invade the country for 10 years and install a pro-US government, duh!

[QUOTE=iwancoppa;42709186]French response: Quietly remove the guys American response: KILL THE FUCKERS! Invade the country for 10 years and install a pro-US government, duh![/QUOTE] when has that ever been the case

[QUOTE=Foxton;42709228]when has that ever been the case[/QUOTE] Uhh, They did attack the Barbary pirates in the 18th century with their military and install a pro-American government.

[QUOTE=Rangergxi;42714284]Uhh, They did attack the Barbary pirates in the 18th century with their military and install a pro-American government.[/QUOTE] Maybe use a recent case. Something everyone, or most people, can remember.

[QUOTE=iwancoppa;42709186]French response: Quietly remove the guys American response: KILL THE FUCKERS! Invade the country for 10 years and install a pro-US government, duh![/QUOTE] are you daft?

[QUOTE=Mbbird;42707974]That is a very, very long time to be held prisoner, wow. It's interesting to see how France handles such situations versus how the US handles such situations. There definitely seems to have been negotiation, whether ransom was paid or not, which is miles beyond what the US is ever willing to do.[/QUOTE] except the prisoners were kept for 3 years. you can't act like that's a good thing; no matter what was used to finally hand them over, they were kept in isolation for a long insanity-inducing time.

[QUOTE=lxmach1;42717688]except the prisoners were kept for 3 years. you can't act like that's a good thing; no matter what was used to finally hand them over, they were kept in isolation for a long insanity-inducing time.[/QUOTE] Sort of what the first sentence is there to acknowledge.

[QUOTE=Mbbird;42717711]Sort of what the first sentence is there to acknowledge.[/QUOTE] the rest of your post made it sound like any other kind of action was unacceptable regardless of the time it took.

[QUOTE=lxmach1;42719948]the rest of your post made it sound like any other kind of action was unacceptable regardless of the time it took.[/QUOTE] Ok.