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Africa North
Many Hostages Killed 'with Bullet to Head'
2013-01-22
[An Nahar] Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said five foreigners were still missing and that several of the hostages had been executed "with a bullet to the head" as the four-day crisis ended in a bloodbath on Saturday.

The premier gave the final grim figures after Algeria had warned other nations to prepare for a higher body count, amid fears as many as 50 captives may have died in the world's deadliest hostage crisis in almost a decade.

He said the group's leader was Mohamed el-Amine Bencheneb, an Algerian militant known to the country's security services, and was killed during the army's assault.
Of the Yellowknife Benchenebs...
A total of 29 hostage-takers were killed and three captured. As well as the three Algerians among them, the kidnappers comprised six foreign nationalities, namely Canadian, Egyptian, Tunisian, Malian, Nigerien and Mauritanian.

Survivors' photos seen by Agence France Presse showed bodies riddled with bullets, some with their heads half blown away by the impact of the gunfire.

"They were brutally executed," said an Algerian who identified himself as Brahim, after escaping the ordeal, referring to Japanese victims gunned down by the hostage-takers.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said seven Japanese people were known to have been killed in the hostage crisis, the first confirmation from Tokyo that any of its nationals had died. Witnesses had said nine Japanese people connected to plant builder JGC were killed in the 72-hour ordeal.

One Japanese survivor was quoted in the Daily Yomiuri newspaper as telling colleagues how the gunmen had dragged him from his barricaded room, handcuffed him and executed two hostages standing nearby.

The Philippine government said six Filipino hostages were among the dead, killed "mostly by gunshot wounds and the effects of the explosions."

As more harrowing accounts emerged of the siege, a Filipino survivor described how the militants used foreign hostages as human shields to stop Algerian troops aboard helicopters from strafing them with gunfire.

Joseph Balmaceda told reporters in Manila he was the only survivor out of nine hostages in a van that blew up on Thursday, apparently from C-4 explosives the militants had rigged to the vehicle.

"I was the only one who survived because I was sandwiched between two spare tires. That is why I am still here and can talk to you," said the visibly distressed father of four.
Posted by:Fred

#13  From now on, the old movie cliche of taking one or two hostage and putting a gun to their heads while demanding everyone else drop their guns isn't going to play out very well either.

That is a a tired old movie trope that I've never heard being played out in real life.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2013-01-22 19:16  

#12  Thanks, #6 Glenmore. :-D

Gawd, I miss Cleavon Little.
Posted by: Barbara   2013-01-22 19:14  

#11  I don't know that we have the stomach in the higher echelons of power to conduct a war with the ROEs of WWII. Many in Washington are distracted and too much in awe of what Michele was wearing to the various inauguration events. The tingling up Chris Matthews leg has returned. Fawning sycophants. Algeria hasn't gotten much attention in the MSM. They are too busy carrying water.
Posted by: JohnQC   2013-01-22 18:29  

#10  Glenmore, next line fits:
Dr Samuel Johnston: 'Hush Harriet, that's a sure way to get him killed'.
Posted by: Angairong Spaiger6091   2013-01-22 16:50  

#9  Pronounced: Möktar
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-01-22 11:36  

#8  Also, notice the coronation of the new "monster of monsters", the "Marlboro Man", one-eyed terrorist mastermind Mokhtar Belmokhtar!

Time for a two minutes hate?
Posted by: Muggsy Mussolini1226   2013-01-22 11:28  

#7  For the record, The NVA would routinely execute our wounded on the field of battle. That was why we moved heaven and earth to account for everyone and get the wounded off the field and to the aid station.

We would kill one by accident and the press has a hissy fit and they would routinely kill dozens of our wounded.

With these vermin, they are mad dogs and should be shot (but only after some aggressive interrogation to drain their brains of every last bit of information).
Posted by: Bill Clinton   2013-01-22 10:42  

#6  [the Johnsons load their guns and point them at Bart. Bart then points his own pistol at his head]
Bart: [low voice] Hold it! Next man makes a move, the n****r gets it!
Olson Johnson: Hold it, men. He's not bluffing.
Dr. Sam Johnson: Listen to him, men. He's just crazy enough to do it!
Bart: [low voice] Drop it! Or I swear I'll blow this n****r's head all over this town!
Bart: [high-pitched voice] Oh, lo'dy, lo'd, he's desp'it! Do what he sayyyy, do what he sayyyy!
[Townspeople drop their guns. Bart jams the gun into his neck and drags himself through the crowd towards the station]
Harriet Johnson: Isn't anybody going to help that poor man?
Posted by: Glenmore   2013-01-22 09:54  

#5  From now on, the old movie cliche of taking one or two hostage and putting a gun to their heads while demanding everyone else drop their guns isn't going to play out very well either.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2013-01-22 09:19  

#4  Correct, Anguper; 'execute' indicates there was an offense for which they were killed. The correct term is 'murder.'
Posted by: Glenmore   2013-01-22 09:11  

#3  in round figures - I expected about 50 hostages dead. However, all of the terrorists (with the possible exception of 3-5) were also killed. this raises the stakes in the coveert war in the Sahara. "Take no prisoners" is the new call ... it's going to be a rough game from here on out.
Posted by: Raider   2013-01-22 00:56  

#2  'execute' is the wrong word.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2013-01-22 00:25  

#1  The only civilized thing to do here is hunt the perps down like rats at the dump. Drone strikes, Delta Force, Letters of Marque & Reprisal, hunt them for sport, whatever it takes. Hell, create a Kickstarter project if the govt won't step up. We are at war, in case you haven't noticed.
Posted by: SteveS   2013-01-22 00:12  

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