Algerian assault ends crisis, 23 hostages dead
Border guard intervention brigade vehicles are seen in a street of Ain Amenas, near the gas plant where hostages have been held by Islamic militants, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013. Algeria's special forces stormed the natural gas complex in the middle of the Sahara desert in a final assault Saturday, killing 11 militants. / AP Photo/Anis Belghoul
Last Updated 4:18 p.m. ET
AIN AMENAS, Algeria Algerian special forces stormed a natural gas complex in the middle of the Sahara desert on Saturday in a "final assault" that ended a four-day-old hostage crisis, according to the state news agency and two foreign governments.
Panetta: "We know that lives have been lost" in Algeria
The Algerian government says 32 militants and 23 captives were killed during a three-day military operation to end the hostage crisis.
The provisional death toll was issued by the Interior Ministry on Saturday after the special forces operation crushed the last holdout of militants at the gas refinery, resulting in 11 extremists killed along with seven hostages.
A total of 685 Algerian and 107 foreigner workers were freed over the course of the standoff, which began on Wednesday, the statement added.
The military also confiscated machine guns, rocket launchers, missiles and grenades attached to suicide belts.
The ministry added that the militants involved consisted of 32 men of various nationalities, including three Algerians.
An earlier report said the army was forced to intervene Saturday after a fire broke out in the plant, and said the militants killed the hostages. It wasn't immediately possible to verify who killed the captives.
The report, quoting a security source, also didn't give the nationalities of the dead.
The Ain Amenas plant is jointly run by BP, Norway's Statoil and Algeria's state-owned oil company. The governments of Norway and Britain said they received confirmation the siege was over.
A high-resolution satellite image of the Amenas gas facility taken on Dec 7, 2012.
/ GeoEye Satellite ImageThe entire refinery was mined with explosives and set to blow up, the Algerian state oil company Sonatrach said in a statement, adding that the process of clearing the explosives had begun. The Algerian media reported that the militants had planned to blow up the complex.
The siege transfixed the world after radical Islamists linked to al Qaeda stormed the complex, which contained hundreds of plant workers from all over the world.
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Algeria's response to the crisis was typical of the country's history in confronting terrorists — military action over negotiation — and caused an international outcry from countries worried about their citizens. Algerian military forces twice assaulted the areas where the hostages were being held with minimal apparent negotiation — first on Thursday and then on Saturday.
The latest deaths bring the official Algerian tally of dead to 19 hostages and 29 militants, although reports on the number of dead, injured and freed have been contradictory throughout the crisis. Militants originally said they had seized 41 foreign hostages.
The al Qaeda-linked militants attacked the plant Wednesday morning. They crept across the border from Libya, 60 miles (100 kilometers) away, and fell on a pair of buses taking foreign workers to the airport. The buses' military escort drove off the attackers in a blaze of gunfire that sent bullets zinging over the heads of crouching workers. A Briton and an Algerian — probably a security guard — were killed.
Frustrated, the militants turned to the vast gas complex, divided between the workers' living quarters and the refinery itself, and seized hostages, the Algerian government said. The gas flowing to the site was cut off.
On Thursday, Algerian helicopters opened fire on a convoy carrying both kidnappers and their hostages, resulting in many deaths, according to witnesses.
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If you are a Totalitarian and very ignorant Leftist - DO NOT READ This ! Facts and Truth are like kryptonite to Leftists :)
FBI murder report by weapon for 2011, Expanded Homicide Data Table 11:
* Total murder victims - 12,664
* Total firearms murders - 8,583
* Handguns - 6,220 victims
* Rifles - 323 victims (The so called "assault weapons" are rifles)
* Shotguns - 356 victims
* Knives or cutting instruments - 1,694 victims
* Blunt objects (clubs, hammers, etc.) - 496 victims
* Personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.) - 726 victims
* For the complete list of murders, see FBI Expanded Homicide Data Table 11 for 2011
This data tell us that in 2011 a murder victim had:
* 524% more chances to die from a stab wound than from a rifle.
* 225% more chances to die from a punch or a kick than from a rifle.
* 153% more chances to die from a hammer or baseball bat than from a rifle.
* Of all murders 2.25% are committed with a rifle.
* Of all murders 2.81% are committed with a shotgun.
* Of all murders 5.73% are committed with hands, fists or feet.
* Of all murders 13.37% are committed with a knife or cutting instrument.
* Of all murders 49.11% are committed with a hand gun.
There are approximately 190,000 NFA registered full-auto weapons in the US.
The number of these is basically fixed, as the registry was closed according to the Hughes amendment of the Firearm Owner's Protection Act in May 1986. There are also a ton of full auto out there that have NEVER been registered bozos!
Yeah 2 were used to kill ...since 1986 ...in the U.S. but by LAW Enforcement , you buffoons !
Once again there are a couple hundred thousand of these that are REGISTERED out there and the % of their use in gun violence ... is ZERO you space cases !
There is also an Abundance of weapons that were converted legally to full-auto ..before the cut-off date of 1986 ....primarily AK-47's that are not trackable and NONE of these full autos have been used in gun violence either - you freaking .... Know - nothing Buffoons ! :)
There are also a myriad of semi-auto's that have been "illegally" converted by lots of guys with big grey beards who wear camoflage jackets when they visit Cabello's ...none of them have been gunning down nobody neither !
Idiots and Buffoons ....one more time ...it's hand-guns in the hands of Black Males ...
Capish morons !
= ZERO
# of Ambassadorial Staff dragged out of American Embassies and Killed in 8 years of Bush Presidency
= ZERO
# of American Embassies and support buildings razed/Burned by Terrorists in the 8 years of Bush Presidency
= ZERO
# of American Tourists captured by Terrorists and executed in the 8 years of Bush Presidency
= ZERO
Number of Ambassadors / Ambassadorial Staff and Tourists killed in the last Month alone of Hussein Obama's President
= LOTS and LOTS
Hussein Obama is much nicer to the Religion of Peace and so they thank him with gifts like Benghazi and Algeria ...the victims ? not so much !
The free phones are enough alone !
I mean who do you think the parasite class who pay no income tax are going to vote for ...the guy who says they must be self-reliant ... and not expect a handout and not be a baby-momma OR the guy who gives you all them rich white boys money !
Well Doh ! Bribery works in todays America.
That's all gonna change now ..Obama will make a 180 degree turn here and start using the word "terrorist attack" now at the drop of a hat.
The leftist , totalitarian sheeple will not even notice :) Obama has always counted on that !
Wherever dwell the mad dogs of man
There is corruption, plunder and hate.
In every city, town, or village
Those who promote distrust deserve their fate.
All are born as an innocent child
Till mislead by others along the way.
God has always loved his children
Though it breaks His heart when they stray.
The mad dogs of man never repent
For they have no sense of shame or sorrow.
Worshiping dominance and the dark side of life
Abusing victims as if there were no tomorrow.
God gives the will to sin no more
And to overcome evil unwilling to cease.
The mad dogs of man must be stopped
Who murder, rape and destroy world peace.
Samson, Solomon, and David
Were chosen by God to stand tall.
They faced great odds and the fear of death
Refusing to ignore their call.
The time has come for the good men of Earth
To band together to restrain the horde.
Standing firm against tyranny where it exists
Putting the mad dogs of man to the sword.
Tom Zart's 481 Poems Are Free to Use to Teach Or Show Support!
By God's Poet
Tom Zart
Most Published Poet
On The Web!
Tom Zart www.internetvoicesradio.com/t_zart/
http://www.veteranstodayforum.com/viewforum.php?f=38
B. Obama [2012] : "Al - Queda's leadership is decimated and Al-Queda is on the run"
Pitiful - Bring back Bush so our Abassadors and Tourist won't keep getting killed like this.
Obama was busy with the war on the NRA and the Tea party.
Obama reacted the same way in Benghazi ...and they died also while screaming for help.
Believe it or not, but other countries do have armies and can react as they see fit when terrorist attack their countries.
Most of these shining examples of intellectual prowess and commentary - have dedicated themselves here to replying to Polly Commentator. Their usual reply has been.
"shut the f up"
One more curteous moron said :
"Please just shut the f up"
These are the exact same nitwits - who have convinced themselves and very few others, that it's still - all Sarah Palin's and G.W. Bush's fault and that it's semi-auto AR Platformed rifles in the hands of the NRA/Tea Party instead of hand-guns in the hands of Black males that are responsible for gun violence in America. In other words - not REAL BRIGHT !
This is a CBS website and so I suppose that leftists congregate here and so I am merely offering my services of light to these poor widdle vampires of darkness.
Judging by the number of replies to my posts and the recurrent replies from them ... the light really burns !