American-Canadian Family Released in Pakistan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC_LasU2KHI
The initial word came from a Pakistani Army statement and was confirmed by US officials.
The couple, American Caitlan Coleman, 31, and her Canadian husband, Joshua Boyle, 33, were kidnapped in 2012 while they were traveling as tourists in Afghanistan and were held in captivity since.
Coleman was pregnant when she was kidnapped. The couple had two more children born in captivity.
In a statement, the Pakistani Army said US intelligence agencies had been tracking the hostages and shared intelligence with Pakistan when the family was moved to the country. US officials confirmed there was intelligence about their location in recent days that was shared with the Pakistanis.
In the initial hours after their release, the family was still in Pakistan as arrangements were being made to return them to either the US or Canada.
"The operation by Pakistani forces, based on actionable intelligence from US authorities was successful; all hostages were recovered safe and sound and are being repatriated to the country of their origin," the statement said. "The success underscores the importance of timely intelligence sharing and Pakistan's continued commitment towards fighting this menace through cooperation between two forces against a common enemy."
A senior US official told CNN that US intelligence assets had detected and monitored the movement of vehicles that the US assessed to contain the family.
US officials provided this new intelligence to the Pakistani authorities and US officials even began unilaterally discussing a possible US-staged rescue attempt.
However, to the surprise of the US government, the Pakistani authorities soon called back their US counterparts, informing them that they had taken custody of all five family members.
"That was a surprise to us," the official said.
The US does not know at this point what the Pakistanis might have "said or did" on the ground to get the family back.
But the official added there is no evidence that any of the Haqqani members currently imprisoned by the government of Afghanistan have been released in a prisoner exchange.
The US is calling the Pakistani operation a "transfer of custody" because of the circumstances of how it unfolded the official said.
A Pakistani military official told CNN his government received the US intelligence about the movement of the American and Canadian hostages on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Pakistani time. The Pakistanis launched the rescue operation three hours later, at 7:30 p.m.
The official said the recovery operation was conducted by Pakistani intelligence agents with the Pakistani military helping to secure the perimeter. He said that the operation took place in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in northwestern Pakistan while the family was being transported from one location to another.
The operation involved a shootout with the kidnappers with some being killed in the firefight and others being arrested, according to the official.
He added that the hostages were retrieved in a "rescue operation" and there was "no deal" with the Taliban's Haqqani Network to get the hostages out of captivity.
After the hostages were recovered they were taken from the tribal areas to the town of Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwestern Pakistan. From there they were taken to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, where US citizen Coleman and Canadian citizen Boyle met with their countries' respective officials. The Pakistani military official says those meetings lasted for six hours. The official said he expected the family to remain in Pakistan for the next 24 hours.
CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen spoke Thursday to Boyle's parents, Patrick and Linda Boyle, who have spoken to their son since his being freed from captivity. Patrick Boyle said that all of the recovered family members are OK. The parents also learned for the first time that they now have a granddaughter.
The senior US official said Joshua Boyle refused to board a US military C-130 bound for the US because "he thinks he will face law enforcement and possible arrest," though there is no indication at this time that he will face arrest.
The official said there are some questions surrounding his past. Boyle was previously married to the sister of Omar Kadhr, a Canadian citizen who was imprisoned for 10 years at the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after fighting US troops in Afghanistan. Kadhr later sued the Canadian government for violating international law by allegedly not protecting its citizen and conspiring with his US captors, who he says abused him.
A Pakistani military official told CNN that the recovery operation was conducted by Pakistani intelligence agents with the Pakistani military helping to secure the perimeter. He said that the operation took place in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in northwestern Pakistan while the family was being transported from one location to another.
Video of kidnapped American-Canadian family released by Haqqani network
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAtjgGaQBFk
Kidnapped Canadian Joshua Boyle and his family in 'proof-of-life' video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ6R6HlaEck
American woman, family freed after 5 years as Taliban hostages
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYW_yod-Idw
Trudeau says Canadian hostage Joshua Boyle still on governmet radar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umCbc89o_xg
Canadian Joshua Boyle and family finally freed after 5 years in captivity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMCEX_cUpt0