The American woman rescued by an elite American special operations team during a nighttime raid in Somalia was suffering from a medical condition that could have killed her in captivity, but instead she is now recovering at a U.S. military facility and could soon be reunited with her family, U.S. officials said today.
American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and Poul Hagen Thisted, 60, of Denmark, were abducted three months ago by a group of Somali bandits while working for the aid organization, Danish Refugee Council's Danish Demining Group.
The two were rescued in a dangerous mission ordered Monday by President Obama after the government received information that Buchanan's medical condition was possibly "life-threatening" and a "window of opportunity for mission success" presented itself, according to Pentagon spokesperson George Little. Little did not describe Buchanan's medical condition. Nine "heavily-armed" Somalis were killed in the operation that involved special operations forces from various military services, Little said. According to another U.S. official, members of the famed U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six participated in the ground operations of the Operation "Octave Fushion" rescue.
Shortly after the end of his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Obama called Buchanan's father to tell him about the rescue mission "and told him that all Americans have Jessica in our thoughts and prayers, and give thanks that she will soon be reunited with her family," according to a statement from the White House.