Dec 06 Haitian gang releases 3 hostages, says U.S. religious group By Peter Smith, Evens Sanon, Associated Press A religious group based in Ohio has announced that a violent gang in Haiti has released three more hostages, while another 12 remain abducted. Continue reading
Apr 02 U.S. hostage families seek better government support, report says By Eric Tucker, Associated Press Family members of Americans who are imprisoned abroad or held hostage by militant groups say in a new report that the U.S. government must do better in communicating with them. Continue reading
Feb 09 Ex-hostage wants British Islamic State kidnappers put on trial in UK By Danica Kirka, Associated Press LONDON — Former Islamic State hostages and families of the group's victims are urging Britain and the United States to put two recently captured extremists on trial, arguing that denying them justice will fuel the hatred and violence they supported. Continue reading
May 05 Despite advances under Obama, lack of transparency can hinder hostage families By Larisa Epatko When it comes to negotiating hostage releases from terrorist networks, the United States’ “no-concessions” policy puts many decisions in the hands of the families, leaving them wondering what to do. Continue reading
Aug 19 Watch 7:21 Payment to Iran was used as ‘leverage’ for hostage release, admits State Department By PBS News Hour In January, Iran released American hostages in a development coinciding with a U.S. payout of $400 million -- money that had been owed for decades. The Obama administration previously denied a connection between the two events, but on Friday, the… Continue watching
Feb 29 Watch 6:14 Cameroon, Nigeria join forces to free Boko Haram hostages By PBS News Hour Hundreds of hostages held by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram were freed over the weekend after a joint raid by Cameroonian and Nigerian forces. The raid followed increased U.S. military efforts to cooperate with regional governments against the jihadist… Continue watching
Oct 22 Watch 5:10 In rescue raid on Islamic State prison, U.S. military advisors step back onto Iraq battlefield By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Jun 24 Watch 6:49 Refusing to pay ransom won’t stop kidnapping, says former hostage By PBS News Hour The White House cleared the path for the families of hostages to be able to pay ransom, and offered other changes for how the government handles hostage cases. Chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner gets reaction from Michael Scott Moore,… Continue watching
Jun 24 Watch 3:01 Shifting policy, Obama pledges U.S. will ‘stand by’ families of hostages By PBS News Hour As the number of American hostage deaths have surged in the past year, some families have spoken out about being threatened with prosecution for considering paying ransom and feeling stonewalled by the government. Judy Woodruff reports on the White House’s… Continue watching
Jun 24 With policy shift, hostage family hopes to be last ‘that fails to receive’ government support By Larisa Epatko President Barack Obama announced a retooled hostage policy aimed at correcting the sense many families have that the government has let them down, he said Wednesday. One hostage family responds. Continue reading