American kidnapped in Pakistan begs Obama to negotiate with al Qaeda for his release.
NBC News is reporting that Warren Weinstein, a Jewish American kidnapped by al Qaeda in Pakistan two years ago feels forgotten by the Obama administration. He said:
“I hope and pray to God that you, as leader of the United States, along with your administration, will feel an adequate level of responsibility toward me and work for my release.”
But he’s not the only American who’s imprisoned/being mistreated or tortured/left to die in a foreign country by the Obama administration. MSN published this list of our fellow countrymen in the clutches of hostile nations in September.
Here’s a summary from that article, with links to relevant websites. Click on the links to find out how each of us can help bring them home.
IRAN: AMIR HEKMATI
A former U.S. Marine accused of working for the CIA, he’s in solitary confinement in the hellhole known as Evin Prison (where Saeed Abedini has also been sent to die). Hekmati is an American of Iranian descent– born in Arizona– who earned a Combat Action Ribbon as a translator in Iraq.
Free Amir Hekmati Facebook page
American ‘spy’ hits back at Iranian captors
IRAN: ROBERT LEVINSON
Jewish American Bob Levinson has been held hostage in Iran since March of 2007. Recently Secretary of State John Kerry told CNN that he hasn’t been abandoned, he just hasn’t been brought back yet (??!!!).
Help Bob Levinson Facebook page
Family of Robert Levinson, US ‘Spy’ in Iran, Demands Meeting With FBI’s Comey
IRAN: SAEED ABEDINI
A Christian American pastor with a family back in Idaho, he’s been in Iranian custody since mid-2012 and the nuclear “deal” recently struck with Iran doesn’t even mention him. Abedini is a naturalized American citizen originally from Iran.
Pray for Pastor Saeed Abedini Facebook page
CUBA: ALAN GROSS
Gross is a Jewish American subcontractor working for USAID who was arrested four years ago. He also feels that his country has abandoned him and appealed to Obama in a letter earlier this month.
Alan Gross, former USAID contractor jailed in Cuba, appeals to Obama to intervene
Why Won’t the U.S. Help Alan Gross?
AFGHANISTAN: BOWE BERGDAHL
U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is a POW captured in Afghanistan by Taliban allies in June of 2009. Like Saeed Abedini, he is from Idaho. Some consider him a deserter, but whatever the truth is, he should not remain in Afghanistan, where he’s used for propaganda purposes.
Obama leaves American POW Sgt. Bowe Robert Bergdahl to Rot in Afghanistan – Provides Only Excuses
In May of 2014 Bergdahl was released. Many veterans have called him a deserter, referencing the note left in his tent saying that he was starting a new life, emails to his family expressing criticisms of America, and other evidence that’s surfaced. Some have connected the deaths of six soldiers to his desertion, at least indirectly, and the Army has been investigating him. As of 8/20/14, Bergdahl’s indicated that he wants to leave the Army and go to college. Many are asking if it should be that simple.
COLOMBIA: KEVIN SCOTT SUTAY
Sutay was released in October 2013 after four months in captivity.
Colombian guerrillas release American hostage
NORTH KOREA: KENNETH BAE
American Christian Kenneth Bae, a local man who lived in Lynnwood, Washington before moving to China, has been imprisoned in the world’s largest prison camp (North Korea) for over a year. Like the other Americans whose government hasn’t come for him yet, he needs serious medical assistance, and he’s been sentenced to hard labor in spite of it. The Christian Post says there are at least 100,000 other Christians being persecuted in North Korea’s prison camps.
Editorial: Don’t forget Kenneth Bae still held in North Korea
NORTH KOREA: MERRILL NEWMAN
Newman, an 85 year-old American veteran from California, was detained by North Korea for more than a month. In an indignity that he should have never experienced, he had to read a statement apologizing for serving in the Korean War. He was able to come home in early December. I was absolutely furious that North Korea chose to make an example out of an elderly American veteran. It shows how juvenile and degenerate their government is.
US vet Merrill Newman, 85, home from North Korea
PAKISTAN: WARREN WEINSTEIN
Weinstein is the Jewish American mentioned at the beginning of this article. He has previously appealed to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu because he doesn’t believe the U.S. is listening to him.The letters that he’s sent to the Obama administration have not resulted in his release. Weinstein is one of the founders of the Human Rights Internet and has taught subjects like human rights and ethnic conflict.
‘I Have Been Totally Abandoned and Forgotten,’ Captive Says
JAMES FOLEY: SYRIA
Foley, a freelance journalist, disappeared in Syria over a year ago.
***
Update, 8/20/14: The demonic terrorist group ISIS appears to have murdered Foley by beheading him with a knife. This is a direct terrorist strike at America. A second American journalist, Steven Sotloff, had his life threatened in the video of Foley’s execution. Although a secret mission to rescue Foley and other Americans was supposedly launched this summer, official reports say the Americans weren’t where intelligence said they were. I am outraged at the failure of our government to do more to bring these men home and the fact that terrorists just killed an American (in front of a camera). RIP James. You faced death itself with dignity and courage.
***
This CNN article names even more Americans held in these bastions of evil recently: U.S.: American Merrill Newman ‘in hand’ after he’s ‘deported’ from North Korea.
Does it strike anyone else as interesting that at least two of these men are devout Christians and three are Jewish?
There is no excuse. I hear some people say, “oh, if they didn’t want to wind up in this situation, they shouldn’t have been there in the first place.” If you were imprisoned in a foreign country, you’d want your country to come for you. And these are men of honor whose offenses were serving others, fighting for freedom, and sharing information in hostile territories, which takes more courage and fortitude than most of us have.
It is tragic that these men’s families– or the men themselves– have to write letters to Obama to try and be heard. The U.S. government should be doing everything they can to bring every one of these Americans home without prompting. It’s sickening that their friends and supporters have to run grassroots campaigns, circulate petitions, and work hard to keep these cases in the public eye. They should be able to depend on their government to bring their loved ones home in short order.
Please visit these websites and find out how you can contribute. Everyone can do something– “like” a page, send the link on, reblog this post, write Congress or the White House, tell a friend. We need to push and push and push until these brave Americans– our fellow countrymen– arrive safely back on U.S. soil.
*************************************************************************************
To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
-Teddy Roosevelt
*************************************************************************************
©2013 H. Hiatt/wildninjablog.com. All articles/posts on this blog are copyrighted original material that may not be reproduced in part or whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from H. Hiatt/wildninjablog.com.
Truth, Justice, and All-American Allergen-Free Apple Pie 
Thanks for posting this…how very sad.
LikeLike
It really is. Not only should our government not be releasing prisoners/spies/terrorists to these nations, sending aid to them, and striking deals with them when they’re holding our people, but it’s tragic that millions more Americans aren’t demanding their release.
LikeLike