US defends Yemen rescue operation

Sana: US officials on Sunday defended President Barack Obama’s decision to launch a special forces rescue operation in Yemen that ended with Al-Qaeda killing an American photojournalist and a South African teacher.Saturday’s US commando raid to free 33-year-old American Luke Somers came two days after the kidnappers had issued a video in which they threatened to kill him within 72 hours.

But it also came a day before the South African hostage, 57-year-old Pierre Korkie, had been due to be released under a negotiated deal.“The United States will spare no effort to use all of its military, intelligence, and diplomatic capabilities to bring Americans home safely, wherever they are located,” President obama  said.The South African government said Sunday it was “deeply saddened” by the killing of Korkie.

It said in a statement that it had undertaken “numerous initiatives... to help secure Mr Korkie’s release.”A top US lawmaker said on Sunday he agreed with the president's decision to carry out the raid.“The intelligence was good,” Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN television.

Korkie and his wife Yolande, who had worked as teachers in Yemen for four years, were kidnapped by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in May 2013.She was released in January and the Gift of Givers charity said logistical arrangements had already been put in place to fly Korkie out of Yemen on Sunday. Saturday’s operation saw 40 US commandos dropped by helicopter 10 kilometres from where Somers and Korkie were being held in the southeastern province of Shabwa.