‘I have great news for you’: the moment Barack Obama told father of Somalia hostage she had been freed

Mr Buchanan, who said that his 32-year-old daughter was “doing well under
the circumstances,” added that the telephone call had left him “flabbergasted.”

“I’m extremely proud and glad to be an American. I didn’t know this was
going to transpire. I’m glad it did,” he said.

Members of Navy SEAL Team Six, a number of whom took part in the Somali raid,
have become heroes to the American public since killing Osama bin Laden last
May.

In the latest high-stakes mission, the SEALS were parachuted into Somalia in
the dead of night, before hiking two miles to the compound where the
hostages were being held. All nine gunmen guarding Miss Buchanan, and Mr
Thisted, 60, died in the raid.

The released hostages, who had been working for the Danish Refugee Council at
the time of their capture, were taken to the nearby African nation of
Djibouti, where they were able to briefly telephone their families.

They were then flown to the naval air station in Sigonella, Sicily, before
being given a health check at a nearby medical facility.

Mr Obama gave the go-ahead for the mission on Monday evening, and learnt of
its success around two hours before delivering the keynote State of the
Union address.

He was heard by television microphones congratulating Leon Panetta, the US
defence secretary, as he entered Congress, saying “Leon, good job
tonight,” but his remarks were not understood until news of the raid
emerged the following morning.

Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, said: “The decision to go ahead
with this rescue mission was made because there was information concerning
the deteriorating health of Miss Buchanan, as well as a window of
opportunity to execute this mission.”

The President has repeatedly praised the SEALS who were involved in the bin
Laden mission, saying in his speech that an American flag emblazoned with
their names is one of his proudest possessions.

Despite the earlier concerns for her health, Miss Buchanan is said to be in a
good condition. She is understood to have begun working for the Danish aid
group around two years ago, after going to Scandinavia with her Swedish
then-husband. She went out to Somalia soon after they divorced.

Somalia and its surrounding waters have been plagued by piracy and the
kidnapping of Westerners in recent years.

In November 2010, British hostages Paul and Rachel Chandler were released
after 13 months in captivity.

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