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In
December 2014, Somers appeared in a video that was issued by AQAP. The video, which is aimed at the United States government, includes an AQAP official saying that the United States has three days to meet their demands. In the video, the official also says that "otherwise the American hostage held
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Information "indicated that Luke's life was in imminent danger," said US President Barack Obama. "Based on this assessment, and as soon as there was reliable intelligence and an operational plan, I authorized a rescue attempt." He condemned the "barbaric murder" of Somers. "The callous disregard for
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Details surrounding the mission remain classified as of
December 4, 2014. It is believed that Somers had been moved from the hostage site before the special operators in the mission arrived there. Previous intelligence indicated that some hostages had been moved several days earlier, but it was not
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Somers was described by his friend as "a great man with a kind heart who really loves the Yemeni people and the country ... He was so dedicated in trying to help change Yemen's future, to do good things for the people that he didn't leave the country his entire time here."
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Somers' mother and brother posted a video online in response to the AQAP's video. In the video, they pleaded with AQAP to "show mercy," and appealed for Somers' release. They also said Somers was only "trying to do good things for the Yemeni population."
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when they were spotted by the militants. A firefight ensued. When the
American soldiers finally entered the building where Somers and Korkie were kept, they found both men alive, but gravely wounded. The US forces pulled Somers and Korkie onto
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by us will meet his inevitable fate." The video does not specify the demands AQAP want the United States to meet. The mission to rescue Somers was disclosed in response to the release of the video by AQAP.
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teacher also held by al-Qaeda militants in Yemen, which followed US drone strikes in the area. The rescuers, backed by Yemeni ground forces, advanced within 100 meters of the compound in
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Luke's life is more proof of the depths of AQAP's depravity, and further reason why the world must never cease in seeking to defeat their evil ideology," Obama said in a statement.
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launched a secret mission to attempt to rescue Somers in
November 2014, but the mission was unsuccessful. On December 4, they disclosed the fact that this mission had occurred.
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His work was featured at the 2016 Yemeni Film & Arts
Festival in New York. They were part of an exhibit at New York University's Kevorkian Center in Manhattan.
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Somers, a teacher and photographer, was abducted a year ago in Sanaa where he had been working as a freelance photographer for the Yemen Times.
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112:(29 August 1981 – 6 December 2014) was a British-born American photojournalist who had been held hostage by the militant Islamist group
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Somers was kidnapped in
September 2013 from a street in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, where he worked as a freelancer for the Yemen Times.
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303:, and medical teams began performing surgery in midair. Korkie died during the flight and Somers died after the Ospreys landed on the
223:. Friends of Luke Somers also organized petitions, vigils, Twitter pages, and Facebook groups to gather support for his safe release.
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120:. He was a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United States. He traveled to Egypt before settling in Yemen.
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On
December 6, 2014, about 40 US special operations forces were involved in the attempt to rescue Luke Somers and
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283:(AQAP) threatened to execute Somers within three days if the US government failed to meet unspecified demands.
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His work was shown on April 15–17, 2016 at the
Friends Meeting of Washington, DC. His work can be found on his
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with a bachelor's degree in creative writing in 2008, and later traveled to Egypt before settling in Yemen.
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726:"My colleague Luke Somers and the photos he took before his capture and death at the hands of Al-Qaida"
518:"My colleague Luke Somers and the photos he took before his capture and death at the hands of Al-Qaida"
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Numerous news organizations, friends around the world, and family mobilized to save Somers. Yemen's
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1060:"Timeline: How US Missed the Chance to Rescue Luke Somers, American Al Qaeda Hostage"
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1023:"Al-Qaeda affiliate threatens to kill U.S. hostage after rescue attempt in Yemen"
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Alastair
Jamieson, Jim Miklaszewski and Charlene Gubash (December 6, 2014).
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Hostages Luke Somers and Pierre Korkie killed during rescue attempt in Yemen
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Somers worked as a freelance journalist. His pictures were featured in the
1047:"US Acknowledges Rescue Mission in Yemen Last Week to Rescue Luke Somers"
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875:"American Hostage Luke Somers' Mother to Al Qaeda: 'Please, Show Mercy'"
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927:"National Yemen Newspaper Appeals Al-Qaeda To Save Luke Somers's Life"
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1089:"US forces raid al-Qaeda hideout in Yemen; hostages reported killed"
261:, but none of the Western hostages, including Somers, were found.
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601:"Beloit College grad threatened by Yemen's al-Qaida in new video"
501:. KING 5 News. Associated Press. December 4, 2014. Archived from
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Beloit
College grad threatened by Yemen's al-Qaida in new video
499:"Family of hostage with ties to Washington pleads for 'mercy'"
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758:"U.S. discloses failed attempt to rescue American in Yemen"
639:"Yemeni Arts Festival Features Photos by Former US Hostage"
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War photographers killed while covering military conflicts
570:"U.S. Hostage Luke Somers Killed During Yemen Rescue Bid"
461:"Luke Somers, American Killed In Yemen, Had 'Wanderlust'"
442:"Luke Somers, American Killed In Yemen, Had 'Wanderlust'"
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1117:"Barack Obama condemns 'barbaric murder' of Luke Somers"
953:"CPJ calls for release of U.S. journalist held in Yemen"
785:"2 Hostages Killed in Yemen as U.S. Rescue Effort Fails"
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Al-Qaeda in Yemen threatens to kill British-born hostage
1142:"American Hostage Luke Somers Killed in Rescue Attempt"
900:"Luke Somers: Yemen hostage's family in video appeal"
400:"Yemen hostage: US reveals bid to rescue Luke Somers"
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850:. Associated Press. December 4, 2014. Archived from
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newspaper appealed to save Somers' life, as did the
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844:"Pentagon confirms failed effort to rescue Somers"
783:Kareem Fahim and Eric Schmitt (December 6, 2014).
479:"Video: What Went Wrong in the Luke Somers Rescue"
275:December 2014 US hostage rescue operation in Yemen
645:. Associated Press. April 5, 2016. Archived from
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386:UK Birth Registers, Westminster, vol 15, p. 2279
344:Al-Qaida threatens to kill U.S. photojournalist
1168:"US hostage Luke Somers dies after rescue bid"
816:"Al-Qaida hostage Luke Somers shown in video"
8:
1049:, ABCNews.go.com; accessed December 7, 2014.
427:, thetimes.co.uk; accessed December 7, 2014.
253:, was successful in freeing six Yemenis, an
245:The mission, an assault on a cave in remote
204:, the capital of Yemen, in September 2013.
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172:. He was a freelance photographer for the
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1250:British emigrants to the United States
346:, UPI.com; accessed December 6, 2014.
925:Fakhri Al-Arashi (December 4, 2014).
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377:, Wsj.com; accessed December 6, 2014.
265:then known if Somers was among them.
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873:Hameed, Mustafa (December 4, 2014).
358:, cbc.ca; accessed December 7, 2014.
200:Somers was kidnapped by Al Qaeda in
1285:21st-century American photographers
326:List of solved missing person cases
321:List of journalists killed in Yemen
231:After being authorized to do so by
1290:21st-century British photographers
1021:Goldman, Adam (December 3, 2014).
701:. December 6, 2014. Archived from
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1280:21st-century American journalists
802:He had been captured by Al Qaeda.
599:Ahmed Al-Haj (December 4, 2014).
281:Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
114:al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
1295:21st-century British journalists
221:Committee to Protect Journalists
1205:Luke Somers' profile at Demotix
233:President of the United States
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1265:Missing person cases in Yemen
1235:American people taken hostage
724:TIK ROOT (December 6, 2014).
543:"Somers' work for Al Jazeera"
516:TIK ROOT (December 6, 2014).
1275:Victims of Islamic terrorism
1255:British people taken hostage
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951:Staff (December 4, 2014).
814:Staff (December 4, 2014).
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53:December 6, 2014 (aged 33)
1260:Foreign hostages in Yemen
1240:American photojournalists
440:Staff, Associated Press.
1196:Luke Somers' photographs
128:Early life and education
247:Hagr As Sai'ar District
459:The Associated Press.
251:Hadhramaut Governorate
142:Sacramento, California
1245:Beloit College alumni
373:December 5, 2014, at
279:On December 4, 2014,
854:on December 11, 2014
227:First rescue attempt
148:. He graduated from
613:on December 5, 2014
296:Shabwah Governorate
132:Somers was born in
73:Complications from
70:Cause of death
1174:. December 6, 2014
1148:. December 6, 2014
1066:. December 4, 2014
1002:. December 3, 2014
1000:"Free Luke Somers"
980:. December 3, 2014
978:"Free Luke Somers"
906:. December 5, 2014
790:The New York Times
764:. December 4, 2014
705:on January 2, 2015
675:. December 6, 2014
606:The Daily Cardinal
549:. December 5, 2014
406:. December 4, 2014
146:Renton, Washington
110:Luke Daniel Somers
32:Luke Daniel Somers
1093:Stars and Stripes
649:on April 16, 2016
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175:Yemen Times
81:Nationality
22:Luke Somers
1214:Categories
699:LukeSomers
673:LukeSomers
547:Al Jazeera
332:References
196:Kidnapping
170:Al Jazeera
116:(AQAP) in
100:Occupation
653:April 10,
255:Ethiopian
154:Wisconsin
1172:BBC News
1064:ABC News
904:BBC News
879:ABC News
575:NBC News
484:ABC News
404:BBC News
371:Archived
315:See also
957:CPJ.org
762:Reuters
522:PBS.org
192:pages.
190:Demotix
138:England
43:England
257:and a
202:Sana'a
186:Corbis
160:Career
134:London
95:(2008)
61:, off
39:London
269:Death
259:Saudi
118:Yemen
63:Yemen
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290:, a
188:and
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35:1981
28:Born
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730:PBS
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