Trump announces recovery of US citizen held hostage in Yemen

Posted By: Staff
February 25, 2019 @ 4:31 pm
ABC Politics

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btgbtg/iStock(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump announced Monday the release and recovery of Danny Burch, a U.S. citizen held hostage in Yemen for 18 months.

“I appreciate the support of the United Arab Emirates in bringing Danny home. Danny’s recovery reflects the best of what the United States and its partners can accomplish,” Trump said in a statement.

Burch, an American oil worker who reportedly had spent years working as an engineer at a state-owned oil company was captured in the country’s capital in 2017, according to the New York Times.

According to a U.S. official, Burch’s rescue was handled diplomatically with no military involvement.

Trump, who released the statement as he traveled to Vietnam for the second summit with North Korea touted the support of the United Arab Emirates in bringing Burch home. The president tweeted Burch has been reunited with his wife and children.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed “deep gratitude” to the UAE for facilitating the release of Burch.

“I applaud the innumerable lines of effort from across the U.S. Government to enable this effort, to include the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Robert O’Brien, U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi, and the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell,” Secretary Pompeo said in a statement.

Trump also touted under his administration he has “secured freedom for 20 American captives.”