Qatar secures release of abducted American journalist in Syria

Qatari mediation efforts helped to secure the release of American journalist, Peter Theo Curtis, who was kidnapped in Syria by al-Qaeda linked Jabhat Al-Nusra two years ago, Anadolu news agency reported.

The Qatari News Agency, QNA reported a statement by the Qatari Foreign Ministry on Sunday evening saying that “based on the directives of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and on humanitarian grounds, the State of Qatar efforts have succeeded in securing the release of the American journalist, Peter Theo Curtis, who has been kidnapped in Syria since 2012”.

The statement added “On directives of Sheikh Tamim, the competent authorities in the State of Qatar exerted relentless efforts to secure the release of the American journalist out of Qatar’s belief in the principles of humanity, and its keenness on the lives of individuals and their right to freedom and dignity”.

The ministry’s statement pointed out that Curtis was handed over to the United Nations peacekeeping mission. The statement did not elaborate on the details of the Qatari efforts to bring about the release of the American journalist.

US Secretary of State, John Kerry announced Sunday the release of the American journalist who was kidnapped two years ago by members of the Nusra Front in Syria.

Kerry said in a statement: “the abducted American journalist, Peter Theo Curtis has been released and is currently safe out of Syria, and we expect him to be reunited with his family shortly”, adding “the United Nations handed Curtis over to representatives of the US government after carrying a medical examination on him”.

The Islamic State, IS, released a video last week revealing the beheading of US journalist, James Foley, who went missing in November 2012 after he left to Syria to cover the civil war there on behalf of the Global Post. The radical organization threatened that it will execute another US journalist, Stephen Sutlov, if the United States did not stop its air strikes against the organization’s sites in northern Iraq.