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Friday 13 OctOber 2017
Kelly: North Korea threat ‘manageable’ US-Canadian family freed in

By MATTHEW PENNINGTON should be concerned come more problematic Pakistan: Captive for 5 years
Associated Press about North Korea. He said over time if North Korea’s
WASHINGTON (AP) — the North has developed capability “grows beyond By JILL COLVIN,
White House Chief of Staff a “pretty good” intercon- where it is today.” LOLITA C. BALDOR
John Kelly said Thursday tinental ballistic missile ca- “Let’s hope that diploma- MUNIR AHMED
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Five years after being taken hos-
tage in Afghanistan, an American woman and her Cana-
dian husband are free, along with their three children, all
born in captivity. They were released in a dramatic con-
frontation punctuated by gunfire, officials said Thursday,
though the circumstances were not entirely clear.
U.S. officials said Pakistan accomplished the release of
Caitlan Coleman of Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, and her
husband, Canadian Joshua Boyle, who were abducted
and held by the Haqqani network, which has ties to the
Taliban and is considered a terrorist organization by the
United States.
Coleman was pregnant when abducted and gave birth
to her three children while a captive, officials said.
“Today they are free,” President Donald Trump said in a
statement, crediting the U.S. government with securing
the release “working in conjunction with the Government
of Pakistan.”
Trump later praised Pakistan for its willingness to “do more
to provide security in the region” and said the release
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House in suggests other “countries are starting to respect the Unit-
Washington, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017. ed States of America once again.”
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh) The Pakistani military said the family had been freed in
the North Korean nuclear pability and is developing cy works,” he said. “an intelligence-based operation by Pakistan troops” af-
and missile threat is “man- a nuclear re-entry vehicle, Trump on Wednesday ter they’d crossed the border from Afghanistan.
ageable” for now but the which is needed for a mis- conceded differences on Boyle and the High Commissioner for Pakistan to Canada
isolated nation can’t be al- sile to survive re-entry into North Korea with Secretary described a scene in which gunshots rang out as Boyle,
lowed to develop the abil- the Earth’s atmosphere. of State Rex Tillerson, who his wife and their children were intercepted by Pakistani
ity to strike the U.S. home- Then he spelled out a bot- advocates keeping open forces while being transported in the trunk of their cap-
land. tom line.“I think I speak for the possibility of negotia- tors’ car. Boyle told his parents there’d been a shoot-out
Although President Donald the administration, that tions with Kim’s authoritar- and that the last words he’d heard from the kidnappers
Trump recently declared that state can simply not ian government. were, “kill the hostage,” his father, Patrick told The Toronto
his top diplomat was “wast- have the ability to reach “I think perhaps I feel stron- Star after speaking with his son. Three intelligence officials
ing his time” trying to nego- the homeland,” Kelly said. ger and tougher on that said the confrontation happened near a road crossing
tiate with the North, Kelly He said there’s already subject than other peo- in the Nawa Kili area of the district of Kohat in northwest
said he hopes diplomacy “great concern” about ple,” Trump said in the Oval Pakistan.
works before the nation Americans who live in Office. “But I listen to every- The high commissioner, Tariq Azim Khan, said, “We know
can develop its weapons Guam. North Korea in Au- body and ultimately I will there was a shootout and Pakistan commandos carried
capabilities further. gust threatened to fire do what’s right for the Unit- out an attack and rescued the hostages.”
Kelly comments at a White a salvo of intermediate ed States and really what’s The Pakistani military said early Thursday the family was
House news conference range missiles toward the right for the world,” he said, “being repatriated to the country of their origin.”
were milder than Trump’s U.S. Pacific island territory, adding, “it’s a problem But as of Thursday midday, the family’s precise where-
recent pronouncements. a major military hub and that has to be solved.” abouts were unclear, and it was not immediately known
Over the past three weeks home to U.S. bombers that Trump has hinted at a pref- when they would return to North America. The family was
the president has ex- periodically fly missions erence for military options, not in U.S. custody, though they were together in a safe,
changed threats and per- over the divided Korean although a strike on North undisclosed location in Pakistan, according to a U.S. na-
sonal insults with North Ko- Peninsula.“Right now we Korea could leave close tional security official, who wasn’t authorized to discuss
rean leader Kim Jong Un, think the threat is manage- U.S. ally South Korea vul- the case publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
escalating tensions. able,” he said, but added nerable to North Korean A U.S. military official said that a military hostage team
Kelly said that Americans the situation would be- military retaliation.q had flown to Pakistan Wednesday, prepared to fly the
family out. The team did a preliminary health assessment
Trump to bash Iran in decertifying deal of the family and had a transport plane ready to go. But

By MATTTHEW LEE will also focus on an array takingly negotiated over sometime after daybreak there, as the family members
were walking to the plane, Boyle said he did not want to
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- of Iran’s troubling non-nu- 18 months by the Obama board.
dent Donald Trump plans to clear activities, four officials administration and deter- Another U.S. official said Boyle was nervous about being
deliver a broad and harsh and advisers said. Those mine if it remains a national in “custody” given his background.
critique of Iran in a speech include Tehran’s ballistic security priority. Although Boyle was once married to Zaynab Khadr, the older sister
Friday declaring that the missile program, support Trump intends to say Iran is of former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr and
landmark Iran nuclear deal for Syrian President Bashar living up to the letter of the the daughter of a late senior al-Qaida financier. Her fa-
is not in America’s national Assad, Lebanon’s Hezbol- agreement, he will make ther, Ahmed Said Khadr, and the family stayed with Osa-
security interests, accord- lah movement and other the case that the deal is ma bin Laden briefly when Omar Khadr was a boy.
ing to U.S. officials and out- groups destabilize the re- fatally flawed and that its The Canadian-born Omar Khadr was 15 when he was
side advisers to the admin- gion.Under U.S. law, Trump non-nuclear behavior vio- captured by U.S. troops following a firefight at a suspect-
istration.Trump’s speech faces a Sunday deadline lates the spirit of the region- ed al-Qaida compound. He was taken to Guantanamo
from the White House will to notify Congress whether al stability it was intended and ultimately charged with war crimes by a military
outline specific faults he Iran is complying with the to encourage, the officials commission. Continuacion on Page 27
finds in 2015 accord but accord that was pains- and advisers said. q