Trump meets with man held hostage in Yemen
President Trump met with Danny Burch, the American held hostage in Yemen, and his family to the White House Wednesday.
Burch was freed after he was held captive for a year and a half by Yemeni rebels. Burch had been living in the country and working for an oil company when he was abducted by armed gunmen in broad daylight in the capital of Sana, according to his family at the time. Sana is controlled by Iranian-backed Houthi revels, who are in an intense conflict with the Yemen government and Sunni countries led by Saudi Arabia.
During the meeting, Mr. Trump addressed a report that North Korea is rebuilding one of its missile test sites, saying he would be very "disappointed" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if that was the case. The president's summit with Kim ended abruptly last week without a deal, after the North Koreans, in Mr. Trump's estimation, demanded too much without giving up enough.
"I would be very disappointed if that were happening, very early report," the president said. "I would be very very disappointed in Chairman Kim and I don't think I will be."
Mr. Trump announced Burch's release on Twitter last week.
It is my honor today to announce that Danny Burch, a United States citizen who has been held hostage in Yemen for 18 months, has been recovered and reunited with his wife and children. I appreciate the support of the United Arab Emirates in bringing Danny home...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2019
"Recovering American hostages is a priority of my Admin, and with Danny's release, we have now secured freedom for 20 American captives since my election victory," Mr. Trump also tweeted. "We will not rest as we continue our work to bring the remaining American hostages back home!"
Mr. Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo thanked the United Arab Emirates for Burch's release.
"The United States expresses our deep gratitude to the United Arab Emirates, its people, and its leadership in facilitating the release of Mr. Burch," Pompeo said in a statement last week. "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. These efforts reflect the best of what America and its partners can accomplish."