Imtiaz Sooliman – Briefing on Pierre Korkies murder
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the need for a letter to confirm funeral plans for families lost by loved ones. They emphasize the importance of peer-to-peer treatment and staying in a safe environment. They also discuss the need for visa holders to go to Dubai and the devastating impact of recent unrest. They mention a disturbing situation involving a woman who lost her life and was supposed to go to a trap, but they were unsure if she was there. The conversation is difficult to follow.
AI: Summary ©
Does it mean the end that they're not going to go back? But the
tribal leaders told us that we gave your chief, your your tribal
leader, your share, the guarantee that we will do our best, and we
give the guarantee, on behalf of all Yemeni people, that because
South Africans have helped us so much, but all the work that you've
done in our country, we will fight till the end. Tell it us it's not
possible. So yes, we will go back, but this is the last time we're
going back. If they say no, and there's no compromise, it's over
permanently. We are not going back at all for fear, and this is
final. So you need to understand that eventually, within the travel
leaders itself, they said they made an arrangement. The ransom is
virtually waived, but there will be a facilitation fee to be shared
between the different groups, but more so to cover the cost of those
family members who died, and the costs are going up and down. It
was in the region of $200,000 they were looking at that kind of
figure to say, look, the ransom is waived, and between the five
tribes are the different groups and the family that has to be
compensated, and everything taken to take Piao, to bring him to
Sana, to get him on the plane, to see how people to get in South
Africa. We look around that region. The family in principle
agreed, and Al Qaida in principle agreed on 26 November, 6am they
said, We agree. And they said, you can have Pierre within three
weeks. They said the reason we're giving a time deadline is because,
as you know, we've been being attacked, and our hostages are
being freed, and we can't for our own security. We can't tell you
where. We can't tell you how it will get very short notice and but
in principle, yes, we agree. I don't just figure what you guys
are talking about. Facilitation fee. Now what is not clear is
where the $20,000 are going to them was being shared between the
tribal leaders and to cover the cost. That wasn't our problem. We
just know, you know, they're going to cover between themselves and
take PR, whatever discuss, I don't know, and today, on on Thursday,
understood Yemen told the tribal leaders that are coming to
finalize this package, and the arrangement was made. But if the
preliminaries were meeting him this morning, when I got the news,
just after six, the tribal leaders and others were in the meeting
already, and they were preparing the final arrangements. What did
themselves? They don't give the leaders how they're going to do
that, that they will meet Al Qaeda either today or tomorrow, and that
we had, we were, we were just told to make the arrangements how to
get peer out of Yemen. The problem is because of the infighting, Sana
has become very, very unsafe. In fact, last week, I just had to put
the phone down. There was a heavy fighting and bombing outside his
house in India because of the street fight for the different
tribal groups and the different dalwati movement and the Sunni
tribes and the Yemeni army, sort of fighting. And he said, You
know, it's Asana is unsafe. And one of the options we were looking
at is to fly for Asians, bring him out to Asians, because that's
where the tribal leaders are, and move him directly to Istanbul.
South Africans don't need to go to Istanbul. The only airline that
flies to Aden airport is Turkish Airlines. So the safest way to
send him out, what movies are requirements was for aided Turkey.
We also told yolani It would be best for her to fly to Turkey
Istanbul to meet him there. Remember, P is there completely,
and you can't listen to anything. You can't talk to him on the
phone. You can't explain to him anything. The other major problem
that we had is, how was he going to know that he's been released?
Was
he being handed over to another group to be sold again? How would
he know that? So that was a concern, and I told you to prepare
a letter in Afrikaans that the tribal leaders will then be more
as part of the deal, to say years later, then give it to peer. Alika
read the letter to say that these are the people lives and Yolandi,
I've sent you the letter in Afrikaans whatsoever and things
they have that to something that he will know it's from a and and
to say that you are in safe hands. Now these people will take you to
Aiden, depending on what we hadn't decided on that fully yet what
we're going to do, but that was one of the options. And once it
gets to Aden, you're pastor will be sent to you by the scientific
journal. And from there you will be thrown directly to Istanbul,
where I will meet you. That was the letter that was followed very
and prepared to be handed over to him, Jonah. He was then going to
fly to Turkey, but there was still one precondition to that. It all
depended on Psalm. If PR was not good enough, we have to get in
medical treatment in Yemen. Then the problem was to take him to
sana or somewhere private hospital, and for that arrangement
with a private company with a private jet to fly him safely into
Sanat and move him to the hospital. If that didn't work, the
second option was to get him frequent in Turkey, because we
have connections in Turkey also,
and if he was fine, the best option was to fly into South
Africa. In South Africa, there were two options, either getting
treated by a government, military hospital, but jolati preferred
having him in Bloemfontein. She said, many doctors are peers,
friends, and they will take care of him because they know the
history. And she said, I would prefer peerb.
Him at home. One of the conditions, of course, was we were
not going to tell you guys until she was already in property, and
she said, Please no press conference. I said, I understand
it, because it will be psychologically, emotionally, but
destroyed here in that state for 17 months. You can't have a lot of
journalists bombarding him, but she agreed to have a press
conference. But here two days later, you know, after he has sort
of reconciled with his family, had some treatment counseling, being
with his kids, and they agreed, he said, Look, I will do that for the
video for South African public, because they've stood best, and we
appreciate everything that they've done for us. So she agreed to
that. We all decided, all the sits on my phone, all the fundamental
proof is there. Then, you know, we've been talking about this for
the last week, just to say the most important thing, of course,
was peer, his safety, his mental state, his physical state. Your
life is state, the Children's State. And she keeps telling me,
You know what? It's 18 months now, my kids haven't seen peer or heard
from here. They haven't. They missing their father terribly. I
haven't spoken dream on Dream 10 in 11 months. I understand my
message. He said, Look. I said, understand where. I said, maybe a
Wednesday, 10th December, we will have peer back in South Africa.
And he sent me a message back to say how good that will be, because
on 10th January, we took Burundi out, and on 10th January we have
peer back in South Africa. I said, less be positive, but I have still
negative thought that something mustn't go wrong.
I had a premonition last night
when Anna sent me a message. I said, Anas, do you? Did you hear
the news? He tells me that al Qaeda is threatening to execute
the American hostage. I said, that is my biggest fear. And when they
said three days time, I said, I think they're going to do it. And
I said, because they will agree to show the point to show point to
say, Look, don't attack us. And I said, they're going to do it. And
my biggest fear is, before they do that, the American troops are
going to attend them. And in the process, pays with a guy, this is
my message to him. And I said, I hope this doesn't happen. And then
I said, tell your travel leaders. We cannot move away till Sunday.
We need to get him up on Saturday, get him out today. And we said,
but it gets more dangerous. I said, we've gone so far. We've
made all this effort. It's going to be higher risk. Of course, we
have to have the approval, because they got to be there, not us. And
I said, please. So he said, this morning, early, I'm meeting him.
And I said, I hope my premonition doesn't come true, that if the
attack, Pia will suddenly die. And I spoke to Yolandi also indirect.
I gave that message indirectly to say, what Yolandi I'm only afraid
if the American troops attack. Well, of course, I'm not blaming
them, because Americans have their own hostages as their interest.
South Africans, we have all now hostages at our interest. We all
have our own interests. We have the interest. We have our
interest. And whatever happened has happened, you know, I mean,
which is no benefiting towards anyone. But all I'm saying is, I
hope this doesn't happen. And this morning, six o'clock, we said, God
is great to us. I said, You patient. You've been very good.
You know, we have trusted Almighty to have him home for Christmas. I
told her that last week too, to have him home for Christmas, we
can spend quality time together, and we just get treated and sorted
out. And we are almost there. We are almost done. We are so close.
And I said, I hope I'll give you some good news later this
afternoon or tomorrow morning. He said, But how will I know what to
do? I may go to the wrong country, which country I go to receiving, I
said, Yolandi. The moment PA is in our hands, we will contact the
South African concert. They already know about it there. They
already have the information that they have to be ready. I will tell
you which country to go, who will meet you, where you have to go
out, and you know to go, and what time you have to fly. And all
those arrangements will be made on condition. I can't do that until I
know PS condition. Once I know PS condition, then only can I take a
decision to say whether they can travel or not travel, because they
don't indict so she satisfied. And then she said, Are you sure? Of
course, there was a lot of doubt all of that, because the lady is
on the one side hope and the other side anxiety and fear. And it was
devastation this morning for me. I haven't called yet because I can't
call it out in that state of mind. Imagine having all that hope.
After 11 months of waiting, you are too optimistic. You are told
you ask us to be home by Wednesday, maybe even out
tomorrow, home Wednesday, but out tomorrow, Monday, the latest, and
you get a message to say it's not here anymore. So that's where it
stands now. And of course, understand I still want to see a
body, to put it in Word of Promise, we wanted to see the
information, but as I said, the police negotiator said they have
pictures. So I just said, Look, we'll have to wait 24 hours to 40
to 48
hours. Which negotiators? The South African Police negotiator,
police, police. He hasn't given permission to mention his name
yet, so if he does, I'll mention his name. I His
name was 200,000 paid over. No, it was going to be paid.
It was part of the deal with Americans away that his police had
always been secured. I'm sure they must be, they must be ringing that
the.
Last week, you remember there was an attack on Tuesday, they freed
Kevin OS. On Wednesday, apparently they were attacked again. And in
that attack, there was, they were they thought a British, the
American and Pierre were in a certain place, but when they got
there, they found there was nobody there. On Thursday, there was a
follow up attack, and in that attack, of course, more people
were released. So I can't tell you whether Americans knew where he
was or the negotiation was taking place. Everybody knows the
negotiation was taking place, but not many people knew that he was
going to be
released. How do you know about this?
What is the suit? It comes because my personal books from these
agendas and whatever we do, we direct in contact with the Yemeni
government, for the TPD ministry, with the National Security Agency
of Yemen, because they've been supporting us on the first day,
and even now they were going to hustle. They said, Whatever
systems you need to help get clear out, whatever security you need,
you have our support. The only problem was that, because of the
new party and the changes in the government all the time, we have
to keep talking to new people longer than a week, because it's
very unstable in human at the moment. Do you think the Americans
had the impression that their colleague Alex Summers was about
to be executed? I'm sure, because even they didn't release to the
face when you know what, what was going to be done in three three
days time, they were told they have to do something three years
that I my best feeling
is they would have done it because they didn't before. That's, I have
no doubt about
that. I mean, it's a hostage to hostage situation. It's a crisis
situation, you know, and everybody's working their own
interests. And if I was a son of a government released hostages, I
probably have done something similar, you know, thinking, if I
had an opportunity, thinking if they were to kill my hostage, I
would have done something similar. So I can't accuse them or blame
them for anything. And I mean, you can't point blame fingers at
anyone, because they probably got pressure from their families to
their families to say, why can you take our citizen out? So then I
can't, I'm we're not blaming anybody. It's just unfortunate
that it
has happened. The South African government works on stage.
They probably expect. Look, the police negotiator is South African
government. He's a South African government employee. He is, he's,
he told me, Look, he will inform the government. I don't understand
why he was called directly, but he said he will inform the government
what was his role in the police because
it's a police negotiator. He has been talking to us from the first
day, right? And he has been very supportive. He has been very
supportive to Yolandi. He's been supportive to the family. He tried
to give us advice, you know? He tried to give family advice. And
he's just been there to try to assist in union. Because,
remember, we crashing at straws. There's a negotiator from another
country that also came to sound specifically to assist us. And
then negotiators were involved with us up till yesterday, and
suddenly pulled out if the police negotiated, was contact with the
situations through you? Yes, yes. We reinformed. You know, I never
spoke to him directly. I informed the copy family, because I was in
touch with him for 11 months, all the time, and because they started
the dialog, what the police negotiated and other people, even
though they never and I said, You know what? You carry on that line
of communication, I will speak to you directly, and you contact
them. How do you then contact us? Or you negotiate our people, once
you're working with
embassy in Saudi
Arabia about this impending release, where they are aware,
yes, the passport was even ready. The passport was ready because we
had to remember, we were not sure so. But because of what if
something else was not captured here, we had to inform them in
advance that they have to fly either to sana or to Aden, and
tell us which exit route they going to use. Based on that, we
will know how to pay out. Does it fly to Dubai? You see, there was
one other issue. We could fly the germanism to accompany Pierre.
They could take it to Jordan and Egypt. They don't need visas for
that, but we need visas for that. So that would have been a problem
to go to Dubai. We don't need visa to get into airport, but they need
two weeks to get a visa to go to Dubai. So the only common country
where we could get out, but both South African and Yemeni
accompanying him would be turkey. If a Yemeni was not accompanying
him, and only our Consul embassy, then you can go to Dubai or to
Turkey. So we had all the different options in there. And
also dependent on pay state where we could get the mess medical
facilities, and we wanted to get to a safe country in medical
facilities, if you could put him on a plane for sure, and getting
out of there, we would be happier to do that out of the country.
Sorry, okay, you said the South African commission police
negotiate in Yemen said they have in South Africa, South Africa,
they have pictures. So have they sent? Send it to your.
He didn't have pictures. He was told that the American said they
have pictures, but they need to confirm. For SAP,
how do you consider the seller of increased negotiated for us?
He said, American us? Yes, they're not going to call the government
doesn't. Yeah.
I just wanted to know the rally that was going to be paid off.
Where was
the time for family? The family said to family and friends.
Initially, they said, look, they were not getting money because
people wanted to guarantee that, you know, how's money going to be
used? And eventually, when they were told that it's more, not so
much a ransomware, more facilitation fee to give tribal
leaders to get him out, because, in principle, al Qaeda and after
11 months, but the message that South Africans don't have $3
million they don't have any numbers of $1,000 so the
principle, the angle that they use, was what we put, and in fact,
in the last four weeks, we put in a lot of stuff social work in
different provinces inside Yemen. And it's because of they had seen
that, and they didn't say directly, because I said, not good
for the image, to say, You know what, we sort of accept to take
him out without money
if the confirmation ends, to give his body there. That's a
negotiation between the American government, the only government,
and the South African government. You know, that's really not in
that part of it. Or we, I still need confirmation. And although I
give you all this information and everything that's told to me, I
still need to see KF body to be honest with you,
sorry, where exactly was this? Did this actually take place? How far
outside of China? It's probably most likely. Huddlemore products
is where the al Qaeda consultation is. 100 mode, aa, dra MOU, G can
and the actual site, you were told that the site that there was
logical devastation. Was that from somebody who was there, who saw
it, or was it from the pictures of the American my journalist friend
got that from his infection site information. He just said it was
large scale damage. I'm not sure it's on TV, but whatever it has is
always underperson, correct? So I don't have to ask you, I know
what. It's always any fact. So I when he tells me this, one
building attack, Emily, one buildings attack you tell us
devastation I believe in fully, because they always cross checks
in a million. You spoke about a letter that you had
already written. What did that letter say? What was that letter
for? There were several letters of letter, not only one. No, you
spoke about the one, the one, the one, specifically now was to say,
I don't ask her what's the contents of litter? I said, Write
the letter, because this is a private relationship with marble
and oil. So I said, we don't need to know the contents of the
letter. You write the way that people understand it is you.
That's all you need to tell him. All he has to know he's going to
save hands. That's all I said. And I reminded her, I said, You in the
same position? Remember when he said, Yes, don't I remember that?
She told me, Don't I remember that very well, because I called I
spoke to her that night to say, Yolandi, but she didn't know who I
was. And even after I spoke to as a South African, she still didn't
trust anybody was was on his way to Abu Asmaa Anderson in England,
and his car under himself is a tireless no stage can he go, but
because he has to have the master plan and is to coordinate with the
leaders, his job was to be there, remember,
but he's come out because we had no other way of doing this, and
others had to go build a trap, because they didn't are serious,
you thought something very more control. They had to see him
personally, to think that comes out of hiding is really serious to
take, to risk his life, to show them that we are really serious
about what we're talking so others was an Abu Asmaa body is there
right now too, and he's worth the tribal leaders and shock? What do
we do? I think they don't do anything. We wait for 48 hours, so
at that time we are actually acting still. What the hope that
this information is incorrect, we will proceed to what we're
supposed to
do. But he's dead.
Yes,
I believe if in the attack, you know, because they attack, you say
that attack was so devastating, and if he was in that place, that
is a then most likely is there. The only question, Was he in that
place? It was not that place, because if the tribal leaders
knew, see the part I don't understand, if they know, they
take a man out and agree to a deal with somebody else. Why would they
keep him in place for other hostages, that's the part I can't
be consigned. To me. They should have moved him. Okay. Other
hostages are here. We were no discussion about these hostages.
Keep them outside. This guy, we take him out. So he must go down
to espot. We got to move him somewhere else, because from
there, moving to avian or something. So that's I can't be
consigned. That's why I still have, I believe is there, if you
sit there, yeah, but I have this couple of percent of doubt to say.
Why was it still held in?
And others himself has said, what do we do? And we said, for the for
the hours we still stay as we stick to the plan and wait for
proper confirmation. If there's no confirmation, we contact them and
we go ahead and see if nothing has happened. I.
Yes,
from this morning, from this morning, you know what I mean. Of
course, we can't call them not say hello, you know what. So I mean,
so we have to allow for pinning of cooling, and most likely, we can
try to get a family just to contact them this evening or
tomorrow morning to verify that has happened. That as
a but not obviously they're all trying
to do that. My heart goes up for your landing. You know, she must
be really towards the devastated,
this country. This conversation last time was a lot of anxiety, a
lot of fear, a lot of uncertainty. And after almost five hours of up
and down, you know, one WhatsApp, we finally this morning. Thank you
very much. I'm going to sleep now.
Who was asleep? A person was at peace to say, I'm okay. I'm going
to sleep
and probably now later walk into senior one.
Did the police investigator give you any idea what sort of
confirmation
Americans had? He said they were absolutely shocked. I said, I'm
sure you told me. I mean, why would they phone the government if
they don't shop? They understand ridiculous. And why would you
phone the life of the brand if you don't shop? That doesn't make any
sense. I asked. I said, he said, he said, Look, we had a friend
discussion. You know, we can't make a press release on this. I
said, obviously I can't make a press release. It's got nothing to
do with me. But then he said, probably their first week. I said,
they shouldn't be doing it. The Americans should be doing it.
They're the ones that got information. They did attack and
we again, you're not blaming them, but they need to make an answer.
So he said, What you're saying is right. So he said, we'll wait for
that. I said, then, but I said at the same time, I can guarantee
you, if somebody gets me noticed, 100 million and we can, we have to
say the truth. So he said, I agree with you, what you're saying. And
then I said, Okay, that's one point. But How sure are you that
this has happened? He said they told me directly they have picture
proof, and then they only went in for permission. So I said, if they
so sure, then did they contact your they need to contact your
army. So he said they contacted your learning. So I said, How do
you know that? He said I was part of the press conference, of the
conversation, that what he was conversation, that what he was
conference call, good.
So those were, those were
Americans. That's
what he said, Yeah, family
and friends of your learning, I then the Americans say whether any
hostages were free in this they only spoke about Pierre. They
didn't speak about I don't know. They told the other guy. The only
information he gave me was probably was relevant to me. He
told me Pierre, he didn't talk about American hostages or
anything else that information I got from others. He said
information he has a genuinely idea. And the information is
American is alive. And some people are saying it is that he doesn't
know
about that himself. Tell me I mission. That was his next
question this morning. Do we have admission? And I told him, maybe I
will
read you some of the words you
Alice. This is 815 this morning. Did you hear that Pierre was
killed last night, meaning, in that day of the morning, exactly
what I told you happened. I explained to you at the Commission
last night that they may attack and did that. Who tell you that I
gave the name of the person. He worked on hostage issue. My
English is according to his English, okay? He good man. US
Embassy called him
last night. US troops attack and Pierre got killed in the process,
818, do you think it's sure?
It sounds very definite. The person phoned Yolandi. Yolandi
called peer family. Peer family called me
so I can abort mission.
Then I tell him I know why that hostage guy pulled out. Check
first, just in case there's a mistake, don't Abort mission.
Okay, ask him, Do you get any information? I will reply after
one hour, I'm an avian leaders and with my chef. Okay? Then he says,
USA hostage released to the Crusader. Then I say, any news on
fear? Do you know what happened? He says, I call the National
Security Agency. They say they don't have confirmation about
fear. If he killed
today was big attack.
By us force. They try to destroy everything.
I said, American Embassy confirmed their pictures. They called
Yolanda also,
and I asked him, did How come in attack? American hostage saved and
Pierre died. How's that possible?
Then he said, The chefs said American prefer no sorry. He said
that
Americans would not like to see the hostage being killed by al
Qaeda.
Then he said, Can you send me the speeches? I said, we don't have
them, and we can't get them.
Then they said, defense ministry confirmed us, hostage released,
and UX and New York Times confirmed he is killed,
right? What your advice? I'm confused. I do my best to do
strong I mean shakes. They move to meet Al Qaeda. We will see what
they will do. We may find truth. I said we can't do anything even
system. Americans say, American hostage killed? He says, Yes. He
said, By tomorrow, we will find the truth. He
said, we'll find out if American Americans if killed. He said, You
don't have to confirm this until we find proof. I said, it's all
over on social media. Somebody has put it there already. They said,
Yes, we have to keep count by now. By tomorrow, I will be sure
he will not die. I'm sure I feel that he will be released. He keeps
telling me that news of your New York Times, what he says here, New
York Times said he killed but 10 Yemeni, there is no other
foreigners.
Tell you I need to keep process and not wait. Dennis is starting
massaging media, calling them, I said, he said, What was I tell
him? I said, tell him whatever you know. I said, Do he ask me? Do you
have proof to confirm your skill? You must confirm. I said, American
informed embassy. Informed our government. They can't lie about
that. He said there is Iranian and German hostage also. So what do we
do now? I said, we wait two days. Okay?
I said, I won't answer for any media. I'm not in the mood to say
anything. He's very upset. He doesn't want to talk. He's like he
doesn't want to do the tribal leaders. So I said we wait for two
days, but either this evening or tomorrow morning, we will probably
try to get recognition
from al Qaeda directly if DHS will
not be killed, the guys that we talking to,
a n, a s, a L, Second, a l, dash, H, A M, a T, I. The ti
so it was the the American Americans in the
I'm
reading message now, I look at our last conversation and just want to
reach or just want to reach out to you, Alice and the tribes, in this
hour, we are devastated, but I also know you all are devastated.
You sit in your media statement. You serve me,
but I wish to return the struggle to you and Anas and the tribes.
Please accept our deep appreciation for your immeasurable
commitment, as well as to Anas and the tribes. I am too emotional to
speak partners right now, but remind him of my words to him and
Sarah, if anything happens, it is not his fault. She told me this
several times, and neither you or the type salt we will speak soon.
Yolandi, Peter, Ben and Liz Marie, I think those are the kids in the
message came right now. I message came
right now, I'll use some of the words
I spoke to
last night. She's a long conversation. I said, then she
said, God is with them. I said, Hey, he has always been with all
of us. That's how we got you out in the first place. She sends a
smiling icon. I'll wait for developments today, and it will
inform you, but it'll be much later in the day. Thank you. Just
keep me updated on developments. Is enough for me. I don't have to
know how they will read. I trust you and a no problem. I say I
trust the candle way. They always keep to their word. The members
were here by drones last month, and we were afraid that they would
say they are not going ahead because of the dangers. They
didn't do that. They kept to their word and said they would read
through to the end, but that this is the last time we therefore have
to finish it right now. She says, yes, I've never prayed so much as
this past 19 months. I said, you will pray more than that in
thankfulness after this, because we were sure we want to take him
out. She said, Yes, that is my heart's desire. I tell her,
almighty has put your family to a very big chest, for all of you to
bond strongly and.
And to have a life of closeness to the Almighty from your own word in
spiritual terms, you are blessed and fortunate and you. Then she
tells me and you and others, thank you for the encouragement. I tell
her, the waiting is almost over. That was my last message book at
559 and
then she sends a message, now you