Kidnapped in Yemen

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

Henceforth, these NONFICTION book reports will be a time-saving device. You need not read entire books anymore. Read these condensed versions instead. You'll have that much more time for your own blog.

Today I read "Kidnapped in Yemen" by Mary Quin, published in 2005.

Mary Quin, citizen of both New Zealand (her birthplace) and the United States (her residence), was an executive at Xerox who enjoyed travel. She knew it was risky to vacation in Yemen, but being an adventuress, she went there anyway. Her tour group was kidnapped by approximately eighteen terrorists while traveling in a caravan in the middle of the desert.

The approximately sixteen tourist-hostages were treated well for a while (about one day), until the Yemeni government sent armed officers to rescue them. Quin later theorized that this was an opportunity for the government to kill the fanatical Muslim kidnapper-terrorists, and at the same time, show the world they cared about the tourists, who were from Great Britain, Australia and the United States.

The government claimed the lead kidnapper had threatened to kill the hostages if numerous political demands were not met. The main demand was to release jailed prisoners who were accused of plotting terror attacks in Yemen. When the kidnappers saw the rescuers approaching, they engaged them in a firefight.

Amid a hail of bullets from both sides, a terrorist put an AK-47 in Quin's back. Miraculously, he was hit by a bullet, but she was not. He went down. She had no clue what to do, but decided to try to wrest the gun from his hands. Still alive, he gripped it tightly. She stood on his head and succeeded in pulling it away from him. She had no experience using such a weapon, so after some yards walking in the sand toward she knew not where, she dropped it. She climbed over a wall, and luckily, into the vicinity of the rescuers.

Four of the hostages were killed by terrorist bullets. Two others were wounded. A few terrorists died or were taken into custody. Most fled. Quin was questioned by the FBI and Scotland Yard.

Quin's instinctive survival skills allowed her to emerge from this traumatic experience without any physical injury. She came home, and went back to work. However, it changed her life. The fact that life is short, actually sunk in for Quin. It was not just an idle cliche anymore. Her high-level job became trivial, considering she had cheated death.

From out of the blue, a stranger emailed her and said he wanted to meet her. They met and later, she moved in with him. She became fascinated with how and why the kidnapping occurred. She did extensive research. She quit her job and became a political activist for Muslim women.

She returned to Yemen and met with government officials, the prisoners accused of the terrorist plotting, and even a Muslim cleric with terrorist ties. Her information-gathering allowed her to obtain closure on the kidnapping incident.

She now lives in Anchorage, Alaska with her partner and his two daughters.