Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell
The Presidency of Barack Obama established the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell on June 24, 2015.[1] The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the lead agency, coordinating the work of staff from the FBI, the Department of State, the Department of Defense and the Treasury Department.[2]
By its third anniversary the Cell had aided in the recovery of 180 American citizens.[3]
The Cell has a team to assist the family members of hostages.[4] Rob Saale, director of the Cell from 2017-2019, described the government treating families poorly, prior to the Cell's creation.[5]
References[edit]
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"Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell Established". Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2015-06-15. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
Staffed by hostage recovery professionals from the Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the FBI, and the intelligence community, the fusion cell aims to improve how the government develops hostage recovery plans, tracks developments in specific cases, shares information with families, and provides information to Congress and the media.
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Adam Goldman (2016-09-12). "In a Shift, U.S. Includes Families in Hostage Rescue Efforts". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
Instead of tackling hostage cases on an ad hoc basis, officials from the Defense and State Departments, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Treasury Department — part of the new group, which is known as the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell — now gather daily at the F.B.I. headquarters to discuss them.
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"Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell Marks Third Anniversary: Unified Government Approach Key to Bringing Loved Ones Home to Their Families". Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2018-06-29. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
Since the White House established the fusion cell on June 24, 2015—along with positions including a special presidential envoy for hostage affairs and a family engagement coordinator—the U.S. government has sought to 'speak with one voice' regarding hostage matters, said FBI Special Agent Robert Saale, director of the fusion cell. 'That effort has been extremely beneficial.'
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"Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell Marks Fifth Anniversary". Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2020-06-24. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
A key aspect of the HRFC is the Family Engagement Team.
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Seth Loertscher (January 2020). "A View from the CT Foxhole: Rob Saale, Former Director, U.S. Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell". Counter Terrorism Center. Vol. 13, no. 1. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
Families were treated poorly by the U.S. government across the board. They were told if they paid a ransom, they'd be prosecuted. They did not have information shared with them and were held at arm's length.