5 Of The Most Insane Hostage Rescues In History

The gas entered the auditorium through the air conditioning system, put a fair percentage of those inside out of commission, and allowed Special Forces to successfully take control. The official story at first called the mission a total success. Ten hostages died in the crossfire, but everyone else made it, and authorities even managed to take the terrorists in alive. That story soon fell apart. The truth was that 50 terrorists had died (not too many tears were shed over them), and reporters saw hostages vomiting and choking as they entered the evacuation buses.

Authorities refused to identify the gas for doctors, so no one knew how to treat the patients. In the days after the siege, 120 hostages died from the effects of the gas. If you count everyone who died in the next year, the number rises to over twice that. Some of the survivors put together a lawsuit, so the closest thing this ordeal has to a conclusion is the European Court of Human Rights telling Russia to pay a couple million dollars to 64 plaintiffs. And as for Putin, his presidency ended in 2008, and of course no one ever heard from him again.

Now they only needed to get in touch with the cops and demand $5 million in exchange for the trailer's location. They reasoned that the state would pay thanks to a recent budget surplus, and because everyone cares about kids. "Children are precious," explained one kidnapper later. "They're vulnerable. They will mind." But the kidnappers couldn't reach the police. The phone lines were so jammed with parents and media asking for updates on the missing kids that they couldn't get through. This was bad for the men and worse for everyone else, since in the absence of other leads, contact with the kidnappers is the main way you solve a kidnapping.

The three men weren't sure of their next move. They napped and put off more planning for later. And during one of these naps, the hostages got away. Wait, didn't I say the hostages were trapped in an inescapable bunker? It's true, but their trailer wasn't designed to support a bunch of weight on top. Over time, it buckled, convincing everyone inside that they were about to be crushed to death. The ventilator quit after a while, and they quickly ran out of food. Dirt trickled in from a leaky opening on top.

Alameda County DA's OfficeReminder: This was NOT a mass child grave. This story has a happy ending.

But if dirt could get in, there was a chance people could get out. The oldest child, Michael Marshall (14 years old; most of the kids were under 10), and bus driver Ed Ray stacked mattresses to reach the ceiling, then pushed up until it gave way. Their captors weren't around when the kids popped out, so they followed the sounds of machinery until they found quarry workers who helped them.

All three kidnappers were caught and received life sentences. One is still in prison today. His last parole request was denied after police discovered he ran both a Christmas tree farm and a gold mine from behind bars. If the guy wasn't such an asshole, we'd kind of like to see a movie about him.

At first, the trip wound up even worse than the government had feared. After a week in Baghdad, Ali ran short on medication and became practically bedridden. He couldn't speak at all. But then, on November 29, he and Saddam met for one hour. Ali spoke through a translator using sign language. His status as a Muslim icon held weight, and he said he'd speak honestly about his time there when he returned to America.

CBSAnd Saddam got a photo for his wall of celebs, but it was worth it

Hussein agreed to send him home with 15 hostages. Also, he got a chance to argue against U.S. intervention. "This is the land of the Garden of Eden and the land where Abraham was born," he said. "How could it be bombed?" Huh. Wonder if he was right?

Related: 8 Insane Things I Did After Being Kidnapped By Terrorists

That death toll is handily beaten by the EgyptAir Flight 648 incident in 1985. The plane was traveling from Athens to Cairo when Palestinian militants took control. An Egyptian air marshal onboard shot and killed one hijacker, so the others responded with enough gunfire to puncture the hull and depressurize the plane. This forced a landing in Malta. The hijackers executed some hostages, and then came a 10-hour period of negotiations.

In hindsight, experts say the negotiators could have kept going. But Egypt had their finest commandos on the scene, and they stormed the plane ... by placing explosives outside the cargo hold. This happened to be close to where all the passengers were huddled together. The blast punctured oxygen tanks and ignited airplane insulation, and 60 passengers died, most by asphyxiation. Egypt, as governments tend to do, covered up their role, claiming the hijackers had killed all those hostages with grenades. But then medical examiners got a look at the bodies. Suffocating foam plugged every exposed orifice. Hooray, you got rescued!

Related: 6 Brilliant Ways Hostages Outwitted Their Captors

After a standoff lasting the whole day, and with only their most reasonable demands having been met, the gunmen figured it was time to get serious. So they divided the hostages into groups, narrowing them down to decide victims. The front door was open at this point, and a sniper fired on them. But at this exact split second, the door swung shut, diverting the bullet from its path. The gunmen panicked and fired, so SWAT stormed the place and shot all four of them. One survived because he wore the bulletproof vest they'd sent.

It remains the largest hostage rescue in American history. But the real statistic that makes this crime notable is the penalty the one surviving gunman received: 49 consecutive life sentences. Ringleader Loi Khac Nguyen was convicted of just three murders (plus attempted murder and kidnapping) and actually committed none, as he alone was unarmed during the final clash. Nevertheless, he was held liable for his dead partners' actions. America does not take kindly to people messing with our commerce.

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