A FREE MAN’S RECALL
Stephen McGown, a South African who was kidnapped and held hostage by Al Qaeda in Mali for nearly six years, is joined by his wife, Catherine, after recounting his captivity for reporters Thursday. McGown was released in July. Johan Gustafsson, a Swede also held six years, was freed in June. McGown said he was well treated during his confinement, but “you always knew you were a prisoner.” McGown and Gustafsson were the longest held of a number of foreigners seized by Islamic extremists in Mali, where armed groups roam the country’s north. The extremists have made a fortune over the last decade abducting foreigners and demanding enormous ransoms. McGown said he didn’t know whether any ransom was paid for him.