Senators John McCain (R.-Ariz.) and Richard Lugar (R.-Ind.) and Rep. Lincol Diaz-Bialart (R.-Fla.) were honored by His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Ambassador Aziz Mekouar for their efforts to release the world’s longest held prisoners of war.
Lugar headed a presidential mission to Algeria to free POW’s and McCain and Diaz-Balart put international pressure on their captors. The 404 freed Moroccan soldiers were held by the Polisario Front, an Algerian separatist group, an average of 17 years each before being released in August.
