Posted on 08/22/2014 7:16:54 AM PDT by NKP_Vet
The brother of American journalist James Foley said Friday morning that the U.S. government could have done more to attempt to free his brother and other American hostages from the Islamic militant group ISIL.
“There’s more that could have been done directly on Jim’s behalf,” Michael Foley, 38, told Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric in an exclusive interview from his parents’ home in New Hampshire. “I really, really hope that Jim’s death pushes us to take anther look at our approach to terrorist and hostage negotiation.”
Foley, a 40-year-old journalist who was covering the Syrian conflict for GlobalPost, was kidnapped nearly two years ago near the Syria-Turkey border. ISIL, also called ISIS, released a grisly video of his beheading Tuesday, claiming they killed him in retaliation for U.S. air strikes in the region.
But another issue was money. The group had also captured French and Spanish journalists, but freed them after their governments paid ransoms through intermediaries. The U.S. government refused to negotiate or pay the group on behalf of Foley and other Americans captives. ISIL emailed Michael Foley and demanded 100 million euro—a sum he called “ridiculous”—for his brother’s release.
“I just feel strongly that more can be done moving forward,” Michael Foley said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Reprise of the attempted liberation of the US Embassy in Iran by the Carter administration back on April 24, 1980, “Operation Eagle Claw”. That went dreadfully awry.
There was not even as much of an attempt made by the Current Regime, as their only strategy seemed to be pay a ransom, but they dithered around so long the moment passed.
Perdicaris alive or Rasuli dead. But nobody does that any more.
obama won’t lift a finger to help the Marine imprisoned in Mexico, much less a white oppressor held by ISIS
Too bad Obama could not trade more terrorists from Gitmo for Foley. He would have been out in a flash.
Of course it is the government's job to protect the interests of American citizens abroad. We do it at every embassy and consulate in the world. It is the primary responsibility of every consular officer.
Exactly. I’ll go further. I can easily imagine a scenario where there’s a big rescue mission, say a half-dozen Navy Seals get killed freeing him. What do you think happens next?
That’s right. He goes back to the same crapholes to tell the story of oppressed people. Anyone still thinking about the troops that died while looking for the idiot Bowe?
You know who’s oppressed? Regular liberty loving Americans being dragged down by America hating leftists. GTFOOMC!!
Rant over. Thank you. Have a nice day.
“Not the government’s job.
Of course it is the government’s job to protect the interests of American citizens abroad. We do it at every embassy and consulate in the world. It is the primary responsibility of every consular officer.”
This is precisely why I have kept my child home from some school trips; I knew our current administration would never pull a Grenada to save my kid
I am guessing there were warnings for Americans not to travel into areas occupied by people who hate them. Do we have a consulate in ISIS/ISIL territory?
Its also important for journalists and liberals to understand that they aren’t somehow “above it all” when they go to dangerous areas of the world.
Agreed. Considering the brutality of the barbarians who are fighting these wars, it is a good idea to stay away from them, and stay out of the war zone. This guy paid with his life.
No, Americans, liberals, journalists of whatever nationality, are not above it all. Stay out of a war zone if you value your own safety.
Maybe the first time he was taken captive a response along with a general hardcore, nobody spared pounding of the goat-humpers would be appropriate.
He is freed the first time and then goes back to put himself in a position to be captured/held. Little sympathy and no risk of spec ops lives to rescue a “reporter” who didn’t learn the lesson the first time. “We” the people did not send or force him to go there; either time.
‘He was thinking of giving ISIS the ransom they wanted’
Bingo
King Obamagabe should have went on national TV and said the following “I have witnessed a brutal decapitation of one our American citizens. Let the world know that America does not back down from a fight and this type of despicable evil. The full weight of the US military will be thrown at these radical, murdering 6th century madman. I have ordered today the US Marines and the 82d and 101st Airborne Divisions to prepare for an extended deployment to Iraq and Syria. For every American that is decapitated they will decapitate two of the enemy. We are now in a state of war and I have called for a joint session of Congress to legalize this action. Thank you very much and God bless America”!!
You go to the Middle East, you take your chances. The US government shouldn’t be on the hook for your choices, unless the government sends you there.
Not anymore we don't.
We have a consulate in Irbil. Regardless of how the American citizen got themselves in a predicament, we are obligated as a country to protect the citizen's rights and do our best to ensure fair treatment.
Yes, we do. It doesn’t matter who is in the WH.
I have a better idea, don’t go where you will be killed.
The government is supposed to protect the interests of the majority. You are correct. The government should at least talk to the bad guys. Ransoms are bad precedent setters. This president screwed the pooch when he traded for Bergdahl (and allegedly paid ransom as well). If we can get in and kill all the bad guys and release a hostage or two, then that is one thing. But the men who do that are on their own, too.
Sure. We could have done something along the lines of giving them arms for the hostages. We know how the press loved Reagan for that.
If he had said Obama, Katie would have had an Aneurysm.
Had Obama stopped ISIS in its tracks when they first entered Iraq, THOUSANDS of lives would have been spared, including his Brother's.
Time for this guy to man up and blame The One. If Bush was running things, he would have blamed him, not “The Government”.
I heard a commentator say we should have paid the $130 million ransom and deliver it in the form of missiles, bombs and other ordnance.
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