James Foley’s brother: The U.S. could have done more for Jim

http://news.yahoo.com ^ | August 21, 2014 | Liz Goodwin

[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.

[kabar]

And above all else, .gov does not care about you nor should you ever depend on it coming to save you.

You must have been in a different military than me. We believed that no man would be left behind and that our country would do whatever was necessary to support us. Many risked their lives to rescue their comrades. We also went to extraordinary lengths to retrieve our dead.

Americans know better; our rustic individualism is part of our core.

It has nothing to do with individualism. It has everything to do with being an American and the obligations the government has to its citizens.

[Theoria]

We go to war and support each other. We look after our brother to our left and right. It has nothing to do with .gov. We all do that, that is our bond.

.Gov cares about reducing costs and waste. It cares not about you nor me. How many times does it take to get driven into your head?

How many times did we retake Fallujah? Why did we send our boys to go house to house when we have the capabilities to flatten the city. The choices for 'collateral' damage is taken over the well being of our 'military'. That happens all the time.

You are from the Vietnam era. You are praising the .gov but you neglect to bring up the fact that in many ways .gov lied. .Gov wouldn't even tell you the truth about the USS Maddox Incident.

Now, some journalist goes over to a dangerous area to do the thing he loves and your pissed off at .gov? For what? Not rushing to his aid. Well, there are plenty of places in America where we need help. I'm happy Mr. Foley go to do what he loved, but he knew the risks. That rush and adventure was part of his love. But, there is a costs and chance of harm in all things.

[kabar]

We go to war and support each other. We look after our brother to our left and right. It has nothing to do with .gov. We all do that, that is our bond. .Gov cares about reducing costs and waste. It cares not about you nor me. How many times does it take to get driven into your head?

We are the government. Military personnel are federal employees.

How many times did we retake Fallujah? Why did we send our boys to go house to house when we have the capabilities to flatten the city. The choices for 'collateral' damage is taken over the well being of our 'military'. That happens all the time.

These are tactics. War is just an extension of politics.

You are from the Vietnam era. You are praising the .gov but you neglect to bring up the fact that in many ways .gov lied. .Gov wouldn't even tell you the truth about the USS Maddox Incident. ?

I am not praising government. We take an oath to preserve and protect the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Duty, honor, and country.

Now, some journalist goes over to a dangerous area to do the thing he loves and your pissed off at .gov? For what? Not rushing to his aid.

Of course not. However, Foley is a citizen of this country and we have an obligation to assist him as best we can. It doesn't necessarily include rescuing him.

Well, there are plenty of places in America where we need help. I'm happy Mr. Foley go to do what he loved, but he knew the risks. That rush and adventure was part of his love. But, there is a costs and chance of harm in all things.

The US was assisting him along with his US employer. We actually did try to rescue him and other Western hostages.

[kabar]

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE U. S. FIGHTING MAN

1. I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.

2. I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender my men while they still have the means to resist.

3. If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.

4. If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information, or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way.

5. When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am bound to give only name, rank, service number and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.

6. I will never forget that I am an American fighting man, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.

Note:

(Prior to the Vietnam Conflict, violation of any of the above code elements could result in trial by Courts Martial. After learning of the atrocities inflicted on our personnel held prisoner in that action, it was determined that requiring strict compliance to such a demanding code was not always possible. It should stand as a guide to personal conduct but enforcement as a point of law is questionable.)

[NKP_Vet]

“Other countries tend to pay ransoms ans such, we have chosen not to do that sort of thing as a whole”.

Obama gave 5 high ranking terrorists, PLUS MONEY to Al Queda in exchange for the traitor Bergdahl, who if convicted of anything will be pardoned by the muslim Obama his last day in office.

[Theoria]

That was one of the more recent transactions with terrorist.

I said as a whole, because we have did that in the past as well.

[Arthur McGowan]

“Jim” Foley was an Islamist. He tweeted praise for the slaughter of Christians in Syria, and supported Hamas against Israel.

[NKP_Vet]

“Prior to the Vietnam Conflict, violation of any of the above code elements could result in trial by Courts Martial. After learning of the atrocities inflicted on our personnel held prisoner in that action, it was determined that requiring strict compliance to such a demanding code was not always possible. It should stand as a guide to personal conduct but enforcement as a point of law is questionable”.

It is always possible and most POWs died instead of giving an inch to the North Vietnamese. Jimmy Carter, who’s son was a draft-dodger, changed the Code of Conduct to allow them to blab away if they are being tortured.

[kabar]

Many POWs signed confessions and made various pronouncements. When I went thru SERE training in 1967, there were some changes regarding the name, rank, and serial number only guidance. In some ways it actually hurt prisoner resistance. After being tortured and forced to make statements or sign confessions, prisoners believed that they had been compromised because they exceeded the restrictions and thus gave information out since they had crossed the threshold.

Most POWs resisted, but many signed confessions and were forced to make statements.

[NKP_Vet]

You know more about it that I do and I appreciate the correction. But I do seem to remember Carter changing the Code to make it easier for POWs to not be held accountable for some actions. I might be wrong. My brother went through SERE training. He never liked to talk about it but did say it’s something he didn’t want to repeat. Air Force SERE school is still at Fairchild. I think the Army at Ft. Bragg.
Thanks for your service and Welcome Home.

[Henry Hnyellar]

The brother sounds like a dope.

“I just feel strongly that more can be done moving forward,” Michael Foley said.

Moving forward? As opposed to moving backward?

Has he mastered time travel?

Enough with the newspeak, you dope.

[GOPJ]

The KGB, the FBI and the CIA are all trying to prove that they are the best at catching criminals.

The Secretary General of the UN decides to give them a test. He releases a rabbit into a forest and each of them has to catch it. The CIA goes in. They place animal informants throughout the forest. They question all plant and mineral witnesses. After three months of extensive investigations they conclude that the rabbit does not exist. The FBI goes in. After two weeks with no leads they burn the forest, killing everything in it, including the rabbit, and make no apologies: the rabbit had it coming. The KGB goes in. They come out two hours later with a badly beaten bear. The bear is yelling: “Okay! Okay! I’m a rabbit! My mother was a rabbit, my father was a rabbit... I’m a rabbit!”