Rising danger prompted U.S. effort to rescue James Foley, other hostages

Los Angeles Times ^ | August 20, 2014 | By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY, W.J. HENNIG

[Oldeconomybuyer]

The United States sent a team of special operation forces to Syria this summer to try to rescue American journalist James Foley and other hostages held by Islamic militants, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

"The U.S. government had what we believed was sufficient intelligence, and when the opportunity presented itself, the president authorized the Department of Defense to move aggressively to recover our citizens," Lisa Monaco, a top counter-terrorism advisor to President Obama, said in a statement. "Unfortunately, that mission was ultimately not successful because the hostages were not present."

The unusual acknowledgment of a failed secret raid came the day after a video surfaced online showing the beheading of Foley. U.S. officials said Wednesday that the video posted by Islamic State was authentic, though it was not immediately clear where or when it was filmed.

[ogen hal]

Now that we are conveniently told of this “secret” where is some proof that it ever occurred? You can’t trust serial chronic liars. I say BS &CYA.

[Red6]

He’s doing damage control by throwing a red herring out.

[tcrlaf]

[Yaelle]

Ok, I’m sorry about this man’s death but this is the funniest presidential photoshop since the two Bushes fishing during Katrina.

[50sDad]

Are you old enough to remember Jimmy Carter’s disastrous failed helicopter rescue of the Iranian hostages, the ones held by “students”? And how the day Ronald Reagan was sworn in, and the terrorists knew a cowboy President was in charge, the hostages came home? Yeah, it’s like that.

[Red6]

This President has no foreign affairs, executive, military, law enforcement, intelligence, business, or economic experience. Essentially a provincial politician, that played race politics (but in a more mild way that doesn't turn off the white female voters like Jesse Jackson), he managed to turn serious character flaws or questions about his ideology into strengths through rhetorical means.

Think about it, if someone with ties to terrorists and his drug history applies for any job requiring a security clearance, what do you think will happen?

[originalbuckeye]

Our enemies know ALL our secrets and are acting accordingly.

[Red6]

Our enemies smell weakness, and in this world, a speech alone is not the end, nor are most people operating on the higher rungs of Maslows hierarchy.

Obama I suppose is a natural consequence of a post national and secular society, i.e. where multiculturalism and diversity have essentially pushed the older classical American values aside. Obama is a manifestation of social changes you see in the US.

[AZLiberty]

Blame Rush Limbaugh. He wanted Obama to “fail”. /sarc

[AZLiberty]

I had to expand the picture to see what it said on the golf cart: “Absent One”.

I was thinking maybe “Golf Course One”, but that’s way better.

[PistolPaknMama]

I’m not all that upset about this one, after reading Foley’s ‘background’ as a terrorist sympathizer.

That's what I've come to understand, too. Not saying he deserved it, but he was definitely embracing the wrong side and it cost him his life.

[Eagles6]

Yeah, same here. Sounds like he was true to moHAMmed till the end. They could have told him that it was just pretend and they wouldn’t saw his head off and did it anyhow.

[Broker]

Affirmative. CIA chief Brennan is a Moslem. Converting in Saudi Arabia with Sunni pals. Faith first for the caliphate.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That is the most CRUEL and INSENSITIVE and by far, FUNNIEST thing I’ve seen this week. :)

[Broker]

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