The other journalist Peter Theo Curtis was released when his family directly asked Qatar to help. Now why would Qatar have that much influence with Islamic State (IS)?http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11055049/Did-Qatar-pay-ransom-for-release-of-US-journalist-Peter-Curtis.html and again http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/24/us-denies-ransom-qatar-peter-theo-curtis-syria
Correction, I meant Jabhat al-Nusrah not specifically IS.