THE UNITED STATES attempted to rescue journalist James Foley after he was kidnapped in Syria, but the mission failed.
The Pentagon confirmed that the US had attempted a rescue operation recently to free a number of American hostages held in Syria by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).
Foley was among the hostages.
A video of Foley being killed by ISIS was released two days ago. It showed the journalist being decapitated by a man dressed in black, who was speaking with what appeared to be a British accent.
Another American journalist, Steven Sotloff, also appeared in the video.
Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement that the rescue mission was not successful because the hostages were not at the targeted location.
The mission involved air and ground components and was focused on a particular captor network within ISIS.
“As we have said repeatedly, the United States government is committed to the safety and well-being of its citizens, particularly those suffering in captivity,” said Kirby.
In this case, we put the best of the United States military in harms’ way to try and bring our citizens home. The United States government uses the full breadth of our military, intelligence and diplomatic capabilities to bring people home whenever we can.
The statement concluded:
“The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will work tirelessly to secure the safety of our citizens and to hold their captors accountable.”
The New York Times reports today that ISIS had demanded a ransom from the US in exchange for Foley’s release.
Unlike some European countries, the US does not tend to pay ransoms to groups such as ISIS.
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