Teh One Who Knocks
09-15-2014, 11:26 AM
By Ashley Collman for MailOnline
http://i.imgur.com/ViEZFEk.png
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough has come out to deny allegations the administration threatened the families of journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley not to pay ransoms to the Islamic State.
Foley and Sotloff were each executed last month by beheading, in graphic videos released by ISIS. Before their deaths, the terrorist group reportedly approached their American families and offered to release the journalists for a ransom.
McDonough appeared on several Sunday morning talk shows to discuss ISIS, and took to the chance to respond to the families claims they threatened prosecution.
'We didn’t threaten anybody, but we made clear what the law is,' McDonough said on Fox News Sunday. 'That’s our responsibility to make sure we explain the law and uphold the law.'
Under U.S. law, it is illegal to pay ransoms to such organizations since it is thought to financially support terrorism and encourage more kidnappings.
However, this was hard news to hear for the families of Sotloff and Foley who were left helpless.
Barak Barfi, a spokesman for the Sotloff family, says they had a meeting with a State Department official in May and the 'material support' law was brought up several times.
'The family felt completely and utterly helpless when they heard this,' Barfi told RT.
The mother of James Foley says she experienced the same thing when the family was approached by ISIS with a ransom.
Diane Foley told CNN that 'as an American', she was 'embarrassed and appalled' at efforts to rescue her son from captivity.
Articulate and thoughtful throughout her interview, Mrs Foley said her son 'was sacrificed because of a lack of communication and prioritization.'
'Jim was killed in the most horrific way. He was sacrificed because of just a lack of coordination, lack of communication, lack of prioritization,' said Diane Foley. 'As a family, we had to find our way through this on our own.'
Last week, President Obama gave a speech, announcing his plan to defeat ISIS without sending ground troops into Syria or back to Iraq.
Following the deaths of Sotloff, Foley and now British aid-worker David Haines, the U.S. has increased airstrikes to cripple ISIS in the region.
http://i.imgur.com/ViEZFEk.png
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough has come out to deny allegations the administration threatened the families of journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley not to pay ransoms to the Islamic State.
Foley and Sotloff were each executed last month by beheading, in graphic videos released by ISIS. Before their deaths, the terrorist group reportedly approached their American families and offered to release the journalists for a ransom.
McDonough appeared on several Sunday morning talk shows to discuss ISIS, and took to the chance to respond to the families claims they threatened prosecution.
'We didn’t threaten anybody, but we made clear what the law is,' McDonough said on Fox News Sunday. 'That’s our responsibility to make sure we explain the law and uphold the law.'
Under U.S. law, it is illegal to pay ransoms to such organizations since it is thought to financially support terrorism and encourage more kidnappings.
However, this was hard news to hear for the families of Sotloff and Foley who were left helpless.
Barak Barfi, a spokesman for the Sotloff family, says they had a meeting with a State Department official in May and the 'material support' law was brought up several times.
'The family felt completely and utterly helpless when they heard this,' Barfi told RT.
The mother of James Foley says she experienced the same thing when the family was approached by ISIS with a ransom.
Diane Foley told CNN that 'as an American', she was 'embarrassed and appalled' at efforts to rescue her son from captivity.
Articulate and thoughtful throughout her interview, Mrs Foley said her son 'was sacrificed because of a lack of communication and prioritization.'
'Jim was killed in the most horrific way. He was sacrificed because of just a lack of coordination, lack of communication, lack of prioritization,' said Diane Foley. 'As a family, we had to find our way through this on our own.'
Last week, President Obama gave a speech, announcing his plan to defeat ISIS without sending ground troops into Syria or back to Iraq.
Following the deaths of Sotloff, Foley and now British aid-worker David Haines, the U.S. has increased airstrikes to cripple ISIS in the region.