Recently, the mother of an executed American photo-journalist claimed that, despite complaints from the mainstream media that President Trump is somehow violating their rights, he has done more to rescue American hostages abroad, including journalists, than Obama’s administration ever did.
“We’re very happy to report that things are better for Americans who are considered hostage, that is Americans who are held by terrorists, criminal gangs or pirates,” said Diane Foley, the mother of deceased photojournalist James Foley, in an interview on Law & Crime.
Diane Foley son was abducted in Syria 7 years ago and subsequently beheaded by Islamic State terrorists 2 years later. She has long maintained that her son would still be alive had then-President Obama’s administration made an effort to rescue him.
“At the time, Mrs. Foley claimed officials in the Obama White House gave her son’s plight a low priority, misled her about key developments and threatened to prosecute anyone who tried to raise money to pay the ransom that ISIS was demanding,” Law & Crime reported.
“[T]here were many opportunities along the way [to get him and others like him free],” Diane Foley said in an interview on ABC News a year after her son’s death. “Several times when the captors reached out, several times when returning hostages brought sensitive information. And yet nothing was done to save our young Americans. So that’s the part that deeply concerns me.”
Her appearance on ABC coincided with the death of yet another American abroad, human rights activist and humanitarian aid worker Kayla Mueller.
Prior to her death, her parents had tried to secure her release as well.
“The Muellers were able to get into contact over email with ISIS, who asked for a ransom payment,” The Federalist reported in 2016. “But as they were organizing several wealthy donors who were willing to contribute, a senior White House official warned them that they could be criminally prosecuted for attempting to pay such a ransom.”
As it appears, the Obama administration threatened the Muellers.
By the time that this report was released, the Muellers accused Obama’s administration of reneging on a promise to make a donation to a foundation that had been set up in their daughter’s name.
Foley fervently maintained in the Law & Order interview that her son and Kayla Mueller might still be alive had Obama’s administration been willing to negotiate.
“I do feel it could have turned out differently if our government had negotiated with them,” she said.
She also added that the government’s efforts against ISIS may have been aided and enhanced if only the Obama administration just listened for a change.
“I feel that we did not engage as a government because of the civil war in Syria and therefore we missed out on a lot of intelligence about ISIS that we would have known had we engaged with the captors.”
Foley was also pleased that Trump’s administration chose to embrace Obama’s late reform efforts. “I applaud the Trump administration for continuing this structure in place. Because this is definitely an improvement,” said during an appearance on FNC’s “America’s Newsroom” this week.
