James Foley's Family Says It Was Intimidated by U.S. Government

Members of the family of U.S. journalist James Foley, who was killed by the Islamic State last month, have told various media outlets that the Obama administration “threatened” them with criminal charges of aiding terrorists if they tried to pay a ransom for him.

RT reported Friday:

We were told that several times and we took it as a threat and it was appalling,” Foley’s mother Diane said in an interview with ABC News.

“I think our efforts to get Jim freed were an annoyance,” she elaborated in another interview with CNN. “It didn’t seem to be in [US] strategic interest, if you will.”

… Officials told Foley family members “not go to the media,” and that the “government would not exchange prisoners,” according to Diane Foley. Diane and her husband John were also concerned that any donors to their ransom collection drive might be thrown in prison for funding terrorism.

… “It was very upsetting because we were essentially told to trust… that the way they were handling things would bring our son home,” she added.

RT reported that several U.S. officials familiar with the case confirmed the Foley family was given the warning. One official told ABC, “It was an utterly idiotic thing to do that came across as if [the U.S. official] had the compassion of an anvil.”