A new report has revealed that the U.S government refused to pay an ISIS commander a requested ransom of $750,000 to secure the release of then-hostage James Foley, who was ultimately executed by the militant group.
According to the New York Times , the ISIS — also known as Islamic State — general was rebuffed by the U.S., as they refused, point blank, to negotiate in any way with terrorists, a strategy that has proved time and time again to be counterproductive.
The Times also reported that after a botched raid to free James Foley in July, ISIS sent an envoy to Turkey to meet an American intelligence officer to discuss a deal to free him and other American hostages.
According to the report, the officer refused to so much as meet with the envoy, even though he was warned that the situation would “end very badly” if he didn’t.
In stark contrast to the U.S. policy not to entertain terrorists and their outlandish demands, European governments have paid ransoms for hostages, despite America’s stance that this only encourages more hostage taking.
The report noted that a general, who defected from the Syrian Air Force and went to work with rebels in the country, was approached in February by an ISIS commander because he wanted to leave the group. The commander said that he could get to the prison in Raqqa where Mr. Foley and other hostages were being held.
The general told reporters about the U.S. position, “They didn’t even want to hear the details; they rejected the proposal outright. The Americans just keep on saying, ‘We don’t negotiate with terrorists.’”
In an interview given to CNN following the death of her son, Diane Foley said, “We were just told to trust that he would be freed somehow miraculously, and he wasn’t, was he. I pray that our government would be willing to learn from the mistakes that were made and to acknowledge that there are better ways for American citizens to be treated,” she said.