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Obama to announce US hostage families can pay ransoms Obama allows US hostage families to pay ransoms
(35 minutes later)
President Barack Obama will announce changes to how the US government handles hostage situations that involve American citizens. The White House has announced changes to how the government handles hostage situations that involve US citizens.
The current policy makes it illegal for families of US hostages to pay ransoms to secure the hostage's release. President Barack Obama has directed the US government not to threaten the hostages' families with prosecution if they attempt to pay captors' ransom.
His administration has drawn criticism for the policy, and reports say that the government will no longer threaten the families with prosecution. Mr Obama has drawn criticism for the long-standing policy of prohibiting concessions to militant groups.
The changes come at the conclusion of a six-month review into the US policy. The shift raises questions about whether it makes US citizens more lucrative targets for hostage-takers.
The shift raises questions about whether it increases the value of US hostages, and whether it makes Americans living and working abroad a more lucrative target for kidnapping. The changes come at the conclusion of a review into the US policy, which was ordered after the deaths of several US hostages in the past year.
The White House has also drawn fire for the inconsistent way that the policy of not negotiating with hostage-takers has been applied. The fact that many European governments regularly pay ransoms to free their citizens has frustrated US families as they have worked to win the release of their loved ones.
The Associated Press news agency, citing unnamed US officials, says that the change in policy will allow government employees to facilitate negotiations between the hostages' families and the hostage-takers. The changes were ordered in a policy directive handed down by President Obama on Wednesday, known as PPD-29.
However, it will continue to prohibit the US government from directly paying ransoms or offering other concessions. The White House said that the directive "reaffirms our longstanding commitment to make no concessions to individuals or groups holding US nationals hostage...but makes clear for the first time that 'no concessions' does not mean 'no communication'".
Analysis: Frank Gardner, BBC News Defence and Security Correspondent In a separate statement, the US Department of Justice wrote: "The department does not intend to add to families' pain in such cases by suggesting that they could face criminal prosecution."
In the past, hostages' families have felt that they had few options to win back their loved ones, and some have said that the policy provided government officials with an excuse to avoid answering the families' questions.
"We had no one accountable for Jim," said Diane Foley, the mother of James Foley, whose beheading was documented in a brutal video released by the Islamic State group last August.
Analysis - Frank Gardner, Security Correspondent
The US administration's review of how it handles hostage situations overseas follows widespread and well-deserved criticism of its performance to date.The US administration's review of how it handles hostage situations overseas follows widespread and well-deserved criticism of its performance to date.
Although the US Government has made enormous efforts to secure the release of its citizens kidnapped in the Middle East, it failed to communicate these effectively to the next-of-kin.Although the US Government has made enormous efforts to secure the release of its citizens kidnapped in the Middle East, it failed to communicate these effectively to the next-of-kin.
Relatives were given confusing and sometimes contradictory information from different arms of government. Most significantly, one family was threatened with prosecution if it paid a ransom to terrorists. Relatives were given confusing and sometimes contradictory information from different arms of govt. Most significantly, one family was threatened with prosecution if it paid a ransom to terrorists.
That threat now appears to have been lifted for US citizens, although without a change in the law.That threat now appears to have been lifted for US citizens, although without a change in the law.
In Britain, government officials say no one has ever been prosecuted for this, but it would be a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service to decide. In Britain, government officials say no one has ever been prosecuted for this but it would be a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service to decide.
The adoption of a single "fusion centre" inside the FBI as a point of contact for families brings the US closer into line with Britain, where the FCO's Counter Terrorism Dept takes the lead on all overseas kidnap cases. The adoption of a single 'fusion centre' inside the FBI as a point of contact for families brings the US closer into line with Britain, where the FCO's Counter Terrorism Dept takes the lead on all overseas kidnap cases.
To date, the US Justice Department has never prosecuted anyone for paying a ransom, and Mr Obama is expected to make clear that this will continue to be the case. To date, the US Justice Department has never followed through on threats of prosecution.
By contrast, many European governments regularly pay a ransom to win the release of their citizens who have been taken hostage. However, US officials have long maintained that offering payments makes hostage-taking a more attractive proposition and provides a source of income for militant groups.
When this fact is cited, US officials have maintained that making payments makes hostage-taking a more attractive proposition and provides a source of income for militant groups. Mr Obama made the announcement on Wednesday shortly after meeting with the families of several US citizens who have been taken hostage abroad.
The policy has long frustrated the hostage's families, who have felt that they had few options to win back their loved ones, and some have said that the policy provided government officials with an excuse to avoid answering the families' questions.
"We had no one accountable for Jim," said Diane Foley, the mother of James Foley, who was killed by his captors last summer.
Mr Obama will make the announcement on Wednesday shortly after meeting with the families of several US citizens who have been taken hostage abroad.