Obama outlines changes to policy on hostages, vows to ‘stand by’ families
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Version 0 of 1. President Obama announced a new national security policy Wednesday aimed at helping families of hostages seized abroad bring their relatives home, declaring, “We will not abandon you. We will stand by you.” Obama also said his administration will not threaten to prosecute private families for paying ransom to hostage takers, although he vowed that the U.S. government will continue to refuse to make such payments. The announcement comes after a surge in the taking — and killing — of American hostages by terrorist groups and complaints from many families that the government did not deal with them openly, politely or helpfully. [Families of hostages hold out hope that U.S. review will ‘make a difference’] Obama, who spent part of the morning at what he called a “very emotional” meeting with families of hostages, said many of them “often felt like an afterthought.” That, he said, was “totally unacceptable,” adding that “we are changing how we do business.” The president issued orders for the creation of a special envoy post, a new coordinator of government efforts and a fusion cell of FBI, State Department and Pentagon officials to deal with hostages and their families. He said government officials will work with families and, if necessary, communicate directly with hostage takers. Obama defended his administration’s efforts to free hostages, noting that many have come home safely and that U.S. military personnel have risked their lives to rescue Americans. And to those who would try to take hostages, the president said: “We do not forget. Our reach is long. Justice will be done. . . . We will not give up, no matter how long it takes.” Lisa Monaco, Obama’s chief counterterrorism adviser, said in a briefing that more than 30 Americans are being held hostage overseas. She said the reason for the policy change was that “we did not do right by these families, and that is what we are here to set right.” [The logic of not paying ransom] John and Diane Foley, parents of slain journalist James Foley, praised the administration’s policy review but said in a statement that “the litmus test of this new hostage recovery process will be the safe return of Americans” held abroad. James Foley, 40, was beheaded by the Islamic State group in August 2014, nearly two years after he was abducted while covering the war in Syria. The FBI will initially oversee the fusion cell, administration officials said. FBI Deputy Director Mark F. Giuliano said it made sense for the bureau to take the initial lead because of its experience in negotiating with hostage-takers and running task forces. The FBI, he said, already has a hostage fusion cell at its headquarters handling about half a dozen cases. But he said the State Department or the Pentagon could lead the cell in the future. “We will pick the best athlete,” he said. “We owe it to the American people. It’s not about an agency.” A new facility at FBI headquarters will be retrofitted to handle the group. He said the hostage recovery fusion cell will focus on terrorism cases, while the State Department will handle those involving nation-states. He said the cell will support the State Department in those cases. The Justice Department also issued a statement saying it “does not intend to add to families’ pain in such cases by suggesting that they could face criminal prosecution.” The Justice Department, like the president, noted that it “has never used the material support statute to prosecute a hostage’s family or friends for paying a ransom for the safe return of their loved one.” Read more: Obama apologizes for attack that killed two hostages Bill would create ‘hostage czar’ to coordinate efforts to rescue Americans |