ISIS has beheaded an American Journalist, James Foley, and posted a video of their vile terrorism online. They also have threatened to behead another hostage journalist believed to be Steven Sotloff, who was kidnapped at the Syria-Turkey border in 2013. Their stated objective is for President Obama to end military opposition to ISIS in Iraq.
The beheading video has sparked international outrage. However, the President maintains a policy of “no boots on the ground” in Iraq and Syria as ISIS moves into control of the region. U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said of full-blown military intervention to stop ISIS
“I’m not predicting those will occur in Syria, at least not by the United States of America, but it requires the application of all the tools of national power–diplomatic, economic, information, military.”
Some have been critical of the U.S. Government and their efforts to save James Foley from his brutal execution. There was a thwarted mission to extract Foley and other hostages. However, the administration has a policy not to pay a ransom to terrorists, an act that other countries did and received their hostages in exchange.
It’s horrifying that this type of terrorism is hoping to become a controlling political faction in Iraq. While the U.S. is not a contributor to their well-funded operation, it is equally as disheartening that James Foley was a victim of such brutal lawlessness.
Follow me at @DavidTDorer, listen to the David Dorer Show and Talking Law