Discussion: Dead Journalist's Family: Admin Said We'd Be Prosecuted If We Paid Ransom

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Discussion for article #227630

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What was really disturbing in the CNN interview, was that she also said they refused prisoner swaps for Foley. If that’s true, it’s just contemptible.

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I am so sorry for your loss.

But, IF you paid the ransom, do you really think that he would have been released???

The answer is NO! The terrorists would have your hard earned cash and still would have done what they did to your kid!!

Then whom would you be blaming now?

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Given that the US doesn’t have any ISIS prisoners, AFAIK, it seems dubious that that would even be feasible.

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Wasn’t the ransom in the hundred million dollar range?

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This does not pass the smell test - sounds more like they got the “company line” - because there is no other “official” line - but seriously, if they had actually paid ISIS - ISIS would not have honored the deal -

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so, if the administration doesn’t pay a ransom they are attacked and if the administration does pay a ransom, they are attacked. Emerson was right: A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds

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And if they had honored it? Yes, they get their family member back. And then those millions are used to fund the kidnappings of a dozen more.

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I’m very sorry for their loss. Every journalist in that part of the world is fully aware of the risks they take just by being there. Does his family really think he would heave been released if they paid the ransom?

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And it would have led to the kidnapping and likely murder of more Americans.

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This seems to be hard to believe. I expect the emotions of the family have tainted the details of this report to sensationalize it.

I’m sure the family didn’t have the $100M anyway.

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Yes. It certainly would.

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ISIS has billions. Your ransom would have been futile.

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He likely would; if not then that would prevent anyone else from paying ransom in the future. But somehow I doubt the family could have come up with $100 million on their own, and I don’t think ISIS was going to be content with whatever they could get together on gofundme.

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A hundred million is serious money. If this was my kid and I could raise that kind of scratch the lord Jesus couldn’t stop me from paying that ransom. I can’t imagine their pain, but I’m not sure what they are trying to do here with these “revelations” about the Obama administration.

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If you had $100 million, you could also buy the helicopters and mercenaries to launch your own commando raid to rescue them. Which incidentally illustrates precisely why giving groups like ISIS that kind of money is an extremely bad idea (not that they don’t have it already).

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Yeah, I don’t think you can just go down to the bank and get a $100 ,000,000 line of credit on your house.

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Surely a patriot like Adelson would have given the money?

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James Foley was a professional journalist operating in a dangerous war zone. If he didn’t understand the risks, he should have. What happened to him was tragic, but in no way the fault of the US government, and to suggest that it was is contemptible.

This publicity seeking by his mother is cringe-inducing. Her son was an adult who took enormous risks for his career. If she wants to be angry, then be angry at ISIS, and maybe at your son if you didn’t approve of his career choices.

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Paying the ransom would have only funded further terrorism from this group.

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