USA tried to rescue hostages of Islamic State

United States “recently” made an unsuccessful military operation in Syria to try to rescue “several” American hostages held by the militant group Islamic State, as confirmed Wednesday the Pentagon and the White House.

The operation, in which “components of air and earth” was used and was focused on a “specific network captors” EI, failed because “the hostages were not present at the place” where it was performed, explained the Defense Department spokesman, John Kirby, said in a statement.

This information is called a few hours after President Barack Obama condemned the “brutal” murder of journalist James Foley by the EI. The jihadist training had posted a video with the beheading of American, disappeared in Syria nearly two years ago, and called for revenge for American air strikes against positions of its militants in Iraq on Tuesday.

Obama authorized the operation failed because his national security team concluded that the hostages “were in danger every day that passed into the hands of EI”, said on his part the president on counter-terrorism adviser, Lisa Monaco. “The American Government had what I consider sufficient intelligence and when the opportunity arose, the president authorized the Defense Department to act aggressively to get our citizens. Unfortunately, that mission was not successful,” he said in a statement issued by the White House.

Neither the Pentagon nor the White House has officially confirmed if Foley was among a group of hostages that it was free, the number not required.

Newspapers The New York Times and The Washington Post claim, however, based on sources in the Obama administration authorized to speak on condition of anonymity, that the late journalist itself was one of the objectives of the rescue operation, which was authorized after that the intelligence services interrogated half a dozen Western hostages freed by jihadists.

According to the Post, at least one member of the rescue team was wounded in the failed operation. Extremists meanwhile suffered “a number of casualties,” the Times quoted the meantime to other official sources.

In the video posted by the EI, another American journalist abducted in Syria, Steven Joel Sotloff, which also threaten to run if Obama does not order the cessation of bombing their positions in Iraq shown.

Obama said Wednesday that the United States will do “whatever it takes” to protect its threatened citizens anywhere in the world and promised further action to “remove” the “cancer” that is the IE before it spreads throughout the region.

Several media had previously said that the White House knew that EI had threatened to Run to Foley.

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Posted by Khalil Khan on Aug 22 2014. Filed under World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.