Parents had hoped to negotiate with James Foley`s captors
The parents of slain journalist James Foley said they regarded an e-mail they received from his captors last week as a hopeful sign they could negotiate with the Islamic militants.
|Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014, 08:28 PM IST|Source: PTI
Rochester: The parents of slain journalist James Foley said they regarded an e-mail they received from his captors last week as a hopeful sign they could negotiate with the Islamic militants.
Speaking on NBC`s "Today," John and Diane Foley from Rochester, New Hampshire, said they had last heard from the captors via several emails in December.
John Foley said he was excited to see the latest e-mail, even though it threatened execution, because he hoped they would be willing to negotiate.
"I underestimated that point," John Foley said of the threat. "I did not realise how brutal they were."
Foley, 40, was kidnapped in Syria in November 2012. In the last email, Foley`s Islamic State captors demanded USD 132.5 million from his parents and political concessions from Washington. Authorities say neither obliged.
The militants revealed Foley`s death in a video released on Tuesday. The extremists said they killed him in retaliation of US airstrikes targeting Islamic State positions in northern Iraq.
The Foleys said they had set up a special e-mail address and sent multiple messages to try to engage the captors. "We were just anxiously waiting," Diane Foley said.
In New Hampshire, Governor Maggie Hassan has directed flags to fly at half-staff in honour of Foley on Sunday, the day a church service is planned in remembrance of him.
"An unconscionable act of terror took him from us far too soon, but his unyielding commitment to advancing our cherished First Amendment right across the globe and the truths he unveiled will live on forever," Hassan said in a statement.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.