The Briefing Room
General Category => National/Breaking News => Topic started by: mystery-ak on September 14, 2014, 01:58:16 pm
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http://www.politico.com/blogs/politico-live/2014/09/mcdonough-we-didnt-threaten-foleys-and-sotloffs-195421.html (http://www.politico.com/blogs/politico-live/2014/09/mcdonough-we-didnt-threaten-foleys-and-sotloffs-195421.html)
McDonough: We 'didn't threaten' Foleys and Sotloffs
By KATIE GLUECK |
9/14/14 9:27 AM EDT
White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said on Sunday the administration “didn’t threaten” with prosecution the families of two American journalists slain by an extremist group, as the families have alleged.
Families of journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley have indicated that when they weighed ransom options in efforts to reclaim the reporters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, a militant group that now takes responsibility for their beheadings, the federal government pushed back and even threatened prosecution.
“In terms of what was communicated to the families, in the midst of many, many meetings over the course of this very difficult circumstance, we obviously made clear what the law is," McDonough said on "Fox News Sunday." "We didn’t threaten anybody, but we made clear what the law is. That's our responsibility to make sure we explain the law and uphold the law.”
As a father, McDonough said, he personally feels deeply for the families and the "very difficult circumstances" they are experiencing.
"We took every effort and will continue to take every effort to secure people," he said.
On Saturday, ISIL claimed responsibility in a graphic video for beheading a third hostage, a British citizen.