Foley’s brother and mother testify in U.S. District Court in Alexandria in the terrorism trial of El Shafee Elsheikh, a British man accused of playing a leading role in a hostage plot that resulted in the deaths of Foley and three other Americans. of Steven. Sotloff, Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller. James Foley, a freelance photographer who grew up in New Hampshire, left for Syria in October 2012. He was well aware of the potential dangers after spending more than a month in captivity in Libya while on a mission during the civil war. His mother, Diane Foley, testified that she was deeply concerned about her son when he failed to call them as usual on Thanksgiving. Only in late November, after Thanksgiving, did they actually receive an email from James’ kidnappers trying to establish a line of communication. James Foley, James’s brother, said the emails exchanged in November 2012 and January 2013 demanded either the release of Muslim prisoners or 100 million euros. “We have not been able to secure any of these requests,” he said. “It’s not a logical requirement. It’s not a bargain, in my opinion. “ The kidnappers provided evidence that they had Foley in their possession and that he was still alive, giving personal details about James’s life that would have been known only to him and his family. But despite repeated attempts to engage the hostages in conversations, the Foleys did not receive replies to many emails for about eight months. Finally, in August 2013, they received an email entitled: “A message to the US government and its sheep citizens.” The email criticized the US for a recent bombing campaign against Islamic State. He promised retaliation, “the first of which was the blood of your American citizen, James Foley. It will be executed as a direct result of your violations against us! “ A few days later, Foley was beheaded in a gruesome video that aired on the Internet. Both Foley testified that they first learned of James’s death from reporters calling for a response. Michael Foley said he found the video immediately available on the Internet and watched it repeatedly. Diane Foley said she kept hoping it was a tough joke. He called the FBI and other government officials he had contacted, but no one answered all day. The first official confirmation he received was on the evening news, when then-President Barack Obama confirmed the beheading. The refusal to negotiate on serious terms contradicts previous testimonies, where negotiators for European hostages have been involved in lengthy discussions that have resulted in the release of hostages. A hostage was released after raising € 2 million, a negotiated sum that was only a fraction of what the Foleys owed. Elsheikh is best known as one of the “Beatles”, a nickname given to him and at least two other British prisoners because of their accent. Elsheikh and a longtime friend, Alexenda Kotey, were arrested together and taken to Virginia for trial. Kotey pleaded guilty last year to a deal requiring life in prison. A third Beatle, Mohammed Emwazi, served as the executioner in the video of Foley’s execution. Emoazi was killed in a drone strike. During the trial there were conflicting statements about the existence of a fourth member of the group. A man who had previously been publicly identified as the fourth man, Aine Davis, is serving a prison sentence in Turkey. Defense attorneys have pointed to differences over the Beatles’ identities and say there is insufficient evidence to suggest that Elsheikh was involved in the hostage-taking plot. Prosecutors, however, plan to present evidence later in the trial that Elsheikh confessed to his role when questioned by investigators and in media interviews.
