James Foley Ransom: ISIS Demanded $132M From GlobalPost, US Journalist's Family, Before Beheading

2014-08-20T170526Z_1317973607_GM1EA8L02MU01_RTRMADP_3_IRAQ-SECURITY — U.S. journalist James Foley speaks at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications in Evanston, Illinois, after being released from imprisonment in Libya, in this 2011 handout photo provided by Northwestern University. Islamic State militants have posted a video that purported to show the beheading of American journalist Foley in revenge for U.S. air strikes in Iraq. Foley, 40, was kidnapped on November 22, 2012, in northern Syria, according to GlobalPost. The video was posted after the U.S. resumed air strikes in Iraq in August 2014 for the first time since the end of the U.S. occupation in 2011. Foley had earlier been kidnapped and released in Libya. REUTERS/Tommy Giglio/Northwestern University/Handout via Reuters

Before they beheaded American journalist James Foley, ISIS demanded a nine-figure ransom from his family and the online publication he worked for, GlobalPost, in exchange for his release, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The development comes a day after it was revealed that U.S. Special Forces attempted a rescue operation in Syria that failed because Foley and other captives had been moved.

The Islamic State, the militant group formerly known as ISIS, demanded 100 million euros ($132.5 million) as ransom from Foley’s family and GlobalPost, Philip Balboni, the publication’s president and chief executive, told the Journal. He did not go into details about how the news site responded to the demands, but said communication between ISIS and GlobalPost was passed on to authorities. The New York Times reported that the U.S. refused to pay the ransom.

Earlier this summer, U.S. forces attempted an operation in Syria to rescue Foley and other hostages, the White House told NBC News on Wednesday. The operation involved Special Operations forces who swooped in on a compound with cover from U.S. fighter jets. They engaged ISIS militants at the compound and a gun battle ensued, but the operation was aborted after it was determined there were no hostages at the location.

“It all happened very quickly,” a White House official told the network.

The Defense Department also gave a brief explanation of the operation on Twitter:

.@PentagonPresSec: The United States attempted a rescue operation recently to free a number of American hostages held in Syria by ISIL (1/4)
- Marie Harf (@marieharf) August 20, 2014

.@PentagonPresSec: This operation involved air and ground components and was focused on a particular captor network within ISIL. (2/4)
— Marie Harf (@marieharf) August 20, 2014

.@PentagonPresSec: Unfortunately, the mission was not successful because the hostages were not present at the targeted location. (3/4)
— Marie Harf (@marieharf) August 20, 2014

.@PentagonPresSec: We put the best of the United States military in harms way to try and bring our citizens home. (4/4)
— Marie Harf (@marieharf) August 20, 2014

President Barack Obama authorized the mission because the U.S. “had what we believed was sufficient intelligence,” Lisa Monaco, assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism, said in a statement. "It was the national security team's assessment that these hostages were in danger with each passing day in [ISIS] custody."

Despite the failed operation, Monaco said Obama "could not be prouder of the U.S. forces who carried out this mission and the dedicated intelligence and diplomatic professionals who supported their efforts.”

ISIS released footage Wednesday of Foley being beheaded. The video also showed Steven Sotloff, another U.S. journalist, who ISIS threatened to also kill depending on Obama’s “next decision.”

Barack obama Terrorism