U.S. President Barack Obama says families of American hostages will now be allowed to pay ransom to secure their release.
Previously, families that attempted to pay ransom could be prosecuted.
Below are statements from families of hostage victims that have died overseas, and reaction from politicians.
The families of Kayla Mueller, Abdul Rahman Peter Kassig and Steven Sotloff
As we process and understand today鈥檚 report, we appreciate the time and effort the government has put into the Hostage Policy Review. We are grateful they gave us the opportunity to participate and voice our concerns and recommendations. The changes are a step in the right direction; we鈥檙e hopeful they will make a difference for families and their friends and loved ones facing this horror currently and in the future.
We have faith that the changes announced today will lead to increased success in bringing our citizens home. When we see evidence of this occurring, it will further our healing.
Kayla, Peter, and Steven assumed the risks inherent in their respective work fully aware of the dangers and in pursuit of the greater good. They were committed to making the world a better place. We believe they did.
In closing, a Sotloff friend shared the following sentiment with the family, which has given them comfort during this sad time, 鈥淐ourage is fear that prayed and decided to move forward anyways.鈥�
The Sotloff family has established a foundation in their son鈥檚 memory, 2LIVES Steven Joel Sotloff Memorial Foundation
The Kassig family asks for donations to be made to SAMS, The Syrian American Medical Society, in the name of Abdul Rahman Peter Kassig.
The Mueller family has established Kayla鈥檚 Hands, a foundation in her name committed to continuing the work she started.
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John and Diane Foley, parents of killed hostage James Foley
We are grateful to the Hostage Review team for shining a spotlight on the silent crisis of American citizens kidnapped abroad. Too often the average American has no idea that Americans working abroad are being kidnapped, held against their will, often starved and tortured. The rise of terrorism has hugely increased the risk for courageous journalists, humanitarian workers, diplomats, students and tourists.
We want to commend the Hostage Review team for their in-depth evaluation of the American hostage issue. We applaud their willingness to examine the previously inadequate response to the kidnapping of American citizens abroad. The leadership of Lisa Monaco and Jen Easterly from the White House, and General Bennet Sacolick and his National Counterterrorism Team is both reassuring and hopeful to the Foley family.
Our son, James W. Foley, was like so many Americans. He was idealistic, and passionately believed in freedom and justice. He believed that press freedom was vital to our democracy. He wanted fellow Americans to know the suffering and courage of Middle Eastern families and their yearning for similar freedoms. He went into harm's way, fully knowing the risk to personal safety. He trusted that his work as a conflict journalist was valued by fellow Americans and thus by his government.
The James W. Foley Legacy Foundation (JWFLF) was established immediately after Jim's brutal murder to continue Jim's courageous work for the voiceless, for press freedom to reveal the deep suffering of families amid war, for kidnapped citizens, for freelance journalists/photographers in conflict zones, and for at risk youth.
Jim wanted to make a difference in the world. Perhaps his horrific death was necessary to awaken the American public and our government.
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House Speaker John Boehner
I've not seen the report nor have I seen an analysis of it, but we have had a policy in the United States for over 200 years of not paying ransom and not negotiating with terrorists. The concern that I have is that by lifting that long-held principle you could be endangering more Americans here and overseas.
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Democratic Representative John Delaney, whose district is home to the family of hostage Warren Weinstein, killed in a drone attack intended for an al-Qaeda member
I believe the President took important concrete steps in the right direction to improve our hostage rescue operations, effectively creating a Hostage Czar, a special assistant to the President, who chairs the Hostage Response Group on the National Security Council. The Hostage Response Group will set the strategies to be implemented by the Fusion Cell. The reforms should help create a new management structure to streamline our hostage rescue process. The loss of Dr. Warren Weinstein was a human tragedy and a terrible loss for his family, it was also a profound signal that our hostage rescue efforts must improve,鈥� said Congressman Delaney. 鈥淲arren was held for over three years, suffering at the hands of terrorists. Tragically, we weren鈥檛 able to locate Warren, we weren鈥檛 able to save him and weren鈥檛 able to bring him home and I think about that every day. I am encouraged by the actions taken today by the White House to create a new management structure and empower National Security Council officials to tackle this problem. In working with the Weinstein family and federal officials on this problem for the last two years, I have been truly impressed by the dedication of our defense, security and intelligence personnel. While I have expressed my frustrations in the past, I believe the President has listened to the concerns of the families and is creating the new management structure that we need to bring more Americans home.
