President Barack Obama told the Today Show the United States is working to release a 26-year-old American woman from the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL). The terrorists captured the woman on August 30.
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“We’re deploying all assets that we can, working with all the coalition allies that we can to identify their locations,” he said. “We’re in very close contact with her family, trying to keep them updated. Obviously, this is something that is heartbreaking for families. And our obligation is to make sure that we do anything we can to try to make sure that any American citizen is rescued from this situation.”
The family requested that the media not release the woman’s identity. Authorities believe she is the only American left with the Islamic State. The terrorists beheaded journalist James Foley in August and also aid worker Peter Kassig in November. The group beheaded Japanese journalist Kenji Goto on Saturday. They also burned alive Jordanian pilot Mu’ath al-Kaseasbeh and released the video on Tuesday.
The Islamic State offered to swap Goto for failed suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi, who is on death row in Jordan. However, Jordan demanded they release al-Kaseasbeh for al-Rishawi. Since the terrorists murdered the pilot, Jordan announced they will execute al-Rishawi on Wednesday for her participation in an attack on the Radisson Hotel in Amman in 2005.
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