Hagel calls James Foley 4th July rescue mission 'flawless' despite raiding the wrong camp before 'well funded' ISIS demanded $132 million ransom



Chuck Hagel defended Delta Force mission to rescue James Foley and said it was 'flawless'



Ransom of $132 million demanded from Foley's family one week before he was beheaded

Sent in 'vitriolic' email six weeks after special forces mission to save him went to the wrong terror camp



President Obama personally authorized July 4 weekend raid

The assault was launched from Turkey to Syria on Camp Osama bin Laden



The United States does not negotiate with terrorists nor pay ransoms

ISIS and al-Qaeda has extorted $125 million from compliant European countries who pay



Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel defended the daring July 4 mission to rescue James Foley and claimed it was 'flawless', even though the special forces mission assaulted the wrong camp and failed to bring him home.



Speaking at the Pentagon on Thursday, Hagel claimed the mission personally authorized by the president went exactly according to plan and categorically denied the assault was a failure of intelligence.

Speaking alongside Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Defense Secretary said, 'The fact is you all know intelligence doesn’t come wrapped in a package with a bow.



'It is a mosaic of many pictures of many factors.



'The enemy always has a say in everything. The fact is, you have to work that reality in to any decision you make, but the underlying objective was to do everything we could as the president has said to rescue these hostages, knowing their lives were in danger, clearly in danger.'



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Flawless: US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (L) speaks next to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on Thursday Mission: US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (L) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey hold a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on Thursday

Mission: Six weeks before a $132 ransom was sent to the family of James Foley, a special forces raid on an ISIS base named camp ISIS was launched

Six weeks after the bungled strike to rescue Foley, 40, his captors sent his family and the US government a $132 million ransom demand.

This was ignored and one week later the revolting video of his beheading was released and justified by ISIS as retaliation for US air strikes against them in Iraq.

Now, the failure to free Foley or negotiate his release has backed the president into a corner as he deals with the threat to kill the second hostage paraded in front of the camera on Tuesday, Steven John Sotloff.

Indeed, at the end of Tuesday's grisly video, Foley's executioner, who is widely believed to be British, delivers an ominous threat towards the White House.

'The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision,'

Up until very recently, ISIS had been trying to extort millions from the US in exchange for Foley, no doubt encouraged by the lucrative trade in hostages between the terror group and European countries willing to pay.

HOW NATIONS PAID ISIS and AL QAEDA: CLAIMS BY THE NEW YORK TIMES FRANCE $58.1m

QATAR AND OMAN $20.4m

SWITZERLAND $12.4m

SPAIN $11m

AUSTRIA $3.2m

The New York Times estimates that the Islamic State and al-Qaeda has siphoned off as much as $125 million from compliant European governments such as France and Germany, while the United States and Britain steadfast refuse.

Four French and three Spanish hostages were released in 2014 from Al Qaeda affiliates after the two countries handed over millions reported the New York Times.



However, now that American citizens are dying, and in such public and barbaric fashion, the United States is having to work out how it will free Sotloff and at least two other hostages kept in custody.

The policy of non-negotiation, which the US shares with UK, now puts it increasingly at odds with many of it NATO partners.



In an opinion piece for Reuters, David Rohde, who works for the news agency argues that by launching a mission and not paying the ransom contributed to Foley's death.



'The payment of ransoms and abduction of foreigners must emerge from the shadows. It must be publicly debated,' wrote Mr. Rohde, who escaped from the Taliban himself by climbing out of a window.



'American and European policy makers should be forced to answer for their actions.'



According to the New York Times, ISIS has sent a list of demands to the US for prisoner swaps, including Aafia Siddiqui, an M.I.T. trained neuroscientist from Pakistan currently incarcerated in Texas.

In the aftermath of Foley's death, many have asked whether swapping prisoners could be an effective manner of keeping up the policy of non-negotiation.

Frightening: James Wright Foley tenses as his executioner addresses the camera who says this act of revenge is in responce to US airstrikes on Iraq

Raid on Camp Osama bin Laden: The special forces team flew in from Turkey and attacked the northern Syrian base to free James Foley

However, the offer to spare Foley's life in exchange for money and the flat out refusal to negotiate has left the White House sensitive to growing criticism of its policy in dealing with American hostages abroad, especially the Middle East.

So sensitive in fact that the White House confirmed on Wednesday that they had launched a mission to save Foley, six weeks ago, but unfortunately it failed.

Over the weekend of July 4, troops from 'nearly ever US military service' tried and failed to rescue James Foley from an ISIS terror base in Syria named Camp Osama bin Laden, according to new details on the attempt.

An operative working inside the Islamic State said that the fruitless raid was carried out by two dozen soldiers, who launched from an airbase in Turkey and touched down on Syrian soil to make their assault on the ISIS stronghold, named after the dead al-Qaeda chief.

Authorized mission: Obama delivered a statement from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, during his vacation on Wednesday. Hours later it was revealed he authorized a mission in July to save James Foley. It failed

The mission, the first known incursion by US troops into Syria since the civil war erupted in 2012 was personally authorized by President Obama and according to McClatchy, the unsuccessful assault left five militants dead and countless others wounded.

It was over Independence Day weekend that Delta Force commandos, backed-up by helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and surveillance craft began their assault from southern Turkey in the hope of freeing the kidnapped American citizen and his fellow hostages.

The battle-hardened soldiers touched down in the al Ikairsha area of Raqqa province and prepared to storm the Islamic State base named after the dead al-Qaeda leader and mastermind of the atrocities committed on 9/11.

The ground team failed to find any trace of Foley or other hostages and was attacked by ISIS forces as they attempted to extract themselves from Syria.

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Dignified: Diane and John Foley talked to reporters after the death of their son, photojournalist James Foley, at the hands of ISIS

One American soldier was injured in the fierce gun battle that ensued, but American officials have so far declined to divulge how long troops spent searching or how long the battle between US forces and those of ISIS lasted for.

'The president authorized action at this time because it was the national security team’s assessment that these hostages were in danger with each passing day,' said Lisa Monaco, an assistant national security adviser.

'The US government had what we believed was sufficient intelligence.'

Confirmation of the failed attempt to rescue Foley came one day after the barbaric footage of his beheading was published online to the revulsion of the world.

The mission to save the journalist and others was carried out in early July but was unsuccessful because the hostages - being held by a group of British jihadists known as 'The Beatles' - could not be found.

'This operation involved air and ground components and was focused on a particular captor network within ISIL [also known as ISIS and IS],' the White House said in a statement last night.

'Unfortunately, the mission was not successful because the hostages were not present at the targeted location.'

No mercy: Global Post President and CEO Philip Balboni revealed the Foley family had received a 'rage'-filled email from ISIS threatening to execute the journalist a week ago, and that the White House had been aware of the threat

It came as President Obama's conduct attracted growing criticism after he played golf immediately after he gave a speech condemning the murder of Mr Foley.

Four minutes after leaving the podium Obama teed-off and was seen laughing with friends and fist-bumping them during a five-hour round at Farm Neck Golf Course on Martha's Vineyard - his seventh 18-holes in ten days.

Meanwhile his administration was briefing on its rescue attempts this summer and said it would not release more details on the raid, but sources told the New York Times that the mission was carried out by two dozen special-ops members, who were dropped off in Syria in early July and were met with gunfire.

'While on site, it became apparent the hostages were not there,' one of the officials said.

The sources wouldn't say where the raid was held, but pointed out that if it had happened in a heavily-populated area - it likely would have already made news. They also wouldn't comment on how many hostages were believed to be held captive at the location, or their names.

During the fight the ISIS forces suffered 'a good number of casualties' while only one American was slightly wounded. The American team was then able to retreat back to their helicopters and escape.

The administration kept the raid a secret until now in order to 'preserve future opportunities' for another mission.