(WHDH) — The mother of a journalist slain by ISIS in 2014 said the death of the terror group’s leader would hamper the organization, but called on President Trump to keep troops in Syria to help others who are being held hostage.
Diane Foley’s son James was a journalist covering the Syrian Civil War when he was captured by ISIS in 2012 and was ultimately beheaded in a video that was seen around the world.
She said the death of Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi after a U.S. raid would be a “blow” to the terrorist organization, but it also brought back memories of her son’s death.
“It’s a blow to ISIS and for that, I’m very grateful,” Diane Foley said. “It’s always stressful because it brings the horror back.”
And she wanted to see Al-Baghdadi’s associates who were captured alive brought to trial.
“The problem is when they’re killed, there’s a lot of questions that go unanswered, nor do they have to face the victims or do we get any information from them,” Foley said. “I think it’s very important that we bring these folks to trial so that if in fact they are guilty that they spend the rest of their lives in prison.”
And Foley said she is passionate about making sure other prisoners of terror organizations can come home safe, urging Trump to keep troops in Syria.
“I would ask our president if he would please use this American expertise to bring innocent Americans home because there are hundreds of innocent Americans who have been taken hostage or are unjustly detained around the world,” she said.
(Copyright (c) 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)