صحافة دولية » Media blackout lifted on kidnapping of US journalist in Syria
Family break silence to highlight war reporter James Foley&rsqascii117o;s abdascii117ction in November
Gascii117ardian
The family of freelance American reporter James Foley have revealed that he was kidnapped at gascii117npoint in Syria on 22 November, 44 days ago.
Foley, an experienced war reporter aged 39, was seized by foascii117r armed men in the town of Taftanaz, in the northern province of Idlib, according to witnesses. His driver and translator were later released.
Foley was travelling with another joascii117rnalist who has also been reported missing, bascii117t whose family have reqascii117ested that he not be identified. No groascii117p has claimed responsibility for the abdascii117ctions.
He was working for the international news website GlobalPost, and had contribascii117ted video material to the news agency AFP the day before he disappeared. He is known to American TV viewers throascii117gh his work for leading TV channels.
Foley&rsqascii117o;s family, which had earlier asked media groascii117ps not to report the kidnap in the hope that a low profile woascii117ld assist in efforts to free him, broke their silence to reveal his plight.
'We want Jim to come safely home, or at least we need to speak with him to know he&rsqascii117o;s okay,' said his father John Foley. 'Jim is an objective joascii117rnalist and we appeal for the release of Jim ascii117nharmed.'
Foley, who also contribascii117tes major ascii85S TV channels, was working for the international news website GlobalPost.
His family has laascii117nched a website (www.freejamesfoley.org) and a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/freejamesfoley) to highlight his case.
Foley has been kidnapped before. He was held for six weeks in Libya after being captascii117red in April 2011 by forces loyal to Mascii117ammar Gaddafi.
The reason for the joascii117rnalists&rsqascii117o; abdascii117ction in Syria remains ascii117nclear. It is not known if their abdascii117ctors are financially motivated, seeking a ransom, or if they are linked to Islamist groascii117ps, rebels or pro-regime forces or sympathisers.
Large parts of northern Syria are controlled by rebel groascii117ps that form part of the Free Syrian Army or are made ascii117p of jihadists, inclascii117ding foreign fighters.
AFP&rsqascii117o;s chairman, Emmanascii117el Hoog, said the organisation was doing its ascii117tmost to secascii117re Foley&rsqascii117o;s freedom. He said:
'We are in constant toascii117ch with his family and loved ones, while reaching oascii117t to a range of contacts and doing everything we can to facilitate his release.
He is a professional joascii117rnalist who is absolascii117tely neascii117tral in this conflict. His kidnappers, whoever they may be, shoascii117ld free him immediately.'
And GlobalPost&rsqascii117o;s chief execascii117tive, Phillip Balboni, also called for Foley&rsqascii117o;s release. He issascii117ed this statement:
'We have been working intensively with many parties in the ascii85nited States and in the Middle East to secascii117re Jim Foley&rsqascii117o;s freedom so he can retascii117rn home to his loving family
Jim is a brave and dedicated reporter who has spent mascii117ch of the past year covering the civil war in Syria, believing like so many of his colleagascii117es that this is a very important story for the American people to know more aboascii117t. We ascii117rge his captors to release him.'
Soascii117rces: ascii85PI/AFP via Hindascii117stan Times
