Prescott, AZ – The father of Kayla Mueller, the American woman killed after spending months in captivity under Islamic State militants, says the U.S. government “put policy in front of” American lives.
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“We understand the policy about not paying ransom but on the other hand … we tried and we asked. But they put policy in front of American citizens’ lives,” Carl Mueller told NBC’s “Today” show in an interview that will air Monday.
Carl Mueller said he is sure the government will work on somehow changing policy.
“Any parents out there would understand that you would want anything and everything done to bring your child home,” he said.
In the interview with “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, Mueller’s mother, Marsha, agreed with her husband. She said she believes the U.S. government hoped to do everything possible to get her daughter back.
“I think they wanted to but I think again, the policy and I don’t think anyone had any idea how this group would be as powerful as they were,” Marsha Mueller said.
Mueller’s brother, Eric Mueller, also spoke with Guthrie.
A spokesperson for the family did not immediately respond Sunday to a request for comment. The family has declined repeated requests for an interview from The Associated Press.
Mueller’s death was confirmed Feb. 10 by her family and U.S. officials. The Islamic State group claimed she died in a Jordanian airstrike, but U.S. officials have not confirmed that. The Pentagon said it didn’t know how she was killed.
The 26-year-old international aid worker, who grew up in Prescott, Arizona, was taken in August 2013 after leaving a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Aleppo, Syria.
She has been honored in the past week with memorials in her hometown and her alma mater in Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University.
This policy does save American lives in 2 ways.
1. Terrorist don’t go out of there way to catch Americans. If they do it’s for political reasons.
2. Terrorist organizations have made hundreds of millions of dollars over the years in ransom money. It has become so profitable that many terrorist have abandoned the drug trade for the ransom trade.
America’s policy therefore, undermines a primary source of funding for the terrorist and attempts to stop fuelling the appetite for ransom, and by extensions the kidnappings themselves. (That can only happen when all countries stop paying)
So did your daughter, she went there because of her policies, ignoring the danger to her life.
Instead of changing US policy don’t let your children go to Syria and Iraq in the first place. They put themselves in danger and also endanger any military personnel who attempt to rescue them. Paying ransom might save one child but it will enable these barbarians to harm many more.
Sorry, you failed as parents. Your daughter made irrational decisions and lacked the common sense necessary to decide where it was safe to travel. It is heartbreaking to see her not see her 27th birthday. You must hurt deeply,
The policy of not paying a ransom actually protects Americans since the terror group uses hostage taking to pay its members and needs. With out money terror can not exist as an organized group.
Countries that pay ransom are in effect supporting terror. On this the US is correct not to pay terror groups money for ransom.
If I am not mistaken, this concept also exists in halacha not to pay ransoms since it encourages kidnappers.
There is nothing wrong with the US policy, but a lot wrong with Kayla and her parents. To pay any ransom would only encourage more kidnappings.
On the other hand Kayla knew quite well that she is entering a den of murderers and chose to go there on her own free will. Unfortunately she got her just desserts. As parents why did they not try to prevent her from going instead of blaming our country.
whilst I have he greatest synpathy for the parents of this young woman, I ask what did they really expect the US govt to do? Perhaps they should have rather used their persuasive powers to try to dissuade her from going to a war zone in the first place.
If i am not mistaken, dear kayla was a sonei yisroel as exibited by her activities against the idf. if so , she met her end in a most befitting manner
Oseh maaseh zimri umevakesh schar k’pinchas.
Obviously national policy is more important than people’s lives. I am sorry this family found this out so late.
Kayla was an anti-Israel Pali lover. I, for one, do not grieve for her.
From what I’ve read about Kayla, she was a Palestinian rights advocate whose presence in the Mid East was against Israel’s interests. I wonder if her grieving parents knew of her involvement in such radical activities and shared her views. She had no business being in such a dangerous part of the world. Kayla paid a heavy price for her activities.