In foiled U.S. attempt to rescue James Foley, U.S. ground forces directly battled ISIS militants

In foiled U.S. attempt to rescue James Foley, U.S. ground forces directly battled ISIS militants
(Image credit: Pool/Getty Images)

A secret operation in Syria earlier this summer to rescue journalist James Foley and other hostages held by ISIS was unsuccessful, the Pentagon announced Wednesday, because they were not at the location targeted.

Senior administration officials told ABC News that the "substantial and complex" operation was authorized by President Obama, after "a broad collection of intelligence" led them to believe that the hostages were at a specific location. "Intelligence is not a perfect science," one official said, adding that "the truth is, we don't know" how it failed.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.