Diane Foley, the mother of journalist James Foley, wrote this message Tuesday evening, following the earlier posting of a video online by the organization Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The video showed Foley, who had been abducted in 2012 while covering the conflict in Syria, being murdered by ISIS militants.
We have never been prouder of our son Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people.
We implore the kidnappers to spare the lives of the remaining hostages. Like Jim, they are innocents. They have no control over American government policy in Iraq, Syria, or anywhere in the world.
We thank Jim for all the joy he gave us. He was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist, and person. Please respect our privacy in the days ahead as we mourn and cherish Jim. [Diane Foley]
The message was posted to the "Free James Foley" Facebook account, which had been set up and maintained to call attention to Foley's plight.
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