Obama on James Foley's Death: U.S. Will Confront "Hateful Terrorism"
After calling photojournalist James Foley's parents this morning, President Obama made a short statement about Foley's death at the hands of ISIS. "We will continue to confront this hateful terrorism and replace it with a sense of hope and civility," he said from Martha's Vineyard, where he's vacationing. "That's what Jim Foley stood for."
Obama did not say what the U.S. plans to do about American journalist Steven Sotloff, who ISIS has threatened to kill next. He did say, "We will be vigilant and we will be relentless. When people harm Americans anywhere, we do whats necessary to see that justice is done." The U.S. military has launched almost a dozen airstrikes on ISIS militants in Iraq since yesterday.
In addition to honoring Foley in his statement, Obama harshly condemned ISIS as an organization. "No just god would stand for what they did yesterday and what they do every day. ... Their ideology is bankrupt." Earlier today, Foley's parents made a brief statement. His dad said, "It haunts me how much pain he was in. It testifies to his courage. He was courageous to the end."
[Image via AP]