2014 American rescue mission in Syria

Last updated
2014 American rescue mission in Syria
Part of the Syrian Civil War and
the Military intervention against the Islamic State
Date4 July 2014 (2014-07-04)
Location
Result Operation failed
Belligerents

Islamic State flag.svg  Islamic State

Commanders and leaders
Flag of the United States.svg Barack Obama

Islamic State flag.svg Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (Caliph)
Islamic State flag.svg Abu Ali al-Anbari (Deputy, Syria)

Contents

Islamic State flag.svg Abu Omar al-Shishani (Field commander in Syria)
Units involved
1st SFOD-D [1]
75th Ranger Regiment, Regimental Reconnaissance Company
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment

Unknown

    Strength
    Ground force:
    Around 24 Delta Force operators [1]
    Unknown number of Army Rangers
    1 Jordanian special forces operator
    Aircraft:
    4 MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters including 2 MH-60L
    1 AC-130 Gunship
    2 MQ-1 Predator drones
    Fighter jets
    Unknown
    Casualties and losses
    1 U.S. soldier wounded [1]
    1 Jordanian soldier wounded (unconfirmed) [1]
    5–8 militants killed [1] [2]

    The 2014 rescue mission in Syria was an American led effort to locate and rescue hostages being held by Islamic State (IS) forces. [3] Plans to rescue the hostages were accelerated after the execution of journalist James Foley, Steven Sotloff, and Kayla Mueller by IS militants. A total of 14 hostages were held hostage by the IS at an undisclosed location. [4] Though no soldiers were killed, the mission failed to locate and rescue the hostages. [3]

    History

    All three of the beheading victims were American citizens. Foley was working as a freelancer for GlobalPost and other media outlets like Agence France-Presse during the Syrian Civil War when he was captured by IS militants in 2012. [5] Sotloff was an American-Israeli journalist who was working as a reporter in Syria before his capture. [6] Mueller was a part of Doctors Without Borders and was captured by IS after leaving a hospital in the region. [7] [8] IS is a militant group, established in 2006, [9] that primarily operates in Iraq and Syria. The organization receives funding from oil production and smuggling, taxes, ransoms from kidnappings, selling stolen artifacts, extortion and controlling crops. [9]

    Foley, Sotloff, and Mueller were kidnapped at varying times and held hostage by IS until their deaths. Hostages from other countries were also captured and held for ransom. The United States government does not negotiate with terrorists and refuses to pay ransom to these organizations. [10] However, there are other countries that do not abide by the same policy and paid the ransom for their citizens held captive by IS forces. [11] The surviving hostages were instrumental in assisting the United States with locating and targeting the potential hostage house. The US sent the FBI to make contact with former European hostages who were released when their home country paid the ransom. [12] During the FBI's interview with the released hostages (whose names have not been disclosed for security reasons), they were able to compile information about the hostage house and where to locate the hostages within the home. [13]

    Mission planning

    One of the original hostages' ransom was paid by the British government and this individual was released from IS. [14] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was able to locate and contact this individual for questioning in regards to where the remaining hostages were located – geographical location and who could be located inside the hostage house – and other information that would assist officials in conducting the mission. [13] Statements from the unidentified source along with other intelligence gatherings were then taken to the Pentagon to discuss the specific details of the rescue mission. Officials were aware that the possibility of successfully rescuing all of the hostages without a single American fatality would be slim but the risk was too big not to act. The covert mission was approved and operation planning soon ensued. [15]

    Operation

    Once the FBI finished their initial data collection abroad, it was submitted to the Department of Defense for analysis. [14] More information was further compiled as the investigative team raced to assess the location of the home, any persons who may be guarding the home, and any other factors that needed to be assessed. Although there was a fear that the remaining hostages had been moved, ultimately the planning for the covert mission began as the risk of not attempting the rescue mission was too great. [16] In early July, U.S. air strikes were conducted against an IS military base camp known as the "Osama bin Laden Camp" while modified Black Hawk helicopters left from an FOB in Jordan and traveled towards the suspected hostage house. [17] As the special operations team landed near the home they instantly encountered and killed multiple IS members. After landing on the ground, the soldiers blocked the main road towards Raqqa and ambushed the suspected hostage-house in a prison. [18] The special operations team searched the home under the protection of drones circling above, and with ‘warplanes’ on standby. The raid is said to have involved dozens of special operations forces from all US military services, including the 160th special operations aviation regiment. [18]

    The special operations team was unable to locate and rescue any hostages. The special operations team conducted house-to-house searches in Uqayrishah. At this time, IS forces from Raqqa began to arrive and a three-hour firefight ensued. [1] During the fighting, militants also directed RPG fire at a U.S. aircraft; a bullet grazed the leg of the pilot. [19]

    Later, it was reported the hostages had been relocated 24 hours before the attempted rescue. [1] It remained unclear whether the operation failed due to incorrect intelligence or if IS forces had been alerted in advance of the mission. [20]

    During the home search, the special forces were able to acquire cellphones, hair, half-eaten meals and, blankets for forensic evidence. [21] After searching the home and gathering forensic evidence the operations team returned to the undisclosed base. [16]

    Aftermath

    John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary during the Syrian Rescue Mission, issued this statement in regard to the failed mission, “the operation involved air and ground components and was focused on a particular captor network within ISIS.” However, the mission was unsuccessful because the targets were not at the target location. [22] No American forces were killed during the operation, however during the immediate storming of the suspected location, one IS fighter fired at a Black Hawk helicopter, striking the pilot in the leg. [22]

    A Department of Defense (DOD) official commented on the failure of this mission that, "we're not sure why they were moved... By the time we got there, it was too late... a matter of hours, perhaps a day or two" since the American hostages had been moved from their initial location. Defense officials were openly frustrated with the transparency of the administration regarding information of this mission. The National Security Council spokeswoman expressed that they had, "never intended to disclose this operation." This issue is extremely concerning[ to whom? ] and was taken into consideration when President Obama reiterated to the Member States at the Security Council that, "foreign fighters were likely to return to their home countries to carry out attacks."

    Political aftermath

    The failure of the operation resulted in backlash from both sides of the political aisle. During an interview, President Obama commented, “We will do everything we can, short of providing an incentive for future Americans to be caught." [21] Although the policy remains to not negotiate with terrorist organizations, the administration admitted that communication with families could have been improved. In response to this, the administration requested a review of the operation by the National Counterterrorism Center. [21] Nonetheless, families of the victims still criticized the non-negotiating and raised the concern of the timeline for the rescue operation. [21] Despite the concerns, senior officials remarked on the complexity of the operation and deemed the logistical planning of the operation one of the fastest moving approval processes. [21]

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Special Operations Command</span> Joint component command of the U.S. Special Operations Command

    The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is a joint component command of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is charged with studying special operations requirements and techniques to ensure interoperability and equipment standardization, to plan and conduct special operations exercises and training, to develop joint special operations tactics, and to execute special operations missions worldwide. It was established in 1980 on recommendation of Colonel Charlie Beckwith, in the aftermath of the failure of Operation Eagle Claw. It is headquartered at Pope Field.

    The term Special Missions Unit (SMU), at one time referred to as a "Tier 1" unit, is used in the United States to categorize the nation's most highly secretive and elite military special operations forces. The term "special missions unit" is also used in Australia to describe the Special Air Service Regiment. Special mission units have been involved in high-profile military operations, such as the killing of Osama bin Laden and the attempted hostage rescue of Kayla Mueller.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulo Marer hostage rescue attempt</span> 2013 French military operation against Islamist group al-Shabaab in Somalia

    On 11 January 2013, the French military launched an unsuccessful operation in Bulo Marer, Lower Shabelle, Somalia to rescue French hostage Denis Allex from the militant Islamist organization al-Shabaab. Allex was executed in response, and two French commandos, at least 17 Islamist militants and at least eight civilians were killed in the firefight.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">War against the Islamic State</span> Military actions against the Islamic State

    Many states began to intervene against the Islamic State, in both the Syrian Civil War and the War in Iraq (2013–2017), in response to its rapid territorial gains from its 2014 Northern Iraq offensives, universally condemned executions, human rights abuses and the fear of further spillovers of the Syrian Civil War. These efforts are called the war against the Islamic State, or the war against ISIS. In later years, there were also minor interventions by some states against IS-affiliated groups in Nigeria and Libya. All these efforts significantly degraded the Islamic State's capabilities by around 2019–2020. While moderate fighting continues in Syria, as of 2024, ISIS has been contained to a manageably small area and force capability.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">James Foley (journalist)</span> American journalist (1973–2014)

    James Wright Foley was an American journalist and video reporter. While working as a freelance war correspondent during the Syrian Civil War, he was abducted on November 22, 2012, in northwestern Syria. He was murdered by decapitation in August 2014 purportedly as a response to American airstrikes in Iraq, thus becoming the first American citizen killed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Sotloff</span> American journalist (1983–2014)

    Steven Joel Sotloff was an American-Israeli journalist. In August 2013, he was kidnapped in Aleppo, Syria, and held captive by militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). On September 2, 2014, ISIS released a beheading video, showing one of its members beheading Sotloff. Following Sotloff's beheading, U.S. President Barack Obama stated that the United States would take action to "degrade and destroy" ISIS. President Obama also signed an Executive Order dated June 24, 2015, in the presence of the Sotloff family and other hostage families, overhauling how the U.S. handles American hostages held abroad by groups such as ISIS.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jihadi John</span> Kuwaiti-British militant and ISIS executioner (1988–2015)

    Mohammed Emwazi was a British militant of Kuwaiti origin seen in several videos produced by the Islamist extremist group Islamic State (IS) showing the beheadings of a number of captives in 2014 and 2015. A group of his hostages nicknamed him "John" since he was part of a four-person terrorist cell with English accents whom they called 'The Beatles'; the press later began calling him "Jihadi John".

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">US intervention in the Syrian civil war</span> Ongoing military intervention in West Asia

    On 22 September 2014, the United States officially intervened in the Syrian civil war with the stated aim of fighting the terrorist organization ISIS in support of the international war against it, code named Operation Inherent Resolve. The US currently continues to support the Syrian rebels and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces opposed to both the Islamic State and Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic State beheadings</span> Mostly 2014–2015 beheadings by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

    Beginning in 2014, a number of people from various countries were beheaded by the Islamic State (IS), a radical Sunni Jihadist group operating in Iraq and Syria as well as elsewhere. In January 2014, a copy of an IS penal code surfaced describing the penalties it enforces in areas under its control, including multiple beheadings. Beheading videos have been frequently posted by IS members to social media. Several of the recorded beheadings were conducted by Mohammed Emwazi, whom the media referred to as "Jihadi John" before his identification. The beheadings received wide coverage around the world and attracted international condemnation. Political scientist Max Abrahms posited that IS may be using well-publicized beheadings as a means of differentiating itself from Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and identifying itself with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the al-Qaeda member who beheaded Daniel Pearl. The publicised beheadings represent a small proportion of a larger number of total people killed following capture by IS.

    "The Beatles" was the nickname for an Islamic State terrorist group composed of four British militants. The group was named by their hostages after the English rock group The Beatles, who referred to the members as "John", "Paul", "George", and "Ringo".

    David Haines was a British aid worker who was captured by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in early 2013 and beheaded in early September 2014.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">US-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021)</span> Coalition against the Islamic State

    On 15 June 2014 U.S. President Barack Obama ordered United States forces to be dispatched in response to the Northern Iraq offensive of the Islamic State (IS), as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. At the invitation of the Iraqi government, American troops went to assess Iraqi forces and the threat posed by ISIL.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Inherent Resolve</span> Military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

    Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) is the United States military's operational name for the international war against the Islamic State, including both a campaign in Iraq and a campaign in Syria, with a closely related campaign in Libya. Through 18 September 2018, the U.S. Army's III Armored Corps was responsible for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF—OIR) and were replaced by the XVIII Airborne Corps. The campaign is primarily waged by American and British forces in support of local allies, most prominently the Iraqi security forces and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Combat ground troops, mostly special forces, infantry, and artillery have also been deployed, especially in Iraq. Of the airstrikes, 70% have been conducted by the military of the United States, 20% by the United Kingdom and the remaining 10% being carried out by France, Turkey, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and Jordan.

    Executions by ISIS refers here to killing by beheading, immolation, shooting, or other means of soldiers and civilians by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). ISIL has released a number of propaganda/publicity videos of beheadings or shootings of captives. Houtat Sulūk is reported to be a mass grave.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Kayla Mueller</span> American aid worker and ISIS captive (1988–2015)

    Kayla Jean Mueller was an American human rights activist and humanitarian aid worker from Prescott, Arizona, United States. She was taken captive in August 2013 in Aleppo, Syria, after leaving a Doctors Without Borders hospital. Media reported that a 26-year-old American aid worker was being held by ISIS without naming her, at her family's request. In 2015, she was killed in uncertain circumstances. The operation that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was named Operation Kayla Mueller, in her honor.

    Abu Sayyaf was the nom de guerre of a senior leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) who was described as overseeing gas and oil operations. United States authorities identified Abu Sayyaf's real name as Fathi Ben Awn Ben Jildi Murad al-Tunisi. Abu Sayyaf was killed on the night of May 15–16, 2015 while resisting capture during a United States Army Delta Force operation in eastern Syria.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkey–Islamic State conflict</span> Conflict since 2013 between Turkey and the Islamic State (ISIS)

    The Turkey–Islamic State conflict were a series of attacks and clashes between the state of Turkey and the Islamic State. Turkey joined the War against the Islamic State in 2016, after the Islamic State attacks in Turkey. The Turkish Armed Forces' Operation Euphrates Shield was aimed against both the Islamic State and the SDF. Part of Turkish-occupied northern Syria, around Jarabulus and al-Bab, was taken after Turkey drove the Islamic State out of it.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua Wheeler</span> United States Army soldier (1975–2015)

    Joshua Lloyd Wheeler was a United States Army soldier who was killed in Iraq during Operation Inherent Resolve. He was a master sergeant assigned to the elite Delta Force, and was the first American service member killed in action as a result of enemy fire while fighting ISIS militants. He was also the first American to be killed in action in Iraq since November 2011.

    Louisa Akavi is a New Zealand Red Cross nurse and recipient of the rarely awarded Florence Nightingale Medal. Akavi was kidnapped in Syria in October 2013 and subsequently taken hostage by Islamic State forces in May 2014. Akavi's captivity remained a tightly held secret by the New Zealand Government and media for the past five years. On 15 March 2019, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) disclosed her identity following the fall of the Islamic State's last stronghold in Syria. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed that the New Zealand Government is still trying to rescue and bring her home.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ruth Sherlock and Carol Malouf in Erbil and Josie Ensor (21 August 2014). "The failed US mission to try and rescue James Foley from Islamic State terrorists". Telegraph.co.uk. London. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
    2. Dairieh, Medyan (July 2015). "My Journey Inside the Islamic State". Vice.com. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
    3. 1 2 Szoldra, Paul. "The Operation To Rescue American Hostages In Syria Was Much Larger Than We Realized". Business Insider. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
    4. Miller, Zeke (2014-08-20). "U.S. Launched Operation to Rescue ISIS Hostages, Pentagon Says" . Time. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
    5. "Obama: Foley video shocks the world". BBC News. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
    6. Marszal, Andrew (3 September 2014). "Steven Sotloff beheaded by Islamic State - latest" . Retrieved 12 May 2019 via www.Telegraph.co.uk.
    7. Callimachi, Rukmini; Gladstone, Rick (6 February 2015). "ISIS Declares Airstrike Killed a U.S. Hostage". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
    8. Meek, James Gordon (August 24, 2016). "TIMELINE: Kayla Mueller in ISIS Captivity". ABC News. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
    9. 1 2 "ISIS Fast Facts". CNN. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
    10. Stahl, Lesley (16 July 2017). "Should the U.S. government pay ransom money?". CBS News. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
    11. Doucet, Lyse (2016-04-19). "How four men survived as hostages of IS". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
    12. Vanden Brook, Tom (20 August 2014). "Foley rescue attempt in Syria failed, officials say". USA TODAY. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
    13. 1 2 Schmidle, Nicholas (5 September 2014). "Inside the Failed Raid to Save Foley and Sotloff". New Yorker. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
    14. 1 2 Mosendz, Polly (25 September 2014). "ISIS Hostage Executioner 'Jihadi John' Identified by the FBI". The Atlantic. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
    15. Stewart, Phil; Coles, Isabel (22 October 2015). "U.S commando killed in raid to free hostages of ISIS in Iraq". Reuters.
    16. 1 2 Schuppe, Jon (24 October 2015). "Behind Delta Force, the Covert Unit That Saved ISIS Captives in Iraq". NBC News. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
    17. Gunter, Joel (2014-08-21). "US journalist James Foley beheaded by Isil". Daily Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2019-02-27.
    18. 1 2 Ackerman, Spencer (21 August 2014). "James Foley: US reveals failed special forces rescue mission within Syria". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
    19. "U.S. belatedly reports rescue operation for U.S. hostages in Syria". World Tribune. Archived from the original on 2015-01-28. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
    20. "Rising danger prompted U.S. effort to rescue James Foley, other hostages". Los Angeles Times. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
    21. 1 2 3 4 5 DeYoung, Karen (14 February 2015). "The anatomy of a failed hostage rescue deep in Islamic State territory" . The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 16 July 2022.
    22. 1 2 "Pentagon Provides Statement on Rescue Operation". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Retrieved 12 May 2019.