Families of 'Jihadi John's' victims unhappy about his killing

Diane Foley

The parents of several people killed by 'Jihadi John' (the British born Mohammed Emwazi) have expressed their concern at his being targetted and probably killed in a drone strike yesterday. (A strike which could have killed many others at the same time.)

Diane Foley, the mother of journalist James Foley who was killed in 2014, said: "It saddens me that here in America we're celebrating the killing of this deranged patethic young man. It's just so sad that our precious resources have been concentrated to seek revenge, if you will, or kill this man," she said, adding that those resources should have been spent trying to save her son and other Americans captured by ISIS.

"Jim would have been devastated with the whole thing. Jim was a peacemaker. He wanted to figure out why this was all happening," Diane Foley told ABC News. "I have no sense of justice having been done. Its just sad."

And she warned: "We have to be careful for the media not to glorify this deranged young man." She lamented the glorification of war in America and said she wanted to see America choose to promote peace and freedom, instead of violence.

The widow of another victim, aid worker David Haines, said the only way families could achieve some form of 'moral satisfaction' would be with the capture and imprisonment of the terrorist.

The family of murdered American Steven Sotloff, said they had also hoped Jihadi John would be "caught by American intelligence officials, brought to trial in the United States, and convicted for the crime of beheading their son."

In an official statement on Facebook, John and Diane Foley said today: "It is a very small solace to learn that Jihadi John may have been killed by the US government. His death does not bring Jim back. If only so much effort had been given to finding and rescuing Jim and the other hostages who were subsequently murdered by ISIS, they might be alive today.

Our focus is on Jim's life and all the good that he did in the world. We remain humble and proud of his unwavering commitment to give voice to the voiceless as a journalist, a teacher and a friend.

As we continue to honour Jim's life, we are grateful to the thousands of people who supported Jim throughout his captivity and who continue to support his legacy today through The James W Foley Legacy Foundation.

The Foundation is committed to defending the rights of every American citizen by advocating for the safe release of Americans kidnapped abroad, advancing safety measures for freelance journalists in conflict zones, and providing underprivileged youth with access to education."

Read more about the James W Foley Foundation here: www.jamesfoleyfoundation.org/