Well speak with Philip Balboni president and ceo of globalpost, where james foley was a freelance reporter when he was taken hostage in 2012, and who u. S. Threatened his family with prosecution if they attempted to pay ransom. Foley was beheaded. We will also speak with the former chief of the fbis crisis negotiation unit, gary noesner and with sarah shourd held prisoner by iran for or 10 days and released through negotiation with a third country which facilitated half 1 million each for her and her two friends josh for tall and shane bauer. And we will be joined by new York AttorneyStanley Cohen directly involved in secret talks with the freedom of u. S. Aid worker peter kassig held by isis in syria when u. S. Ally the talks collapsed and kassig was beheaded soon after. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Indonesian rescuers have found dozens of bodies and debris from a passenger plane that was carrying 162 people when it disappeared on the way to singapore sunday. The remains were found in the Karimata Strait off the coast of borneo. Airasia flight 8501 had requested permission to climb to a higher altitude amidst bad weather, but the response was delayed due to heavy air traffic, and the plane disappeared. Leftists in greece appear poised for a historic victory after lawmakers rejected the Prime Ministers nominee for president , setting the stage for early elections next month. The failed vote triggers the dissolution of parliament and comes amidst mounting outrage over austerity policies which have come as part of greeces international bailout. The left wing syriza party is leading in polls, paving the way for a leftwing government to take control in greece for the party bent on reversing deep cuts demanded by international lenders. Alexis tsipras, leader of the syriza party, and likely the next Prime Minister of greece, celebrated mondays outcome. Today is the beginning of the end of regime that sunk us into grief and desperation. The beginning of the and for those who worship mostly servants of catastrophic policies. The u. S. Military says it has carried out an airstrike in somalia targeting a Senior Leader of the militant group alshabab. The pentagon said in a statement it did not believe any civilians had been killed in the strike, but did not say whether the intended target was hit. Last week on christmas alshabab attacked the African Union base in mogadishu, killing nine people in what it said was a retaliation for another u. S. Drone strike, which killed the groups leader in september. On saturday, another top alshabab figure who was the subject of a 3 million u. S. Bounty surrendered to police in somalia. U. S. Led forces have also continued bombing Islamic State militants, with 12 airstrikes in syria and six in iraq on monday alone. A new report has revealed a kill list used by the u. S. Led nato coalition in afghanistan targeted not only highlevel commanders of the taliban, but mid and lowerlevel operatives and even drug dealers. The secret documents, at least some of which came from nsa whistleblower Edward Snowden span from 2009 and 2011. According to the german newsmagazine der spiegel which reviewed them, they show targeted killings were not just viewed as a last resort to prevent attacks, but were in fact part of everyday life in the guerilla war in afghanistan. In one case, a young boy was killed and his father injured by a british helicopter pilot who was targeting a suspected midlevel taliban commander. Meanwhile, another round of documents from snowden published by der spiegel show some encryption tactics have successfully thwarted spying by the National Security agency. An nsa document describes how liberian officials are reporting a new flareup of ebola cases along the border with sierra leone. The announcement of dozens of new cases comes after liberia reported strides in combating the virus. The news comes as the death toll in the three worsthit countries in west africa has topped 7,800, with more than 20,000 people falling ill with ebola. In britain, meanwhile, a Health Worker who recently returned to scotland from sierra leone has become the first person diagnosed with ebola on british soil. Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said the risk to the public is minimal. I think it is very important to stress, particularly for the benefit of those watching, that the risk to other people as a result of this confirmed ebola case is deemed to be extremely low, given the early stage of diagnosis as the patient was displaying no symptoms of the kind that would be to onward transmission to other people at risk before she reported this morning as being unwell. In the United States, a technician may have been exposed to ebola at a facility run by the centers for disease control. The worker is under observation after handling samples which were supposed to have been deactivated. An autopsy report shows an unarmed African American man killed by Los Angeles Police was shot three times, including in the back. The coroners report shows 25yearold ezell ford was shot in the right side, right arm and the back, where the imprint of a gun muzzle was found around the wound. Showing he was shot at very close range. Police allege that ford, who suffered from Mental Illness tried to grab an officers gun during a confrontation. But his family members and at least one eyewitness say he was complying with police and lying on the ground when he was shot. The police and District Attorney are conducting an investigation into the shooting which happen in august, and fords family has filed a civil rights lawsuit. The Israeli Military has shot and killed a 17yearold in the west bank. The military says soldiers opened fire on a group of people who were throwing rocks, killing a teenager identified as imam jamil ahmad dweikat. But a friend of the deceased who was injured in the attack, denied the pair were throwing rocks and told the Palestinian Maan news agency his friend was killed in cold blood. The news comes after more than 50 alumni, former educators, and staff of the israel arts and Sciences Academy in jerusalem , have issued a call for graduates of the Prestigious High School to refuse to serve in the Israeli Military. Military service is mandatory in israel and those who refuse may face jail. The letter calls military refusal one of the Top Republicans in congress has acknowledged he spoke to a gathering of White Supremacists and neonazis in 2002 while he was serving as a state representative. Congressmember Steve Scalise of louisiana, who serves as House Majority whip, has confirmed reports he spoke at a convention organized by the europeanamerican unity and rights organization, or euro founded by former ku klux klan leader david duke. Scalise told the new Orleans Timespicayune he didnt recall the conference and didnt know who all of these groups were. For anyone to suggest that i was involved with a group like that is insulting and ludicrous, he said. New york republican Congressmember Michael Grimm has announced he will resign after pleading guilty to felony tax evasion at his new york city fastfd restaurant thio. Afr enri thelea last week, grimm had said he would absolutely not resign, but he reportedly reversed himself after speaking with Republican HouseSpeaker John Boehner on monday. The probe into grimms finances made National Headlines earlier this year when he threatened to break a local tv reporter in half and throw him over a balcony for asking him about it. His resignation comes as federal authorities are reportedly investigating a top democrat in new york state over payments he received from a law firm that specializes in Real Estate Tax reductions. According to the New York Times, new York State Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver did not disclose the payments as required. New york city mayor bill de blasio is due to meet with Police Union Leaders today a day after he was booed by some graduates at Police Graduation ceremony. De blasio is facing tensions with the unions over contract negotiations and his comments about racial profiling and police brutality, including saying he feared for his biracial son dante. As he took the stage to speak at the new York Police Department graduation monday, de blasio faced both applause and booing. The honorable bill de blasio. Congratulations, officers, it is an honor to call you officers. You have reached this moment in your life in a want to congratulate you all for what you have achieved this historic day in our lives. Today, the city thanks you. The fastfood chain chipotle has apologized to Police Officers after an employee made a hands up, dont shoot gesture at officers who entered a restaurant in brooklyn. Since the Michael Brown shooting in ferguson, missouri, the handsup gesture has become a symbol for Police Killings of unarmed African Americans. Chipotles ceos said they had taken appropriate actions against the employee. One of the nations oldest and most controversial Nuclear Power plants has gone offline following decades of protests. The Vermont Yankee plant, which ran for more than 40 years, had faced a series of radioactive tritium leaks. Its operator, entergy, announced plans to close it last year, citing financial reasons. And those are some of the headlines, this is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report im amy goodman with aaron mate. Welcome to all our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. After a year that saw the brutal televised killings of western captives by isis, we spend the rest of the hour exploring whether a change in u. S. Hostage policy could have saved american lives. With at least four citizens slain by captors in 2014, the u. S. Now faces calls to rethink an approach that may have prevented their release. Journalists james foley and steven sotloff, as well as aid worker peter kassig, were all beheaded after being kidnapped by isis in syria. A fourth american hostage, a female aid worker, is said to still be alive in isis captivity. Luke somers, a photojournalist was killed in yemen this month in a failed u. S. Rescue mission. The captors shot him in another hostage South African teacher am a before fleeing. The charity gift of the giver says it had reached a ransom deal with the captors that was such a free the teacher just hours later. The u. S. Said it was not aware he was about to released and it launched the operation. Family members of the hostages have criticized u. S. Government policy for refusing to engage with captors including the payment of ransom. Under the sick roach, dangerous rescue missions like the one in yemen appear to be the only option. While at least for the consort killed and one remains in captivity, 15 hostages also kidnapped by isis in syria have walked free. Thats because their governments all but one european have negotiated and paid millions of dollars to win their release. But not only does the u. S. Refuse to negotiate or pay ransoms to captors, it has thwartedhe efforts of family members who try to do so on their own. The families of all four americans kidnapped by isis in syria were told they could face prosecution if they paid money to free their loved ones. Diane foley, the mother of slain journalist james foley, spoke to abc news earlier this year. We had to beg. We were an annoyance, it felt, at some levels, that they really did not have time for us. We were told very clearly three times that it was illegal for us to try to ransom our son out and that we have the possibility of being prosecuted. I was surprised that there were so little compassion. That is diane foley, the mother of james foley. In addition to blocking ransom payments, the u. S. Has missed other potential opportunities to win the hostages release. According to the New York Times, at least seven people who either witnessed the americans abduction or imprisonment in syria say they tried to make contact with u. S. Officials to pass on useful information, including the location of the prison where they were held. But these witnesses say their efforts largely fell on deaf ears. One fighter says u. S. Officials refused to negotiate with a sheikh who was authorized to speak on the Islamic States behalf, just months before foley was beheaded. The u. S. Also reportedly denied the overture of an isis general who offered to free foley in exchange for cash and asylum in the United States. After criticism from the foleys and other families, the Obama Administration announced a review of its hostage policy last month. But the review will not cover the ban on ransom payments. Administration Officials Say not paying ransoms ultimately protects more americans by making them less valuable targets. Today we will hear from a new York Attorney who was directly involved in secret talks to win the freedom of u. S. Aid worker peter kassig, held by isis in syria. When u. S. Ally arrested the shake they were talking with, the talks collapsed and kassig was beheaded. But first, we are joined by three guests. Philip balboni is president and ceo of the Online International news outlet, globalpost, for which james foley was freelance reporter at the time he was taken hostage in november 2012. Foley also was freelancing for globalpost when he was held for 44 days by Moammar Gadhafis forces in libya in 2011. During the nearly two years foley was held hostage in syria before he was beheaded, balboni worked with foleys family to secure his release. Gary noesner is former chief of the fbi crisis negotiation unit. He is also author of, stalling for time my life as an fbi hostage negotiator. And sarah shourd is coauthor of the book, a sliver of light three americans imprisoned in iran. She was held by iran for 410 days. She was released with the cooperation of another country, among. She is currently a contributing editor at solitary watch, and will be publishing an anthology as well as producing a play based on the nearly 75 oral and written testimonies shes gathered from people who have lived through or are currently in solitary in the United States. She is also a regular contributor to the daily beast. We are going to begin right now with Philip Balboni, president and ceo of global post. Can you talk about the efforts you made working with the foley family to have james released . Sure. Well, when we learned jim was kidnapped, it was two days after his abduction, just after thanksgiving 2012. I immediately hired an interNational Security farm that i had actually worked with when jim was a captive, more briefly as you mentioned in 2011. That began a 20 month effort to first, find and then free gym. We had investigators on the ground on the turkish syria border within a matter of days. Many of them stayed for months. Running down leads trying to determine who had taken him and how we might be able to be in contact with them and start negotiating for his release. So it was an incredibly intensive effort that went on, literally, every single day for those 20 months. I personally supervised that effort. Of course, we worked closely with john and diane foley, jims parents, and with his brother michael and others. It was complicated, frustrating efforts with such a tragic ending. I have so many feelings and thoughts about this that they could not be easily encompassed in this program. Talks can you talk about the issue of ransom . I mean, these very damming words of diane foley when she repeated on several networks, saying she was threatened with prosecution if she were to raise money. Talk about what the u. S. Said to her as well is to you, Philip Balboni. Sure. The primary threat, i guess we could call it that came in a Conference Call with other family members that followed a meeting we had in washington which all the hostage families got together for the very first time. It has been revealed it was a member of the National Security council. I would say that we have many contacts with the government state department, nfc, diane was received at the white house at least twice. We had frequent contact with the fbi. Both the family directly and our own investigators. There were contradictory signals. It has now been reported that the bureau, federal bureau of investigation, always made it clear to us that they would help and that there would be no prosecution. So there was dissidents on that point, which i think slow down the investigation.