BuzzFeed reports that the Islamic State is attempting to sell the remains of journalist James Foley for $1 million either to the Foley family or to the U.S. government. Foley was beheaded in August by the Islamic terrorist group:
Three sources in contact with ISIS or its associates told BuzzFeed News that it wants to sell the remains of James Foley, the U.S. journalist whose August death was the first in a series of high-profile executions of Western hostages by ISIS hands.
They said ISIS wants $1 million for Foley’s body, which it would deliver across the border to Turkey, and that the group was willing to provide a DNA sample to facilitate a deal.
If true, the attempted sale would highlight the ruthlessness behind the hostage-taking enterprise that has provided ISIS with deep reservoirs of funds and publicity — as well as the group’s cold calculation as it works to raise more cash.
The U.S. State Department press office declined to comment to National Review Online on the veracity of reports that Foley’s dead body is being shopped. A spokesperson said it may respond to questions about the reports at a press briefing later this afternoon.