Federal Government Policy and Business

In a Shift, U.S. Includes Families in Hostage Rescue Efforts

The New York Times: WASHINGTON — When the United States became aware late last month of a video showing an American woman and a Canadian man pleading to be saved from their Taliban captors, the government did something it had not done well in the past.

Before the video became public, a new hostage team led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation quickly alerted the couple’s families to brace for the chilling footage.

The effort reflected a sweeping change in how the government handles hostages, a shift ordered last year by President Obama after hostages’ families complained of officials’ callousness and poor communication. The new hostage team faces no small task as Americans continue to move through the world’s many war zones.

Read article