Families seeking better support

WASHINGTON — Relatives of Americans who are wrongfully imprisoned abroad or held hostage by militant groups say in a report Thursday that the U.S. government must do better in communicating with them, though they cite improvements over the past five years.

Several say they do not believe that the cases of their loved ones have the attention of the highest levels of government. In particular, family members of Americans detained by foreign governments on trumpedup charges are less satisfied with the attention and information they receive than are relatives of hostages held by militant or criminal groups.

The report from the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation is based on interviews with 25 former hostages and detainees as well as their relatives and advocates. It cites improvements in the government’s response since U.S. officials overhauled the hostage policy five years ago, but says relatives still want more complete and accurate information and clarity about which agency is supposed to help them.

The report examines the changes to hostage policy that were instituted by the Obama administration in 2015 and that largely remain intact under President Trump. Those include the creation of an FBIled hostage recovery fusion cell and the appointment of a State Department envoy for hostage affairs.

The policy revamp followed the beheadings of Westerners, including Foley, a freelance journalist, at the hands of the Islamic State in Syria. Relatives of hostages demanded changes after they said U.S. officials threatened prosecution if they tried to raise a ransom, and kept them out of the loop on rescue attempts.