Sotloff, failed by US, was sold for $25k-$50k, family says
Spokesman claims location of Israeli-US journalist was given by ‘moderate’ rebels at Turkey-Syria border to IS; accuses Obama administration of using hostages as ‘pawns’
The spokesman for the family of murdered American journalist Steven Sotloff accused the US government Monday of using hostages in Syria as “pawns,” and revealed that Sotloff’s location was sold to the Islamic State jihadist organization by “moderate” rebels for $25,000-$50,000.
Sotloff, a dual Israeli-US citizen, was killed by IS terrorists in a video released online last week. He was kidnapped on August 4, 2013, after crossing into Syria from Turkey.
Barak Barfi, a spokesman for the family, told CNN that other rebels at the border alerted Islamic State terrorists that Sotloff had crossed into the country, selling the tip for between $25,000 and $50,000.
“Somebody at the border crossing made a phone call to ISIS, and they set up a fake checkpoint with many people,” Barfi said.
Barfi, who spoke to Sotloff just before he entered Syria, said his name had been on a watchlist.
“For the first time, we can say Steven was sold at the border,” he said, attributing the information to sources on the ground. “Steven’s name was on a list that he had been responsible for the bombing of a hospital. This was false; activists spread his name around.”
Sotloff’s family and the administration kept his kidnapping secret until he appeared in a video showing the beheading of another US journalist, James Foley. During that time the family’s relationship with the White House was strained, according to Barfi, who said the family believes the administration could have done more to save Sotloff.
“We know that the intelligence community and the White House are enmeshed in a larger game of bureaucratic infighting and Jim [James Foley] and Steve are pawns in this game and that’s not fair, and if there continue to be leaks the Sotloff family will have to speak out to set the record straight,” Barfi said.
“Once Steve appeared in that video, the Sotloff family made one simple request of the administration — and they were rebuffed on that,” Barfi told CNN. He declined to elaborate on what the request was, citing the safety of those who are still being held hostage.
The day after the video of Foley’s murder surfaced, the administration revealed that special forces had attempted a rescue operation, but that when they reached the location where intelligence indicated the hostages would be, they had already been moved.
However, Barfi said that was false.
“The administration has made a number of inaccurate statements. They’ve said that the families have been consistently and regularly informed,” he said. “That is not true. They said that these hostages were moved frequently. We know that for most of the beginning of this part of this year they were stationary.”
“The administration could have done more, they could have helped us, they could have seen them through,” Barfi told Cooper. “These are people of modest means. They’re not cosmopolitan, they don’t have college educations, they don’t understand the large ramifications in foreign policy. I don’t believe they were afforded the opportunities and the respect that they should have by this administration.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of the story erroneously reported that Sotloff had initially been captured by the moderate rebels, according to Barfi. That does not appear to be the case.
