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Obama ordered the review last summer in light of the
increasing number of U.S. citizens taken hostage by the Islamic
State and other militant groups. In recent months Islamic State
militants have beheaded three Americans.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters that Obama
felt a review was warranted by the increased number of
kidnappings of Americans.
"The one thing that I do want to make clear, though, is, this
review does not include a reconsideration about longstanding
policy of the United States government that ransoms should not
be paid to terrorist organizations that are holding hostages,"
Earnest said.
He said Obama believes that paying ransoms could lead to trouble
over the long term.
"We don't want to put other American citizens at even greater
risk when they're around the globe. And that, knowing that
terrorist organizations can extract a ransom from the United
States, if they take a hostage only puts American citizens at
greater risk," he said.
(Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
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