Failed U.S. Rescue Mission Blamed on Bad Intel
BURNETT: Breaking news tonight. A dire new warning from the Obama administration about the terror group ISIS, the brutal militants who beheaded American James Foley.</s>HAGEL: They're beyond just a terrorist group. This is beyond anything that we've seen. So, we must prepare for everything. And the only way you do that is you take a cold, steely, hard look at it and get ready.</s>BURNETT: And just get ready. We also have new details about the American mission to rescue the Americans held hostage by ISIS, including Foley. It was mission that came up empty handed. Barbara Starr has our report.</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was July 4th weekend. A daring nighttime raid just outside the city of Raqqa in northern Syria, a stronghold of ISIS. U.S. Special Forces were sent into danger because the intelligence showed the target was a likely location where the hostages were being held, a senior U.S. official tells CNN. But it was not certain. The intelligence failed.</s>HAGEL: Intelligence doesn't come wrapped in a package with a bow. It is a mosaic of many pictures, of many factors.</s>STARR: The mission was unprecedented. LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING</s>CNN MILITARY ANALYST: In a situation where you're going into a country which is fraught with danger, which is potentially going into a city that's controlled by a nefarious and horrific force like ISIS, the risk levels go up considerably.</s>STARR: It began under cover of darkness. Several dozen elite commandos from units like Army Delta Force and the Navy SEAL Team Six landed in specially equipped radar-evading helicopters. They quickly made their way to able where they were told James Foley and other American hostages were being held. No one was there. A firefight broke out with nearby militants. Several of those militants were killed. The U.S. team got back to their helicopters and left. The operation, including the helicopters, similar to the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Fighter jets patrolled overhead. Syrian radars were jammed. Team members moved to block nearby access roads. The entire mission lasted about two hours. Now, questions about whether the lives of the other hostages are at risk for the administration's revelations.</s>HAGEL: It's responsibility of our government and our leaders to do all we can to take action when we believe there might be a good possibility, a good chance to make a rescue effort successful.</s>STARR: But what's the long-term strategy to deal with ISIS? Well, U.S. officials say a number of options are under review, including stepping up the air strikes in Iraq and even possibly conducting airstrikes across the border inside Syria, but they say all of this is just being discussed, it is just an idea, no decisions have been made -- Erin.</s>BURNETT: Barbara, thank you very much. And we're learning more tonight about ISIS, the terror group that beheaded American journalist James Foley. Apparently the group demanded 100 million Euros. That's $132 million as ransom, something thought that they demanded it of did not take seriously. CEO Phil Balboni was Foley's boss on that fateful assignment in Syria. He was the one who received e-mails from ISIS. And Phil Balboni s OUTFRONT. Phil, thank you very much for talking about this. I know for a long time this was something that you were enduring alone, along with James' family, as you tried to secure his release and save his life. I know you've also been in contact with the loved ones of those who are still missing, the Sotloff family who is hoping that their loved one, their son, will survive. What can you tell us about the Americans who are still there? How many of them are there, to your knowledge? It sounds like we have an audio issue with Phil. I don't think he can hear me. No, he can't hear me. So, we're going to be working on that. But I do -- sorry. All right. We're going to get that back. I was going to read to you from the e-mail actually that ISIS had sent him. But I want to save our time. We're going to take a brief break. Come right back and we'll have that audio fix and we'll share that e-mail that ISIS sent him right after this break.