In other ISIS news, the family of James Foley is lashing out at the Obama administration saying they were threatened with prosecution if they tried to raise the ransom money. Foley's mother tells ABC: [More...]

She said the warnings over the summer came primarily from a highly decorated military officer serving on the White House's National Security Council staff, which five outraged current and former officials with direct knowledge of the Foley case also recounted to ABC News in recent weeks.

"Three times he intimidated us with that message. We were horrified he would say that. He just told us we would be prosecuted. We knew we had to save our son, we had to try," Diane Foley said.

John Kerry was asked about the claims today. His response:

Question: We have reports on American networks that the Foley family was pressured by the U.S. Government, including the State Department, not to pay ransom. Is that true?

Answer:

Let me just say that I am really taken aback – surprised, I guess, is the word, by this comment with respect to the Foley family. And I can tell you that I am totally unaware and would not condone anybody that I know of within the State Department making such statements. So I don’t know about it. But I will tell you this: Diane Foley and John Foley are extraordinary people. They’re an extraordinary family. And she did an amazing job on behalf of her family to try to do everything possible, leaving no stone unturned in order to try to bring Jim back safely. I worked previously in the effort to help Jim get freed when he was previously taken hostage. And everybody is heartbroken that we were not able to do it.

I and others in the government worked as hard as we know how to reach out to country after country – dozens of countries were talked to in an effort to try to create some avenue of success. And as everybody knows, President Obama ordered a risky but very important and necessary effort to try to rescue these hostages. I sat through that mission, watching every moment of it, waiting for word of a rescue and holding our breath because our people were on the ground performing very difficult tasks.

In other Syria news, there are reports ISIS has been leaving Raqqa with its military equipment to avoid the expected airstrikes and regroup.

Also, ISIS today signed a non-aggression pact with a "moderate rebel" group in Hajar al-Aswad, outside of Damascus. These groups, like the tribes, float with the wind. One day they are with you, next day they're not. The U.S. could easily get caught in their tangled web of changing alliances.