The emergence of the Muslim “boyfriend” certainly adds a curious element to the story. As I heard it, he was either captured (and released) at the same time she was taken hostage, or he traveled into Syria to secure her release and those efforts were unsuccessful.
I’d say Ms. Mueller’s fate was sealed the moment they learned she was an American. But given ISIS’s seventh-century theology, you’d think they’d brand him an apostate for being with an infidel. Yet, he’s alive and well while his girlfriend is dead at the hands of his fellow Muslims.
There is also information linking Ms. Mueller with some radical Palestinian groups, but apparently that didn’t impress ISIS. Others have suggested her “boyfriend” sold her out to the terrorists, though her family has rejected those accusations.
As with any other story of this type, the facts don’t matter, just the narrative.
Addendum to my last: and here’s the most-overlooked fact of all: it was reported last week that the U.S. had good intel on the location of most (if not all) of the western hostages being held by ISIS in June, 2014. JSOC was ready to go, but the White House demanded more intelligence. By the time that data was gathered, the hostages had been relocated and the rescue window was closed.
From the article linked:
But when he went to an ISIS prison and claimed to be her spouse, she didn’t go along with it.
“The prison judge said she’d denied being my wife and I asked why she had said this. She was crying and could only say, ‘I don’t know,’ ” Alkhani said.
Alkhani was then imprisoned by ISIS for two months
Having a Christian or Jewish wife is acceptable in the Koran; in the Middle East, they even see seducing and marrying such girls as “love Jihad” because it makes their children Muslim by law and subverts the demographic potential of the non-Muslim population by taking away their future (young women).
Too true. I find the "boyfriend"'s story very suspect. Although the family rejects the suggestion that he sold her out to ISIS, it still looms as a strong possibility.