The dead body of beheaded U.S. hostage James Foley has reportedly been offered to his parents for $1 million by the Islamic State, according to a new report by Buzzfeed published on Wednesday night.
Three middlemen with ties to the terrorist organization spoke to the website, stating that the ISIS was interested in exchanging Foley's remains for the money. In order to broker the deal, they would provide the American photojournalist's DNA swab as evidence.
In mid-August, Foley was the first American hostage to be beheaded by ISIS militants in a graphic video recording titled "A Message to America." Later on, two more Americans and a Briton suffered the same fate in similar displays of barbarism.
Once the ransom is paid, the terrorists will be willing to deliver Foley's remains across the Turkish border, according to the middlemen, which include a Syrian rebel fighter, a businessman and an official for the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the U.S.-backed rebel group helping to fight ISIS in the civil war-torn country.
Deeming the work as "a humanity case" meant to help bring closure for Foley's parents, the rebel fighter said he was approached by an ISIS leader and asked to work on a possible deal with either the U.S. government or Foley's family, according to TheBlaze.
"They ask for $1 million, and they will send DNA to Turkey, but they want the money first," he said. "They will not give the DNA without the money."
Before Foley's death, his parents were allegedly asked to pay a ransom of $132 million for his release. But U.S. officials had stepped in, making it clear that it would be an act of treason if the family paid the ransom themselves.
"It will be like a shame for the U.S. government," the FSA official said, of selling the body. "People will ask why you brought the body but you didn't bring him when he was alive."
Although Buzzfeed was warned not to publish the article by the FSA official since they believed the U.S. government would shut the deal down if they found out, the website still went ahead.
While Foley's parents have not yet made a comment on the reports, a senior U.S. diplomat described the offer, if true, as "disgusting." Additionally, a representative for the U.S. State Department told Buzzfeed "we are seeking more information."
Meanwhile, terrorists groups such as ISIS are known to raise money by holding Western captives for ransoms, UK MailOnline reported. Since 2008, Al Qaeda has made at least $125 million from ransoms, with $66 million raised in 2013 alone, according to a New York Times report published this year.
