Obama announces new hostage response, but no US ransoms
President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced a more coordinated US response to help rescue Americans held hostage by terrorists and acknowledged the government had sometimes let the families down.
After an emotional meeting with relatives of executed hostages, he said, "I acknowledged to them in private what I want to say publicly, that it is true that there have been times where our government, regardless of good intentions, has let them down."
He added, "I promised them that we can do better."
