‘Enormous resources’ on rescue attempt for Kayla Mueller, Obama says

Kayla Mueller was difficult to reach6,000 miles away and held captive by the Islamic militants of ISIS.

But her family and U.S. government officials say they went to great lengths to try to rescue the 26-year-old humanitarian worker, efforts that ultimately failed. Her parents announced Tuesday they’d received confirmation she had died.

Now they’re working to bring her body back from Syria.

U.S. troops may have come close to rescuing Mueller in July when they staged a daring raid at an abandoned oil refinery near Raqqa in Syria in an attempt to find journalist James Foley, who was executed by ISIS in August, and other hostages.

Mueller’s family has not spoken out against the U.S. government’s efforts, but James Foley’s brother has complained the government didn’t do enough.

“I don’t have all the answers, but I do think that a more cooperative approach (is needed),” Michael Foley said. “And there wasn’t sharing of information. You wouldn’t believe how difficult it was to get information (on) released journalists … from the ways that we have these walls built.”

CNN’s Brian Todd, Dana Bash and Pamela Brown contributed to this report.

CNN