Executive Order 13698-Hostage Recovery Activities
Issued 2015-06-24 by Barack Obama
Plain-English Overview
AI-generated summary explaining what this action does, who it affects, and why it matters
This executive order establishes a single coordinated government body to handle cases where Americans are taken hostage abroad by terrorist organizations or criminal groups. The order creates the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell within the FBI, bringing together personnel from multiple agencies including the State Department, Department of Defense, Treasury, Justice Department, and intelligence agencies. This team is tasked with coordinating all government efforts and resources to secure the safe recovery of U.S. citizens held hostage overseas.
The order responds to what it describes as a shift in 21st-century hostage-taking, where terrorists and criminals increasingly target private citizens such as journalists and aid workers, not just government officials, and operate in unstable environments using sophisticated networks. The Fusion Cell includes a Family Engagement Coordinator to support hostages' families and aims to coordinate policy through the National Security Council. The order emphasizes that these coordinated efforts will operate consistent with the U.S. government's no concessions policy.
This action matters because it centralizes what had previously been fragmented responses across different government agencies when Americans are kidnapped abroad. By pooling information, expertise, and resources in one place, the order aims to improve the chances of bringing hostages home safely while also supporting their families during the crisis and enhancing the ability to prosecute hostage-takers.
AI-generated summary for educational purposes
Constitutional Analysis
How this action fits (or doesn't) within Article II authority and existing law
Executive Order 13698 addresses "Executive Order 13698-Hostage Recovery Activities". The President's stated reasoning: "that all relevant information, expertise, and resources are brought to bear to secure the safe recovery of U." Executive orders are a long-established exercise of presidential power, used by every President since George Washington. They are grounded in Article II of the Constitution, which vests executive power in the President and directs them to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."
Executive orders cannot create new law, contradict existing federal statutes, or exceed the President's constitutional authority. The legitimacy of any specific order depends on whether it operates within statutory authority Congress has delegated, directs the executive branch on matters within its constitutional purview, or attempts to substitute executive policy for legislative choices. Courts can and do review executive orders for conformity with the Constitution and federal law.
Official Summary
Administration of Barack Obama, 2015 Executive Order 13698—Hostage Recovery Activities June 24, 2015 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct as follows: Section 1 . Purpose . The 21st century has witnessed a significant shift in hostage-takings by terrorist organizations and criminal groups abroad. Hostage-takers frequently operate in unstable environments that challenge the ability of the United States Government and its partners and allies to operate effectively. Increasingly, hostage-takers target private citizens—including journalists and aid workers—as well as Government officials. They also utilize increasingly sophisticated networks and tactics to derive financial, propaganda, and recruitment benefits from hostage-taking operations. The United States is committed to securing the safe recovery of U.S. nationals held hostage abroad and deterring future hostage-takings by denying hostage-takers any benefits from their actions. Because such hostage-takings pose unique challenges, the United States Government must be organized and work in a coordinated effort to use all instruments of national power to achieve these goals, consistent with the United States Government's no concessions pol