Biden: Killing of hostage is ‘despicable’

Vice President Joe Biden said Saturday the U.S. will be “relentless” in its efforts to bring the killers of an American photojournalist to justice.

The death of Luke Somers was a “despicable crime,” Biden said during his address to a conference on U.S.-Israeli relations.

President Barack Obama said in a written statement earlier Saturday that Somers was killed by al-Qaida-linked terrorists who had been holding him hostage in Yemen during a U.S. military rescue operation.

A South African hostage also was killed.

Biden said U.S. forces “inflicted serious damage on the captors” but could not save Somers.

“We will be relentless in our efforts to bring to justice” those responsible, the vice president said.

This story was originally published December 6, 2014 at 4:07 PM.