WASHINGTON, D.C. – The James W. Foley Legacy Foundation announced today that Tresha Mabile, a filmmaker who has documented the United States’ post-9/11 conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan, has joined its board of directors. Some of her work has highlighted the experiences of those held hostage by terrorist groups.
The Foley Foundation was created in 2014 to honor the legacy of James Foley, a freelance journalist who was captured and beheaded by ISIS in Syria in 2014. The foundation is dedicated to improving the safety and treatment of independent journalists working in dangerous areas, advocating for the freedom of all Americans kidnapped and wrongfully detained abroad, and improving U.S. hostage policy.
“Tresha’s knowledge of U.S. involvement in conflict areas and her work documenting the challenges faced by hostages captured by terrorist organizations will bring an important perspective and expertise to our board,” said Diane Foley, mother of James and founder and president of the foundation.
Mabile’s films represent America’s post-9/11 story, from the “Horse Soldiers” who were the first U.S. boots on the ground in Afghanistan for a film called Legion of Brothers, to the capture and release 18 years later of Taliban sympathizer John Walker Lindh, for a film called Detainee 001. Another film, The Longest War, told the story of America’s long involvement in Afghanistan with an emphasis on the CIA.
Her films have aired on CNN, Discovery, History, National Geographic and Showtime.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with Diane Foley and the board of the Foley Foundation to raise awareness about the Americans held hostage around the world with a particular emphasis on telling their stories and highlighting the struggles of their families to secure their safe return,” said Tresha.
Mabile has worked to support former Taliban hostage Caitlan Coleman.
From 1993-1997 she worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Classified News Network and was assigned to work with the Military Attache field program where attaches are trained to evade kidnapping.
In 2011 she was awarded an Honorary PhD: Doctorate of Letters from Nicholls State University. In 2017 the Green Beret Foundation awarded her its Steel Magnolia award for her work on the film Legion of Brothers.
For more information about the foundation, or to learn how you can make an impact, please contact Amy Coyne at amy.coyne@jamesfoleyfoundation.org.
