United States President Barack Obama ordered his people to conduct a full review of the government's policy regarding U.S. hostages who are being held captive overseas, the White House confirmed on Monday.

According to National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey, Obama ordered the full review this summer to address the growing number of U.S. citizens beng held hostage by terrorist groups from all over the world.

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The extraordinary nature of the hostage cases was also a factor in the said review of the policy, adds Baskey.

Another confirmation came from White House Press SecretaryJosh Earnest, who explained on Tuesday that the ordered review does not mean that the government will start considering paying ransoms to terror organizations.

Based on the policy that former President George W. Bush signed back in 2002, ransoms can only be paid if the government believes that it will help them gain intelligence about the terror groups. However, it cannot be used just to free an American citizen from the hostage takers.

The review is being conducted via several agencies of the government as it continues to be an issue that the president is taking very cautiously, Earnest added.

According to the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Christine Wormuth, the review will be include examination of the family engagement, the intelligent collection and the diplomatic engagement policies.

News of the review surfaced a day after the White House confirmed that American aid worker and Muslim convert Peter Kassig was beheaded by the Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant (ISIL) militants. the terror group uploaded a video of the execution online.

Since August this year, ISIS has beheaded three Americans, according to the White House. The group still holds another 26-year-old female aid worker but her identity remains under wraps in order ensure her safety.

The beheadings have led to criticism of the U.S. government's refusal to pay ransom in exchange for the release of American citizens being held captive.

The families of the beheaded victims also pressed that the government threatened them with prosecution if and when they conduct negotiations with the terror groups.

The families also complained that the government does not communicate often with them and does not update them on the extent of their efforts to free the American hostages. 

TagsObama, full review, policy review, U.S. hostage policy, national security, Peter Kassig, ISIS, ISIL