President Barack Obama reacted to the on-camera slaying of photojournalist James Foley (far left) for five minutes on Wednesday, telling a global audience that ‘when people harm Americans, anywhere, we do what’s necessary to see that justice is done.’ Minutes later he began a five-hour round at Farm Neck Golf Course on Martha’s Vineyard for his seventh visit to the links, during a vacation that began August 9. Obama (left) was joined by private equity investor Glenn Hutchins (center) and Cyrus Walker (right), the cousin of Obama’s top adviser Valerie Jarrett. He also golfed with former NBA star Alonzo Mourning (bottom). The decision to hit the golf course brought a chorus of condemnation from TV commentators, journalists, conservative partisans and Twitter users – and even an unintentional slap from the left-leaning New York Times. Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Peters could hardly contain his anger Wednesday night on the Fox News Channel as he discussed Obama’s reactions to the ISIS terror network’s beheading of Foley, an American who had been missing since 2012. ‘There is no way the president should be stupid enough to go play golf’ after such a somber speech, Peters said.

Fist-bumps, high-fives and laughter: Outrage as Obama hits the golf course and tees off just minutes after his speech condemning ISIS for executing American journalist James Foley

Fist bump: Furious reactions to Obama’s joyful 5-hour golf game overshadow his 5-minute ISIS speech as he teed off IMMEDIATELY after condemning American photojournalist James Foley’s executioners

The vacationing commander-in-chief played 18 holes with former NBA star Alonzo Mourning and two business pals
Twitter exploded and commentators from Fox and ABC tore into Obama for appearing insensitive and ‘stupid’
The U.S. attempted to rescue Americans held hostage by ISIS (also known as ISIL) in July, but the mission failed because it was the wrong location
U.S. Secret Service and UK intelligence are searching for Foley’s executioner, who spoke with a British accent in the video
Nearly a dozen new airstrikes near the Mosul Dam came after gruesome video showed an ISIS militant cutting off photojournalist’s head

President Barack Obama reacted to the on-camera slaying of photojournalist James Foley for five minutes on Wednesday, telling a global audience that ‘when people harm Americans, anywhere, we do what’s necessary to see that justice is done.’ Almost immediately after leaving the podium Obama teed-off and was seen laughing with friends and fist-bumping them during a five-hour round at Farm Neck Golf Course on Martha’s Vineyard – his seventh 18-holes in ten days. The decision brought a chorus of condemnation from TV commentators, journalists, conservative partisans and Twitter users. Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Peters could hardly contain his anger Wednesday night on the Fox News Channel as he discussed Obama’s reactions to the ISIS terror network’s beheading of Foley, an American who had been missing since 2012.

Obama (left) bumped fists after a putt on Wednesday, sharing a jubilant moment with Cyrus Walker (R) and Glenn Hutchins (C) while playing a round of golf that began just minutes after his firm declaration of American resolve against ISIS

President Barack Obama, right, smiles while golfing at Vineyard Golf Club on the island of Martha’s Vineyard straight after delivering an emotive speech about the beheading of US journalist James Foley

‘There is no way the president should be stupid enough to go play golf’ after such a somber speech, Peters said. ‘Not only did he insult the Foley family; he sent a message to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (the leader of ISIS) and all of the other jihadi terrorist militants – now soldiers of a jihadi army – that he doesn’t take it all seriously.’ Liz Cheney took to Twitter to say: ‘Obama is more dedicated to golfing that he is to defending the nation’. ABC News political director Rick Klein told Fox host Greta van Susteren that the White House is ‘well past the point of caring about the so-called “optics” of things like this. And the president himself clearly doesn’t … care about the way it looks.’

Klein said he found it ‘jarring to see him on the golf course just minutes after giving an address like this.’ Twitter exploded with tens of thousands of tweets expressing disbelief that Obama was ‘tone deaf,’ ‘clueless’ and ‘disrespectful.’ ‘Golfing today is in bad taste,’ tweeted Vox editor-in-chief Ezra Klein, a long-time Obama backer. ‘What message does it send?’ asked the influential Drudge Report editor and Washington Times columnist Joe Curl. David Horowitz, a conservative convert known for his slash-and-burn rhetoric, held nothing back. ‘ISIS beheads Foley. Obama makes an empty statement and takes another round of golf,’ he summarized. ‘Is this an invitation to kill more Americans or what?’

Dumbfounded: ‘The president himself clearly doesn’t … care about the way it looks,’ said ABC News political director Rick Klein

CBS News White House Correspondent Major Garrett was first to tweet about where the president was headed after his brief remarks about Foley’s execution

The editorial board of Investor’s Business Daily, an influential business and international finance newspaper, had lost its patience with Obama by Wednesday evening

The New York Times had digital egg on its face for hours while Obama golfed, publishing a story about his early afternoon speech headlined: ‘Obama Outraged Over Beheading, Vows to Stay on Course.’ The grey lady eventuallychanged her headline. It was revealed earlier today that special forces attempted to rescue Americans – including James Foley – held hostage by ISIS in Syria earlier this summer but failed. The mission to save the journalist and others was carried out in early July but was unsuccessful because the hostages – being held by a group of British jihadists known as ‘The Beatles’ – could not be found. ‘This operation involved air and ground components and was focused on a particular captor network within ISIL [also known as ISIS and IS],’ the White House said in a statement last night. ‘Unfortunately, the mission was not successful because the hostages were not present at the targeted location.’ As Obama was teeing off, his administration was briefing on its rescue attempts this summer and said it would not release more details on the raid. Sources told the New York Times that the mission was carried out by two dozen special-ops members, who were dropped off in Syria in early July and were met with gunfire. ‘While on site, it became apparent the hostages were not there,’ one of the officials said. The sources wouldn’t say where the raid was held, but pointed out that if it had happened in a heavily-populated area – it likely would have already made news. They also wouldn’t comment on how many hostages were believed to be held captive at the location, or their names. The administration kept the raid a secret until now in order to ‘preserve future opportunities’ for future missions.

Mulligans in memory of Foley? National Review contributing editor Jim Geraghty, by no stretch an Obama fan, suggested a mocking rationale for the president’s golf obsession

Obama, according to retired Army Lt. Col. Ralph Peters, sent a message to ISIS with his golf game ‘that he doesn’t take it all seriously’

Details of the mission were revealed after President Obama spoke about the execution of James Foley and promised new strikes on ISIS. There were nearly a dozen new airstrikes near the Mosul Dam after the gruesome video emerged. In a stark contrast to the somber mood of his speech, the president then returned to his vacation and the golf course where he was pictured laughing and smiling with friends. The editorial board of Investor’s Business Daily, a California-based business and international economics broadsheet, opined late Wednesday night that the president has lost his way amid a series of social klatches. ‘Murdered ambassador. Beheaded American. Just what exactly would it take to keep Obama from a fundraiser or off the golf course?’ the editorial board’s official Twitter account blasted. Through a spokesman, Former President George W. Bush declined to comment about Obama’s 18-hole priorities. He famously gave up golfing in 2003 ‘in solidarity’ with families of American servicemen and women who were dying in an Iraq war that he launched after the 9/11 terror attacks. ‘I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf,’ he said during a 2008 interview with Politico. ‘And I think playing golf during a war sends the wrong signal.’ On Wednesday, Obama declared that ‘the entire world is appalled by the brutal murder.’ Obama didn’t mention any advance warnings when he delivered five minutes of remarks Wednesday afternoon, while on vacation on Matha’s Vineyard. But he said the U.S. won’t back down from ISIS , the militant terror group behind Foley’s death. ‘No just God would stand for what they did yesterday, and for what they do every single day,’ he said. ‘ISIL speaks for no religion,’ he said, aiming his words at the Islamist faction that claims to have established a Muslim caliphate in portions of Syria and Iraq. ‘Their victims are overwhelmingly Muslim, and no faith teaches people to massacre innocents.’ Foley stood ‘in stark contrast’ to his captors and executioners, he said, blaming them for a series of ‘cowardly acts of violence.’ Americans ‘are all heartbroken at their loss and join them in honoring Jim,’ he said, somber but not wearing a necktie, as has been his practice during his extended family holiday.

‘What message does it send?': Joseph Curl, an editor of the influential Drudge Report website, took the understated route

‘An invitation to kill more Americans': Arch-conservative David Horowitz has mocked Obama in the past for making ‘meaningless’ red-line ultimatums

‘WE WILL BE VIGILANT AND WE WILL BE RELENTLESS': PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S STATEMENT FROM MARTHA’S VINEYARD

‘Good afternoon, everybody. Today, the entire world is appalled by the brutal murder of Jim Foley by the terrorist group, ISIL. ‘Jim was a journalist, a son, a brother, and a friend. He reported from difficult and dangerous places, bearing witness to the lives of people a world away. He was taken hostage nearly two years ago in Syria, and he was courageously reporting at the time on the conflict there.
‘Jim was taken from us in an act of violence that shocks the conscience of the entire world. He was 40 years old – one of five siblings, the son of a mom and dad who worked tirelessly for his release. Earlier today, I spoke to the Foleys and told them that we are all heartbroken at their loss, and join them in honoring Jim and all that he did. ‘Jim Foley’s life stands in stark contrast to his killers. Let’s be clear about ISIL. They have rampaged across cities and villages – killing innocent, unarmed civilians in cowardly acts of violence. They abduct women and children, and subject them to torture and rape and slavery. They have murdered Muslims – both Sunni and Shia – by the thousands. They target Christians and religious minorities, driving them from their homes, murdering them when they can for no other reason than they practice a different religion. They declared their ambition to commit genocide against an ancient people. ‘So ISIL speaks for no religion. Their victims are overwhelmingly Muslim, and no faith teaches people to massacre innocents. No just God would stand for what they did yesterday, and for what they do every single day. ISIL has no ideology of any value to human beings. Their ideology is bankrupt. They may claim out of expediency that they are at war with the United States or the West, but the fact is they terrorize their neighbors and offer them nothing but an endless slavery to their empty vision, and the collapse of any definition of civilized behavior. ‘And people like this ultimately fail. They fail, because the future is won by those who build and not destroy and the world is shaped by people like Jim Foley, and the overwhelming majority of humanity who are appalled by those who killed him. ‘The United States of America will continue to do what we must do to protect our people. We will be vigilant and we will be relentless. When people harm Americans, anywhere, we do what’s necessary to see that justice is done. And we act against ISIL, standing alongside others. ‘The people of Iraq, who with our support are taking the fight to ISIL, must continue coming together to expel these terrorists from their communities. The people of Syria, whose story Jim Foley told, do not deserve to live under the shadow of a tyrant or terrorists. They have our support in their pursuit of a future rooted in dignity. ‘From governments and peoples across the Middle East there has to be a common effort to extract this cancer, so that it does not spread. There has to be a clear rejection of these kind of nihilistic ideologies. One thing we can all agree on is that a group like ISIL has no place in the 21st century. ‘Friends and allies around the world, we share a common security and a common set of values that are rooted in the opposite of what we saw yesterday. And we will continue to confront this hateful terrorism, and replace it with a sense of hope and civility. And that’s what Jim Foley stood for, a man who lived his work; who courageously told the stories of his fellow human beings; who was liked and loved by friends and family. ‘Today, the American people will all say a prayer for those who loved Jim. All of us feel the ache of his absence. All of us mourn his loss. We keep in our prayers those other Americans who are separated from their families. We will do everything that we can to protect our people and the timeless values that we stand for. ‘May God bless and keep Jim’s memory, and may God bless the United States of America.’ But the president said the terror group has tortured and killed ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq, including women and children. ‘They have rampaged across cities and villages, killing innocent civilians,’ he said. ‘They have murdered Muslims, both Sunni and Shia, by the thousands. They target Christians and religious minorities, driving them from their homes, murdering them when they can, for no other reason than that they practice another religion.’ ‘One thing we can all agree on is a group like ISIL has no place in the 21st century.’ He seemed to double down on the threat of airstrikes, even though Foley’s executioner claimed another journalist will die if they continue. ‘There has to be a common effort to expel this cancer so it does not spread,’ O Bush may have been playing defense after a video clip circulated the year before, which captured his mid-golf reaction to a suicide bombing in Israel that killed 9 people. ‘I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Thank you,’ he says in the clip. ‘Now watch this drive.’ Now Obama, too, has his own moment of awful golf timing. He was also pilloried online on August 14 when he played the Vineyard Golf Club in Edgartown, Massachusetts while a military honor guard conducted the funeral of U.S. Army Major General Harold Greene in Arlington, Virginia. Greene, shot to death by an Afghani soldier, was the highest ranking officer killed in hostile action overseas since the Vietnam War. A day earlier Obama caught flak for dancing at a friend’s birthday party while street riots overtook the town of Ferguson, Missouri, where a white police officer had gunned down an unarmed black teen robbery suspect just days before.