President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced a reform of U.S. policies for dealing with kidnappers. Mr. Obama said the U.S. will use “all instruments of national power” to recover Americans held by terrorists in other countries.

The president also said the government could and would “assist private efforts to communicate with hostage-takers.”

The United States’ policy bars paying ransoms. However, Mr. Obama said the government will no longer threaten legal action against families who choose to pay ransom to win their relatives' release.