2 things come to mind
1) why now
2) credibility
It would seem 1) would be to try and placate the masses that something was attempted, but alas, Foley and other captured folks were not located (talk about bad intel)
But 2) is the more cynical and likely accurate scenario, in that how do we know anything was done? This is the same agency that proclaimed if you like your insurance and doctor, you can keep it, ...period. The same agency that proclaimed it was going to be the most transparent administration ever. The same group that drew one line in the sand, after another, only to sit back and watch Syria step all over them.
Without some hard evidence that such an action took place, the "word" of any U.S. official connected to this administration holds no credibility.