Two U.S. officials confirmed the belief that 40-year-old U.S. photojournalist James Foley was executed by Islamic State militants after a jihadist video showed him being beheaded. The young journalist went missing in Syria in November 2012 and was killed by a masked militant claiming revenge for U.S. air strikes against its fighters in Iraq.
A graphic internet video of the execution begins with scenes of President Barack Obama announcing his decision to order airstrikes in Iraq before it switches to Foley kneeling in the desert, wearing an orange jumpsuit – his name appears both in English and Arabic on the screen. A Jihadist masked militant with a slight British accent stands over his head as Foley calls on his friends to rise up against his “real killers” – the U.S. government. The last words he utters in the statement, presumedly prepared by jihadists ends with the statement: “I guess all in all I wish I wasn’t American.”
In the graphic video, another U.S. reporter, Steven Sotloff is shown alive, and a warning is issued claiming that his fate rests on Barack Obama ending the air strikes against the jihadist group.
EDITED VIDEO FOOTAGE: Graphic scenes of the Youtube video titled “A Message to America” have been deleted.
White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said that the “intelligence community is working as quickly as possible to determine (the video’s) authenticity.” “If genuine, we are appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American journalist and we express our deepest condolences to his family and friends,” says Hayden.
The video makes it clear that the execution is in retaliation to U.S. military attacks at more than 70 Islamic State targets.
A New-York based Committee to Protect Journalists estimated yesterday that about 20 journalists from around the world are missing in Syria following a widespread seizure of journalists that is unprecedented. These journalists are either threatened with death or held for ransom. The Islamic State militant group is so ruthless against people that they consider infidels and so harsh in their interpretation of Islami law that they were disowned by al-Qaida’s leaders. In the past, they have beheaded other victims, including U.S. businessman Nicholas Berg in 2004.
Mother is “proud” and urges freedom for other captives
His family, who lives in New Hampshire, had previously believed that Foley was held captive by pro-government Syrian forces near Damascus. Diane Foley, his mother, paid tribute to her son in a Facebook message: “We have never been prouder of our son Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people.” She implores the kidnappers to spare the lives of the remaining hostages, pointing out that they have no control over American government policy in Iraq, Syria or anywhere in the world.
VIDEO: What he saw in Syria (in his own words)…
Foley had been held captive before during the 2011 uprising against Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi but was released after six weeks.
Happier days in Berlin, 2011.
