James Wright Foley in a grab taken from YouTube and posted online by ISIS Executioner with a British accent beheads US journalist in the name of ISIS: Mother of slaughtered American calls on Islamist group to cease killing and pays tribute to her extraordinary son Photojournalist James Wright Foley has been beheaded by ISIS forces Kidnapped American photojournalist James Wright Foley has been beheaded by an ISIS executioner who speaks with a British accent. Graphic footage of the execution appeared in an video titled: A Message to the U.S., in which an apparently coerced Foley, 40, describes America as his true killers for using airstrikes to assist Kurdish forces in recapturing the Mosul Dam from ISIS militants. Foley, who went missing in 2012 while working in Syria, is then beheaded with a small knife by a masked man dressed in black robes, who speaks to the camera in what appears to be a London accent, warning that a second captured journalist will be next if the U.S. doesnt halt its airstrikes. Speaking after the video emerged, Foleys mother Diane issued a statement saying that she and her husband John have never been prouder of their son, who they say gave his life to expose the suffering of the Syrian people. In a statement posted on the Free James Foley Facebook page, Diane Foley writes that she and husband John have never been prouder of our son Jim. Mrs Foley writes that her son spent his life fighting to expose the suffering of the Syrian people, and pleads with the terrorist group to release remaining captive Steven Joel Sotloff, who also appears in the video as the groups next target. We implore the kidnappers to spare the lives of the remaining hostages. Like Jim, they are innocents. They have no control over American government policy in Iraq, Syria or anywhere in the world. We thank Jim for all the joy he gave us. He was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist and person. Foley, has been missing since November 2012, after being taken hostage at gunpoint while reporting from Taftanaz, in northern Syria, for the agency GlobalPost. ISIS posted the extremely graphic video shot at an unknown location, titled A Message to America to social media as proof of their barbaric actions. In a chilling warning at the end of the grisly film, the executioner, who speaks with what sounds like a British accent, parades another American journalist, Steven Joel Sotloff, who went missing in August 2013, saying: The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision. President Barack Obama was briefed on the video as he was flying back to the White House on Air Force One From his Marthas Vineyard vacation. White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden says the administration has seen the video. She says that if it’s deemed genuine by the intelligence community, the US would be ‘appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American journalist.’ Two U.S. officials have since confirmed anonymously that the man in the video is indeed Foley. One of the officials says President Obama will comment on the video on Wednesday. As the disturbing video infolds, Foley, dressed in orange and on his knees, is unflinching to the end as he addresses the camera before his death. It appears the journalist has been coerced into blaming the United States by his brutal captors. His voice strong, but struggling at times to swallow as he battles against fear, he brands the US government his real killers as a man in black robes armed with a gun stands over him. Foley, who has been missing for almost two years, also leaves a haunting message for his brother, John, who is thought to be in the US Air Force. Referring to US airstrikes launched nearly two weeks ago in Iraq, Foley says: ‘I died that day, John, when your colleagues dropped that bomb on these people. They signed my death certificate’ As the appalling video unfolds, Foley blames the complacency and criminality of the United States for his impending death. Today British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond today said a video showing the apparent beheading of a US journalist by an Islamic State fighter speaking with a British accent appeared to be genuine, adding it was an appalling example of the brutality of this organisation. In his final, awful message to the world, no doubt prepared for him by his captors, Foley pleads for more time and to have seen his family again. In a final insult from his vengeful executioners, Foley is made to deny his birthright as a citizen of the United States. I wish I had more time, I wish I could have the hope of freedom and see my family once again, but that ship has sailed. I guess all in all, I wish I wasn’t American, says Foley before his tragic death. The reporter then stops speaking and his executioner steps forward. The masked, armed and black robe-clad man speaks in English in what is thought to be a British accent. Members of the UKs Associated Press pegged the accent to the South East of England and London, while others have claimed the accent resembles one from North Africa. ‘This is James Wright Foley, an American citizen of your country. As a government you have been at the forefront of the aggression towards the Islamic State, begins the executioner. You have plotted against us and gone far out of your way to find reasons to interfere in our affairs. Today, your military airforce is attacking us daily in Iraq. Your strikes have caused casualties amongst Muslims. You are no longer fighting an insurgency. We are an Islamic Army and a state that has been accepted by a large number of Muslims worldwide. So effectively, any aggression toward the Islamic State is aggression towards Muslims from all walks of life who have accepted the Islamic Caliphate as their leadership. So any attempt by you, Obama, to deny the Muslims their rights of living in safety under the Islamic Caliphate will result in the bloodshed of your people.’ At this point the executioner beheads Foley, who is kneeling bravely with hands tied behind his back. His body is displayed with the head atop the body. Then in another chilling warning, the executioner holds another man, on his knees with his hands tied behind his back, by the scruff of the neck. A caption claims it is Steven Joel Soltoff. (Mail Online)
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 09:20:00 +0000
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