New ISIS Video Warns Obama and Shows Beheading of U.S. Journalist

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 04:31:04 PM EST
Tags: ISIS, Steven Sotloff, James Wright Foley (all tags)

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Truly horrifying. al Furqan Media (aka Furqan Foundation for Media Production) and al Hayat Media Center have just released a video threatening the United States if it continues strikes against ISIS.

In the video, which I won't link to but have watched, U.S. journalist James Wright Foley is beheaded. Here is the FBI notice of Foley's kidnapping in Syria in 2012. In 2011, he was held by Libyan government forces.

Just before Foley is beheaded, the beheader, who speaks in English, says:

Any attempt by you, Obama, to deny the Muslims their right to live in safety under the Islamic Califphate will result in the bloodshed of your people.

After that, the beheader shows U.S. journalist Steven Joel Sotloff in the same position, and says "The life of this American citizen Obama depends on your next decision." [More...]

Sotloff was kidnapped in Syria in August, 2013. He wrote for Time Magazine, and his work also appeared in World Affairs Journal and Foreign Policy Magazine (paywall). Here is his Twitter feed, dormant since his kidnapping. Here's a photo of him that accompanied one of his articles.

The video is widely available, including on You Tube where it undoubtedly will come down soon. Twitter has links to the al Furqan posting of it.

Interestingly, a few journalists and ISIS supporters yesterday were tweeting they expected a reporter to be beheaded soon. I'll see if I can find those tweets again.

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New ISIS Video Warns Obama and Shows Beheading of U.S. Journalist | 45 comments (45 topical)

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Oh dear God.... (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by magster on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 05:05:08 PM EST

The pressure to increase military involvement will be immense now. And, a part of me will rejoice at dropping bombs on these a$$holes. They are ruthless.

: This is my reaction too (none / 0) (#18)
by Green26 on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 08:40:24 PM EST

They are a finite number of bad people who deserve to be dealt with, harshly.

Comments with personal (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by Jeralyn on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 06:07:42 PM EST

attacks on other commenters will be deleted. Everyone is entitled to their view, if posted civilly. If you disagree with a commenter, say so and why, without personal attacks. Comments like "x's views sicken me" have no place here. They degrade the level of discourse and no one wants to wade through insults, at least I don't, and it's my site.

There are thousands of forums on the internet to post your comments. If you choose to post here, you will have to follow our rules.

You know, Osama bin Ladin (1.00 / 0) (#7)
by jimakaPPJ on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 05:46:48 PM EST

said it in March of 1997.

REPORTER: Mr. Bin Ladin, will the end of the United States' presence in Saudi Arabia, their withdrawal, will that end your call for jihad against the United States and against the US ?
BIN LADIN: .... So, the driving-away jihad against the US does not stop with its withdrawal from the Arabian peninsula,
but rather it must desist from aggressive intervention against Muslims in the whole world

Interview with Peter Arnett then with CNN.

And yes, I know I am being repetitive but look.

How many times do we have to be told?? This is a religious war whether we want to admit it or not.

: Jim, please stay on topic (none / 0) (#13)
by Jeralyn on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 06:08:43 PM EST

Beyond horrifying and barbaric. (none / 0) (#2)
by Angel on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 05:13:03 PM EST

Oh jeez. (none / 0) (#3)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 05:13:44 PM EST

: Well said (none / 0) (#4)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 05:31:11 PM EST

I expected a sword or something (none / 0) (#5)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 05:33:29 PM EST

Not a big Swiss Army knife. Damn.

: I did not need to know that. (5.00 / 1) (#31)
by nycstray on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 01:36:48 AM EST

: I watched one of those videos once, (none / 0) (#14)
by Mr Natural on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 07:00:53 PM EST

... Never again.

: The UK wants him back :). Really bad (none / 0) (#37)
by Militarytracy on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 08:30:58 AM EST

So the killer appears to be from the UK. If you would want to behead people for the joy of it, ISIS wants you. ISIS is psychopath flypaper.

We (none / 0) (#6)
by lentinel on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 05:35:36 PM EST

were not in their crosshairs.

Now we are.

First (none / 0) (#24)
by Politalkix on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 10:03:00 PM EST

First they came for the Yazidis, and I did not speak out--Because I was not a Yazidi.

Then they came for the Kurds, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Kurd.

Then they came for the Christians in Iraq, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Christian in Iraq.

Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.


Uh huh... (5.00 / 1) (#33)
by lentinel on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 04:37:35 AM EST

But, you will have to admit that we are rather selective about which conflicts we enter. It does not appear to me that genocide in Africa has inspired us to such a sustained degree of engagement, for example.

No.

I think this has more to do with saving our ass-ets in Iraq.
104 acre embassy. Oil.

We are trying to save something from our decade-plus military adventure there. We will stay there as long as we are not physically thrown out. We will, pardon me, send "boots" on the ground. We will try to save Bush's face as we tried to save Johnson's. We will try to make this look like a humanitarian venture - but it's not.

I don't buy it.


Actually No (3.67 / 3) (#34)
by Politalkix on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 06:15:55 AM EST

We are using drones to mitigate this kind of mess in Africa and Yemen (btw Yemen does not have oil). When your only shtick is that everything the US government does is wrong or bad, you are skating on very thin logic.


: Actually no. (5.00 / 1) (#35)
by lentinel on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 06:22:08 AM EST

When your only shtick is that everything the US government does is wrong or bad, you are skating on very thin logic.

My opinions are not "shtick".
They are my opinions.
I do not think that everything our government does is wrong, but I do think that it has a notable record of lying to us, saying one thing and doing another.
Personally, I think that if you truly believe that our current actions in Iraq are based in humanitarianism, you are being somewhat naive.

Absolutely terrible (none / 0) (#15)
by Jack203 on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 08:07:52 PM EST

Psychopaths. This is what ten years of brutal will do to a population.

The less involved with both the Sunni and Shiite the better. I've only advocated kicking their asses if they attack our friends the Kurds. As terrible as it was, it doesn't changes too much for me. We could blow them up and 2 more psychos will pop up for everyone we kill.

And I can't believe Jeralyn (none / 0) (#16)
by Jack203 on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 08:09:56 PM EST

watched the movie.

Game of Thrones is one thing, not in real life. I feel sick even thinking about it.


Perhaps she feels a responsibility (none / 0) (#17)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 08:25:50 PM EST

To know what she is talking about


watching it was the only way to (none / 0) (#19)
by Jeralyn on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 08:59:01 PM EST

hear what they were saying so I could quote it for the post.

By the way, the beheader has a British accent (British experts are saying he's British.) He's also left handed.


I watched it (none / 0) (#20)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 09:02:42 PM EST

I always do. Then I say why the f@ck did I watch that.


No video for me. But after running (none / 0) (#38)
by Mr Natural on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 12:54:41 PM EST

across a few conspiracy theorists who claimed it was a Pentagon fake, looked at a couple of stills.

Once I got past the gruesome I noticed something else. Their holy warriors and our urban warrior cops share a love of black uniforms, face masks, and the casual use of weapons.


I turned away at the horrible portion (none / 0) (#39)
by Militarytracy on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 01:09:53 PM EST

I wanted to hear what was said too.


One thing (none / 0) (#40)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 04:34:30 PM EST

The version I saw, and I looked for a while to find the most apparently unedited version, - and I will try to say this as inoffensively as possible - did not show the most gruesome part.
That is, they showed the very beginning of the act then there was a cut (no pun) to an after the act image.
Is that what others saw?
If so, interesting. That they would want to show the act but not the most grisly part of the act.
Do even they have limits as to what is fun to watch or did I find an edited version?
If edited I'm ok with that. I was happy the edit happened. I did not look for a longer version. Just curious if it existed.


That was what I saw and heard at Live Leak (none / 0) (#41)
by Militarytracy on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 05:53:31 PM EST

The beheading portion was shortened, the whole horrifying gruesome event wasn't there.


Interesting (none / 0) (#42)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 05:59:51 PM EST

Don't you think.
Im not an authority on beheadding videos but if you are going to show a beheadding.....


Very Difficult (none / 0) (#43)
by squeaky on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 06:13:04 PM EST

Not like in the movies. To cut a head off in one clean swoosh takes there right equipment and skill.

May have been cut (no pun intended) because it was a botched job and made the executioner look like a hack (pun intended).


I wondered (none / 0) (#44)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 06:22:35 PM EST

If it was that it took some work or it was because of some squeamishness.

He really did not seem to be very well prepared. Which seems odd if, you know, they were making a movie. Which after all was probably not a spur if the moment thing.


Hard to Find Good Help? (none / 0) (#45)
by squeaky on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 06:26:18 PM EST

As I mentioned earlier, I didn't watch this one (none / 0) (#47)
by Mr Natural on Thu Aug 21, 2014 at 05:47:15 AM EST

because I'd seen enough when I watched a much earlier beheading, which if I'm recalling correctly occured in Iraq. I don't remember the guy's name. It may have been one of the first.

It wasn't quick. It wasn't clean. It was a slow, labored, ragged-edged process. All the worse to watch.


Exactly (none / 0) (#48)
by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 21, 2014 at 05:31:17 PM EST

I think I saw that one too
/-p
Whine is why I wondered if this was some twisted PR decision.


: Pffft (none / 0) (#49)
by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 21, 2014 at 05:32:09 PM EST

WHICH is why.
I whined about it.

Obviously the air strikes are (none / 0) (#21)
by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 09:04:02 PM EST

Having a debilitating affect on ISIS, even though their propaganda machine has attempted to deny it.

Condolences to the family and friends of James Foley. I can't even imagine what they have been through.

Hard to imagine which would be worse (5.00 / 1) (#22)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 09:10:13 PM EST

To be Foleys loved one or Sotloffs


: Is there any way he can be rescued? (none / 0) (#23)
by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 19, 2014 at 09:22:24 PM EST

It is unbearable to imagine.

I'd like to get some feedback (none / 0) (#25)
by NYShooter on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 12:00:42 AM EST

From the TL Community about the broader issue of Islam itself. For as long as I can remember, as a true-blue 60's Liberal, I bought into the conventional wisdom: Islam is one of the world's great religions; it, generally, promotes peace and brotherhood; it's the media that sensationalizes the barbaric acts of a tiny minority, Muslims shouldn't be broad brushed by some small percentage of anti-social zealots, and, so on.

First, is it true? Second, if the great majority of Muslims could affect change anonymously they would, overwhelmingly, choose peace and cooperation with all people and religions, and, give up the fantasy of a world wide, one religion, future? Yes, or, no? It's only fear of reprisal by the militants that keep the majority quiet. What do you think?

Anyway, like I said, I, generally bought into those concepts for most of my adult life, but, now, I'm not so sure. I feel that most religions are simply vehicles that ambitious, power hungry, psychopaths employ to scare the living "b'jesus" out of the weak, uneducated/uninformed, and clinically gullible suckers that make up most of the world's population. But, having said that, most religions have evolved somewhat into the 21st. century, and have modified their views, and, rules to accommodate a changing world, at least, somewhat.

All, that is, but one.

Is there any hope that Islam can mutate from its uncompromising 14th. Century views, and, demands, on its adherents?

Can "change" happen, or is a "winner-take-all" Armageddon inevitable?

To tell you the truth, whenever I see another atrocity like tonight's ( Personal disclosure: The decapitation of Danny Pearl flipped me out forever) I wish I was back as that crazy 19 year old jar-Head that could, and, would, take the fight to them, instead of waiting for my grandchildren to have to do it.

Am I nuts, or, does anyone else have some politically incorrect stirrings going on?

please put this in an open thread (none / 0) (#27)
by Jeralyn on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 12:52:03 AM EST

the topic of this thread is the beheadings. Thanks.


O.K. (none / 0) (#32)
by NYShooter on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 02:10:01 AM EST

You were posting the "micro" parts of this war; I thought it would be interesting to discuss where we go from here, the "Macro" part.

I thought they were related, but, I've got no problem discussing it an open thread,

Appreciate the head's up.


: I think ISIS is DONE (none / 0) (#36)
by Militarytracy on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 08:21:53 AM EST

comment deleted (none / 0) (#28)
by Jeralyn on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 12:56:52 AM EST

attributing atrocities to ISIS that it denies and for which no evidence other than Iraqi Security Forces and gossip. As I said yesterday, ISIS documents its atrocities and publishes photos and videos. If it denies something (like mass rapes and mass graves), you need more than a news article that relies on verbal accounts of ISIS enemies to post it here.

So the NY Times is now unreliable? (none / 0) (#29)
by Green26 on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 01:16:21 AM EST

And ISIS is more reliable than the NY Times?

Wow!. I am out.


I'm sure the Times accurately reported (5.00 / 1) (#30)
by Jeralyn on Wed Aug 20, 2014 at 01:29:44 AM EST

what they were told. But that doesn't mean those people have first-hand knowledge or proof. There are enough ISIS atrocities to discuss without adding disputed ones.


The NY Times had talked to multiple people (none / 0) (#46)
by Green26 on Thu Aug 21, 2014 at 01:32:35 AM EST

who provided the same report. This report was not disputed. Even Obama is saying ISIS is raping.

"Mr. Obama summed up its record all too well. "They have rampaged across cities and villages killing innocent, unarmed civilians in cowardly acts of violence," the president said. "They abduct women and children and subject them to torture and rape and slavery." From a Washington Post article tonight.


: There are many ways to twist a story. (5.00 / 1) (#50)
by fishcamp on Fri Aug 22, 2014 at 08:15:04 AM EST

While I was a sports cameraman for years there were times we were called upon to shoot some news story and turn in the film and tapes to news. Then it would go to the producer and editor to be edited and shortened. Then the story would go out to AP and UPI for another spinning version that would go out to the networks to be re-edited and finally the newscaster would announce whatever was left. My experience is the only real truth is when you are there while it's happening.