Yesterday, the Islamic State released a five minute video showing the beheading of American photojournalist James Wright Foley who was kidnapped 22 months ago in Syria. The video begins with a clip of President Barack Obama announcing the authorization of airstrikes in Iraq. Foley is then forced to read a letter condemning the U.S. military action before the masked executioner beheads him with a six to eight inch knife. Following the murder, the militant grabs a second kidnapped journalist, Steven Sotloff, and states, “The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision.” Sotloff, a contributor for Time Magazine, was captured near the Syrian-Turkish border a year ago.
The unidentified executioner speaks fluent English with what seems to be a British accent. The video was posted less than 24 hours after the Islamic State released a 45 second clip entitled “A Message to America,” in which the group threatened to “drown all of you in blood.” YouTube removed the recording of the killing shortly after it appeared online. It is unclear where the video was recorded.
MSA's Research and Intelligence Analysis (RIA) Group has constructed the following analysis:
According to UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, the executioner in the video appears to be a British national. The participation of a western militant in the brutal killing emphasizes the threat posed by foreign fighters and their active role in the atrocities occurring in Iraq and Syria. It also suggests that the Islamic State’s sophisticated social media recruitment and indoctrination tactics are effectively attracting foreigners. At this time, hundreds of Britons are believed to be fighting in Syria and Iraq alongside thousands of other citizens of western countries. The fear is that the battle-hardened fighters will return home to carry out attacks in their homelands. Over the past few months, Islamic State flags and literature have appeared in the Netherlands and the UK. There has also been an uptick in social media posts depicting pro-Islamic State messages in front of western landmarks, including the White House. The propaganda indicates the potential for the group or its supporters to carry out attacks on American entities at home and abroad.
Foley’s execution marks the first time the Islamic State has killed an American since the onset of the conflict in Syria and Iraq. While the group’s primary concern was initially to expand the caliphate within the region, the recent U.S. airstrikes have caused a shift in focus as they present a direct threat to the Islamic State’s operations. As a result, the group is expected to continue to carry out retaliatory attacks in an attempt to discourage further U.S. intervention.
(Image Credit: ABC News)