US officials: Video shows American's execution

[Lovelife090994]

http://news.yahoo.com/us-authenticating-video-americans-killing-221409423--politics.html


WASHINGTON (AP) — Two U.S. officials say they believe American journalist James Foley was the victim executed by Islamic State militants as shown in a grisly video released Tuesday.

Separately, Foley's family confirmed his death in a statement posted on a webpage that was created to rally support for his release.

In the statement, Foley's mother, Diane Foley, said the journalist, quote, "gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people."

One of the U.S. officials said President Barack Obama was expected to make a statement about the killing on Wednesday.

The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the video by name.


To think this is happening in 2014. We need to declare war. War against the terrorists.

[Blood]

yes, because that's just what we need. another war.

[JustJordan]

It's not that simple, one does not just declare war with all the other problems happening in society.

[thatcountrykid]

I've seen the video of his head being cut off. It's just brutal. They're talking about how Americas attack on isil forces is an attack on all Muslims world wide and made they guy say some whole big statement before he sawed off his head.

[Gamma Male]

Isn't war what caused this in the first place?

Look, we have the strongest military in the entire world. And yet in the 8+ years we were in Iraq, we barely even put a deny in Al Quedo. It won't be any different for ISIS. We need to just let the regional powers handle their own problems. It's sad that the journalist was killed, but he knew the risks of going into hostile war torn territory. Invading another country won't bring him back. It would only get more people killed.

[thatcountrykid]

Isn't war what caused this in the first place?

Look, we have the strongest military in the entire world. And yet in the 8+ years we were in Iraq, we barely even put a deny in Al Quedo. It won't be any different for ISIS. We need to just let the regional powers handle their own problems. It's sad that the journalist was killed, but he knew the risks of going into hostile war torn territory. Invading another country won't bring him back. It would only get more people killed.

Barely put a dent? We killed their leader. Took prisoner multiple leaders. We foiled attack plots and learned multiple tactics and put a stop to them. I'd say we did pretty good.

[Stronk Serb]

Barely put a dent? We killed their leader. Took prisoner multiple leaders. We foiled attack plots and learned multiple tactics and put a stop to them. I'd say we did pretty good.

Yet shit get's even worse. You didn't put a stop to them.

[thatcountrykid]

Yet shit get's even worse. You didn't put a stop to them.

I never said we stopped them. I said we did a good bit of damage.

[nikkissippi121]

I've seen the leaked video. Definitely unsettling.
Thatcountrykid, ISIS is not the same as Al Qaeda - killing bin Laden didn't effect them.

[TheN3rdyOutcast]

Watched the whole video, scarred for life.

[thatcountrykid]

I've seen the leaked video. Definitely unsettling.
Thatcountrykid, ISIS is not the same as Al Qaeda - killing bin Laden didn't effect them.

I didn't say they were. I was talking about al Qaeda when I said bin Alden's death was a setback.

[nikkissippi121]

I didn't say they were. I was talking about al Qaeda when I said bin Alden's death was a setback.

Ah, I see. I must have read it wrong. Sorry about that!

[Vlerchan]

Killing Bin Laden also didn't serve as much more than a propaganda victory for the US.

Al Qaeda is still a major force in the Middle East - as highlighted in this (http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/al-qaedas-till-a-major-league-threat-102564_Page2.html#.U_dhlfldVAA) article.

It's also undeniable that Jihadism/radical Islamism as a whole has gotten stronger since the war on terror has begun.

---

On Topic: I'd expect more of these in the future. Foley's killing has been pretty powerful propaganda-wise - and I don't expect them to stop just there.

[Lovelife090994]

Killing Bin Laden also didn't serve as much more than a propaganda victory for the US.

Al Qaeda is still a major force in the Middle East - as highlighted in this (http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/al-qaedas-till-a-major-league-threat-102564_Page2.html#.U_dhlfldVAA) article.

It's also undeniable that Jihadism/radical Islamism as a whole has gotten stronger since the war on terror has begun.

---

On Topic: I'd expect more of these in the future. Foley's killing has been pretty powerful propaganda-wise - and I don't expect them to stop just there.

We all already know that these terrorists will kill more. They are not human, they are bloodthirsty creatures.

[Stronk Serb]

We all already know that these terrorists will kill more. They are not human, they are bloodthirsty creatures.

You should thank your foreign policy for that. They hate america because of your meddling and ransacking of the middle east.

I never said we stopped them. I said we did a good bit of damage.

Not really. Why is Al-Qaeda now stronger then ever? Also if you want to stop 'em, why arm them in Syria?

[Left Now]

The only thing which can stop terrorism and extremism in Middle East is that foreigners leave it.All these things were started for the first time when Saudi Arabia began to send militants to Afghanistan for fighting USSR and US supported and armed them.And after that instead of helping North Alliance against Taliban in Afghanistan,they just made more problems for Burhan ad Din Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Massoud with their blind supporting of Saudi Arabia.

All these extremist groups could never exist only if US would help North Alliance more instead of Saudi Arabia.The appearance of groups such as Taliban,Al Qaeda,Buku Haram and DAESH (ISIL) are all US's faults.

[Vlerchan]

We all already know that these terrorists will kill more.
I'm saying they'll make more killings like this because it's proved to be an effective piece of propaganda.

They are not human, they are bloodthirsty creatures.
They are also human.

They just have a different value system to you.

[Lovelife090994]

I'm saying they'll make more killings like this because it's proved to be an effective piece of propaganda.


They are also human.

They just have a different value system to you.

It takes a different breed to behead people and set off bombs in the streets and in churches.

[Stronk Serb]

It takes a different breed to behead people and set off bombs in the streets and in churches.

It takes people who blindly follow a dogma of mass murder. You can do it, I can do it but we won't because our moral codes tell us otherwise.

[Mastretta]

http://news.yahoo.com/us-authenticating-video-americans-killing-221409423--politics.html



To think this is happening in 2014. We need to declare war. War against the terrorists.

Yes I know how you feel but we can't have war if we do another depression will happen :/

[Lovelife090994]

It takes people who blindly follow a dogma of mass murder. You can do it, I can do it but we won't because our moral codes tell us otherwise.

No, you and I don't kill others because we are better than that and have a heart not to cut someone's head off with a knife.

[Harry Smith]

You can't declare war on terrorism, in the same way that the west couldn't declare war on communism in the 1950's.

The only route I can see working would be getting the security council to pass something liked they did in the 90's in Serbia which allows air strikes to protect civilian forces in Iraq and allow a flow of medicine, supplies etc into the country to stop the humanitarian crisis.

However the big problem is that ISIS and the other groups are getting backing from the Saudis, so if you want to stop there cash flow we're going to need to stop buying middle eastern oil.

It's becoming beyond a joke in the middle east when we're considering working with the guy (Assad) who we were going to bomb a year ago

[Vlerchan]

ISIL aren't getting backing from the Saudis anymore. They did at the start - but I presume as soon as the Saudi Arabian government realised how out of control ISIL were they pulled the plug: in the last month they've been funding ISILs opposition (like Lebanon). That doesn't say anything for individual private donors resident in Saudi Arabia but that's hardly something we can blame the Saudi Arabian government for now.

Private donations from supporters in the Gulf also contribute to [ISIL's] funding – although Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations have tried to make it harder to do so without government approval. During the war in Afghanistan, Saudi supporters could donate money directly at their mosque with no government supervision.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/11052919/How-Isil-is-funded-trained-and-operating-in-Iraq-and-Syria.html

ISIL are basically self-funding now - with extortion racquets across their territories, supplemented by revenue from the oil fields etc. they seized.

Their greatest financial triumph came when they captured the Iraqi town of Mosul in June and looted the city's banks. Reports at the time suggested the group's fighters may have made off with £240 million, though the Iraqi government later said the heist did not occur.

Five captured oilfields provide up to £1.8 million per day in revenue, with much of the oil smuggled across the border into Turkey and Iran.

They are thought to earn up to £5 million a month through extortion of local businesses. In the past year they are estimated to have made £40 million from taking hostages, with each foreign hostage thought to be worth £3m – although the kidnappers of American journalist James Foley demanded £80 million.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/11052919/How-Isil-is-funded-trained-and-operating-in-Iraq-and-Syria.html

---

It's also notable that I was considering working with Asaad when everyone else was considering bombing him.

[Harry Smith]

ISIL aren't getting backing from the Saudis anymore. They did at the start - but I presume as soon as the Saudi Arabian government realised how out of control ISIL were they pulled the plug: in the last month they've been funding ISILs opposition (like Lebanon). That doesn't say anything for individual private donors resident in Saudi Arabia but that's hardly something we can blame the Saudi Arabian government for now.

Private donations from supporters in the Gulf also contribute to [ISIL's] funding – although Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations have tried to make it harder to do so without government approval. During the war in Afghanistan, Saudi supporters could donate money directly at their mosque with no government supervision.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/11052919/How-Isil-is-funded-trained-and-operating-in-Iraq-and-Syria.html

ISIL are basically self-funding now - with extortion racquets across their territories, supplemented by revenue from the oil fields etc. they seized.

Their greatest financial triumph came when they captured the Iraqi town of Mosul in June and looted the city's banks. Reports at the time suggested the group's fighters may have made off with £240 million, though the Iraqi government later said the heist did not occur.

Five captured oilfields provide up to £1.8 million per day in revenue, with much of the oil smuggled across the border into Turkey and Iran.

They are thought to earn up to £5 million a month through extortion of local businesses. In the past year they are estimated to have made £40 million from taking hostages, with each foreign hostage thought to be worth £3m – although the kidnappers of American journalist James Foley demanded £80 million.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/11052919/How-Isil-is-funded-trained-and-operating-in-Iraq-and-Syria.html

---

It's also notable that I was considering working with Asaad when everyone else was considering bombing him.

The CIA had a word with the Saudis, but it's clear that they're still largely to blame for the strength of ISIL, members of the Saudi establishment are still largely to blame at the moment.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/iraq-crisis-how-saudi-arabia-helped-isis-take-over-the-north-of-the-country-9602312.html

The problem is as well that Saudi Arabia demonstrates the short sighted policy that the US have in the region-we've embraced the Saudi's on the basis that they're in the hands of a secure leadership but so was Iran in the 1960's. The sunni-shia tensions where also largely overlooked, something that both the US and the public are starting to become more aware of the fact that there's deep seated hatred between the shia's and the sunni's which are also linked to other factors

I'm also pretty sure the west has been feeding Assad information for the last 2-3 months about ISIL, but no politician wants to come out and admit they want an alliance with a man who should be in the hague

[Vlerchan]

My point was that official Saudi authority are trying to rectify that now because ISIL no longer act in their interests. I'm aware that they funded ISIL in the past.

If you want to attack anyone now attack the Turks:

Determined to get rid of President Assad, the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has kept Turkey’s 550-mile border with Syria open, giving the jihadists, including Isis, a safe haven over the last three years. The Turks are now saying Isis is no longer welcome, but Ankara has not moved seriously to close the border by deploying troops in large numbers.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/west-poised-to-join-forces-with-president-assad-in-face-of-islamic-state-9686666.html

The Saudi leadership is also not secure (http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/Saudi-s-succession-battle-adds-to-Mideast-turmoil).

---

You're also probably correct:

West poised to join forces with President Assad in face of Islamic State

Islamist forces are fighting their way into western Syria from bases further east, bringing forward the prospect of US military intervention to stop their advance. If Isis, which styles itself Islamic State, threatens to take all or part of Aleppo, establishing complete dominance over the anti-government rebels, the US may be compelled to act publicly or secretly in concert with President Bashar al-Assad, whom it has been trying to displace.

The US has already covertly assisted the Assad government by passing on intelligence about the exact location of jihadi leaders through the BND, the German intelligence service, a source has told The Independent. This may explain why Syrian aircraft and artillery have been able on occasion to target accurately rebel commanders and headquarters.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/west-poised-to-join-forces-with-president-assad-in-face-of-islamic-state-9686666.html

You're wrong about no politician wanting to show support for Al Asaad though. One Republican senator did (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/05/27/bashar-al-assad-posts-a-letter-of-support-from-a-virginia-state-senator/) a while ago. Also, the case of whether or whether not he should be brought to the Hague now is irrelevant - international law is legal fiction: it's not binding and this wouldn't be the first time the West conveniently forgot it existed.

[Silicate Wielder]

I just found out the guy executed was an old friend of my English teacher's

This is quite sad knowing my teacher's friend was the one executed...

[Vlerchan]

People might be interested (and disgusted) to learn that ISIL have gone an beheaded another captive:

An Islamic State video has appeared which purports to show the beheading of Steven Sotloff, a US journalist being held hostage by the militants.

Mr Sotloff, 31, disappeared in Syria in 2013. He appeared at the end of a video last month which showed fellow US journalist James Foley being killed.

A militant in the latest video also threatens to kill a British hostage.

Mr Sotloff's family said they were aware of the video and were "grieving privately".

After Mr Foley's death, Mr Sotloff's mother appealed to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to save her son's life.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said US officials were checking the reports.

The US has recently carried out dozens of air strikes against IS targets in Iraq.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says the apparent beheading is a way for IS to get back at the US for its actions.

'Arrogant policy'

The video, entitled "A second message to America", is about two-and-a-half minutes long and is apparently set in a desert.

It appears to have been filmed after Mr Foley's, though it is impossible to determine the exact timing.

It shows a masked figure together with Mr Sotloff, who is dressed in an orange jumpsuit.

Mr Sotloff reads out a text addressed to Mr Obama saying: "You've spent billions of US taxpayers' dollars and we have lost thousands of our troops in our previous fighting against the Islamic State, so where is the people's interest in reigniting this war?"

The masked man, whose voice is similar to that of the executioner in the Foley video, then describes the act he is about to commit as retribution for the US air strikes.

"I'm back, Obama, and I'm back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State... despite our serious warnings," the man says.

"We take this opportunity to warn those governments that enter this evil alliance of America against the Islamic State to back off and leave our people alone."

The video ends with the militant threatening to kill a captive who is claimed to be British.

US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "If the video is genuine, we are sickened by this brutal act."

Mr Earnest urged caution about the veracity of the video.

"Our thoughts and prayers, first and foremost, are with Mr Sotloff and Mr Sotloff's family and those who worked with him," he said.

"I'm not in a position to confirm the authenticity of that video or the reports.

"It's something that will be analysed very carefully by the US government and our intelligence officials to establish its authenticity."

UK Prime Minister David Cameron described the apparent beheading as an "absolutely disgusting, despicable act".
'Unbiased observer'

A friend of Mr Sotloff, US film maker Matthew Van Dyke, told the BBC: "He was a complete professional and there was no reason for this to happen to him.

"He was an unbiased, impartial observer to the events, to tell the world about it and now he's paid for it with his life."

Mr Sotloff was abducted near Aleppo in northern Syria in August 2013.

He had worked for Time magazine, Foreign Policy and the Christian Science Monitor, and reported from Egypt, Libya and Syria.

Friends said he had lived in Yemen for many years and spoke good Arabic.

At the time of his capture, his family chose not to go public with details, on the advice of officials.

Last month a video was released showing the beheading of Mr Foley.

Mr Sotloff was shown at the end, as a militant gave a warning that his fate depended on President Obama's next move.

The US launched has launched more than 120 air strikes in Iraq in the last month, in an attempt to help Kurdish forces curb the advance of Islamic State militants and protect minorities threatened by them.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29038217

[Perfectly Flawed]

US involvement in the Middle East may hamper extremist groups for a while, but over time it makes them even stronger because the civilian casualties and property damage caused is a great recruitment technique for extremist fighters.