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ISIS beheads American reporter
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A video released by ISIS shows the beheading of U.S. journalist James Foley and threatens the life of another American if President Barack Obama doesn't end military operations in Iraq.
In the video posted
Tuesday on YouTube, Foley is seen kneeling next to a man dressed in
black. Foley reads a message, presumably scripted by his captors, that
his "real killer'' is America.
"I wish I had more time. I
wish I could have the hope for freedom to see my family once again," he
can be heard saying in the video.
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He is then shown being beheaded.
"We have seen a video
that purports to be the murder of U.S. citizen James Foley by (ISIS),"
National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said. "The
intelligence community is working as quickly as possible to determine
its 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. We will provide more information when it is
available."
Obama was briefed about the video, and "he will continue to receive regular updates," White House spokesman Eric Schultz said.
ISIS has carried out
executions, including beheadings, as part of its effort to establish an
Islamic caliphate that stretches from Syria into Iraq. In many cases,
ISIS -- which refers to itself as the Islamic State -- has videotaped
the executions and posted them online.
CNN is not airing the video.
What to know about ISIS
'They are innocents'
Foley disappeared on November 22, 2012, in northwest Syria,
near the border with Turkey. He was reportedly forced into a vehicle by
gunmen; he was not heard from again. At the time of his disappearance,
he was working for the U.S.-based online news outlet GlobalPost.
On Tuesday, Foley's mother, Diane, took to social media with an emotional statement to praise and mourn her son.
"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 said in a post on the Free James Foley Facebook page.
"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. Please respect our privacy in the days ahead as we mourn and
cherish Jim.''
Another American in video
The video of his killing
also shows another U.S. journalist. The militant in the video, who
speaks English with what sounds like a British accent, says the other
American's life hangs in the balance, depending on what Obama does next.
U.S. Official: ISIS 'credible alternative to al Qaeda'
Photos: Americans detained abroad
The journalist is
believed to be Steven Sotloff, who was kidnapped at the Syria-Turkey
border in 2013. Sotloff is a contributor to Time and Foreign Policy
magazines.
The Committee to Protect Journalists estimates there are about 20 journalists missing in Syria, many of them held by ISIS.
Among them is American Austin Tice, a freelance journalist who was contributing articles to The Washington Post. Tice disappeared in Syria in August 2012. There has been no word of from him since his abduction.
'We ask for your prayers'
As a freelancer, Foley picked up work for a number of major media outlets, including Agence France-Presse and GlobalPost.
"On behalf of John and
Diane Foley, and also GlobalPost, we deeply appreciate all of the
messages of sympathy and support that have poured in since the news of
Jim's possible execution first broke," Philip Balboni, GlobalPost CEO
and co-founder, said in a published statement, referring to James Foley's parents.
"We have been informed
that the FBI is in the process of evaluating the video posted by the
Islamic State to determine if it is authentic. Until we have that
determination, we will not be in a position to make any further
statement. We ask for your prayers for Jim and his family."
Foley had previously
been taken captive in Libya. He was detained there in April 2011 along
with three other reporters and released six weeks later.
Afterward, he said that what saddened him most was knowing that he was causing his family to worry.
Who is the ISIS?
Fair, curious and popular
Foley grew up in New Hampshire and graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in 2008.
Like some other young
journalists working after the September 11 terror attacks, Foley was
drawn to Iraq, Afghanistan and other areas of conflict.
Friends described Foley as fair, curious and impressively even-tempered.
"Everybody, everywhere,
takes a liking to Jim as soon as they meet him," journalist Clare
Morgana Gillis wrote in a blog post about him in May 2013, six months
after he disappeared in Syria.
"Men like him for his
good humor and tendency to address everyone as 'bro' or 'homie' or
'dude' after the first handshake. Women like him for his broad smile,
broad shoulders, and because, well, women just like him."
'Our hearts are broken'
People in Foley's hometown of Rochester, New Hampshire, expressed shock and sadness at the news.
"This is a tragedy which
is beyond imagining. There are no words to describe this kind of
inhumanity," the Rev. Paul Gousse of the Holy Rosary Church told CNN affiliate WMUR.
"You just feel sad,"
Sully Harte, a neighbor, told the local broadcaster. "You just hope the
family can grieve and deal with it because it's one of those things that
you can't control at all."
Sen. Kelly Ayotte, Republican of New Hampshire, said in a statement that "our hearts are broken for the Foley family."
"James was an innocent
civilian who was bravely performing his job as a journalist," Ayotte
said. "This barbaric and heinous act shocks the conscience and
highlights the truly evil nature of the terrorists we confront, who must
be defeated."
Will anyone stop ISIS?
Previous brutal killings of Americans
The video of Foley was released as ISIS is being targeted by American airstrikes ordered by Obama.
"I think they may have
been surprised and are doing the best they can to retaliate," former CIA
director R. James Woolsey, Jr. told CNN.
Foley's killing recalled the murder of Daniel Pearl, The Wall Street Journal correspondent
who was kidnapped while reporting in Pakistan in January 2002. His
killing was captured on video and posted on line by al Qaeda.
It also harkened to the videotaped beheadings of Americans Nicholas Berg, Eugene Armstrong and Jack Hensley carried out by al Qaeda during the height of the Iraq War.
Beheading of American journalist James Foley recalls past horrors
