The group calling itself the Islamic State (also ISIS or ISIL) has released a video purporting to show the execution of American journalist Steven Sotloff, according to the Site Intelligence Group.
Sotloff is the second American journalist brutally murdered by ISIS in less than two weeks. On Aug. 20, the group released a video showing the execution of James Foley, during which they also promised to execute Sotloff if the U.S. did not cease airstrikes against the group in Iraq.
The video of Sotloff, which was posted by Site, was entitled, "A Second Message To America."
Footage was posted by Site and seen by Business Insider. Shortly before the video was released, social media accounts associated with Islamic State and its reporters also posted messages announcing a "second letter to America" would be published soon. Those messages included an encrypted link.
The video begins with footage of President Barack Obama speaking about the airstrikes the U.S. launched against Islamic State last month. It goes on to show Sotloff in an orange jumpsuit and being held at knifepoint by a masked man while being forced to deliver a statement, a similar procedure that was used for Foley in the video of his execution.
In the clip, Sotloff recites remarks questioning America's current and past military operations in Iraq. Afterwards, the masked man, who has a British accent, implies he was also the jihadist who was shown beheading Foley in the first clip.
"I'm back Obama and I'm back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State, because of your insist in continuing your bombings," the man says in the video, adding, "Just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will cont to strike the next of your people."
Multiple media outlets in the United Kingdon have said British intelligence sources identified an English Egyptian man named Abdel Majed Abdel Bary as one of three people suspected of being the jihadist from the Foley video. Bary, 23, is a former rapper who left to join jihadist fighters in Syria last year. His father is currently in U.S. federal prison charged with "conspiring with members of Al Qaeda ... in connection with the 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania." American officials have declined to comment on whether Bary is suspected of appearing in the Foley video.
Just after Site reported the existence of the second video on Tuesday afternoon, White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters he was not immediately "in a position to determine the authenticity of the video." He said the White House's thoughts and prayers were with Sotloff's family.
"If the video is genuine, we are sickened," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. She said the intelligence community would work quickly to determine the video's authenticity.
http://www.businessinsider.com/steven-sotloff-isis-killed-2014-9
Sotloff is the second American journalist brutally murdered by ISIS in less than two weeks. On Aug. 20, the group released a video showing the execution of James Foley, during which they also promised to execute Sotloff if the U.S. did not cease airstrikes against the group in Iraq.
The video of Sotloff, which was posted by Site, was entitled, "A Second Message To America."
Footage was posted by Site and seen by Business Insider. Shortly before the video was released, social media accounts associated with Islamic State and its reporters also posted messages announcing a "second letter to America" would be published soon. Those messages included an encrypted link.
The video begins with footage of President Barack Obama speaking about the airstrikes the U.S. launched against Islamic State last month. It goes on to show Sotloff in an orange jumpsuit and being held at knifepoint by a masked man while being forced to deliver a statement, a similar procedure that was used for Foley in the video of his execution.
In the clip, Sotloff recites remarks questioning America's current and past military operations in Iraq. Afterwards, the masked man, who has a British accent, implies he was also the jihadist who was shown beheading Foley in the first clip.
"I'm back Obama and I'm back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State, because of your insist in continuing your bombings," the man says in the video, adding, "Just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will cont to strike the next of your people."
Multiple media outlets in the United Kingdon have said British intelligence sources identified an English Egyptian man named Abdel Majed Abdel Bary as one of three people suspected of being the jihadist from the Foley video. Bary, 23, is a former rapper who left to join jihadist fighters in Syria last year. His father is currently in U.S. federal prison charged with "conspiring with members of Al Qaeda ... in connection with the 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania." American officials have declined to comment on whether Bary is suspected of appearing in the Foley video.
Just after Site reported the existence of the second video on Tuesday afternoon, White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters he was not immediately "in a position to determine the authenticity of the video." He said the White House's thoughts and prayers were with Sotloff's family.
"If the video is genuine, we are sickened," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. She said the intelligence community would work quickly to determine the video's authenticity.
http://www.businessinsider.com/steven-sotloff-isis-killed-2014-9