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British Islamic State jihadist 'beheads American journalist James Foley' in chilling video James Foley 'beheaded': Isis video shows militant with British accent 'execute US journalist' – and warns Obama of more to come
(about 1 hour later)
The mother of an American journalist thought to have been murdered by militants from the Islamic State (Isis) has urged his kidnappers to spare the lives of any remaining hostages. Militants from the Islamic State have released a video showing a jihadist speaking with a British accent beheading an American journalist in what it says is a revenge killing for the ongoing US air strikes in Iraq.
Isis yesterday released a propaganda video depicting a militant with a British accent beheading a man purported to be the American photojournalist James Foley, who was kidnapped in Syria in 2012. The chilling message in the video, entitled ‘A Message to America”, was unambiguous and warned President Barack Obama of further retaliation to come – including the beheading of a second journalist.
In a message posted to the Facebook page “Free James Foley”, his mother Diane Foley wrote: “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. 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.” The execution follows nearly two weeks of US air strikes that have pounded militant positions and halted the advance of Isis extremists, which until this month had captured a third of Iraq with little resistance.
The video shows a man, thought to be James Foley, kneeling in front of a black-clad militant It also shows images of another US journalist, Steven Sotloff, whose life militants said depended on how the US responded.
Originally from New Hampshire, Mr Foley, 40, was a freelancer who had contributed to Stars and Stripes and the Global Post. In November 2012, he and another journalist were working in the northern Syrian province of Idlib, close to the Turkish border, when they were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen. Ms Foley wrote that the oldest of her five children, “was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist and person.” The video opens with a clip of US President Barack Obama saying he had authorised strikes in Iraq.
"Obama authorises military operations against the Islamic State effectively placing America upon a slippery slope towards a new war front against Muslims," words appear in English and Arabic on the screen.
It shows black and white aerial footage of air strikes with text saying: "American aggression against the Islamic State"
A person identified as James Foley and wearing an orange outfit is seen kneeling in the desert as a man in black dress with a black mask stands beside him, holding a knife. "I call on my friends family and loved ones to rise up against my real killers, the US government, for what will happen to me is only a result of their complacency and criminality," the kneeling man says, in what appears to be a prepared statement.
The man in the mask says: "This is James Wright Foley, an American citizen of your country. As a government you have been at the forefront of the aggression towards the Islamic State,' begins the executioner.
"You have plotted against us and gone far out of your way to find reasons to interfere in our affairs. Today, your military airforce is attacking us daily in Iraq. 
"Your strikes have caused casualties amongst Muslims. You are no longer fighting an insurgency. 
"We are an Islamic army and a state that has been accepted by a large number of Muslims worldwide.
"So any attempt by you, Obama, to deny the Muslims their rights of living in safety under the Islamic Caliphate will result in the bloodshed of your people."
The video shows a man, thought to be James Foley, kneeling in front of a black-clad militant Following his statement he beheads the kneeling man.
The video's grisly message was unambiguous, warning of greater retaliation to come against Americans following nearly two weeks of US air strikes that have pounded militant positions and halted the advance of Islamic State, which until this month had captured a third of Iraq with little resistance.
The video goes on to show a man thought to be a second journalist, Steven Sotloff, who was kidnapped in Syria in August 2013.
The militant with a man thought to be the journalist Steven Sotloff  
After bringing out the second man and making him kneel, the masked executioner addresses the US President, saying: “The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision.
The White House said last night that it had yet to confirm whether the man in the video was Mr Foley. Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said in a statement, “The intelligence community is working as quickly as possible to determine [the video’s] 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.”The White House said last night that it had yet to confirm whether the man in the video was Mr Foley. Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said in a statement, “The intelligence community is working as quickly as possible to determine [the video’s] 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.”
In the video, the man believed to be Mr Foley appears, kneeling in an orange outfit, next to a masked man in black holding a knife. He is forced to deliver what appears to be a prepared statement, in which he calls on Americans to “rise up against [his] real killers, the US government.” He adds: “I wish I could have the hope of freedom and seeing my family once again. But that ship has sailed. I guess all in all I wish I wasn’t American.” The mother of Mr Foley has urged his kidnappers to spare the lives of any remaining hostages.
The masked executioner then speaks in English, with a British accent, citing the recent US air strikes against Isis as the reason for the execution. “Any attempt by you, Obama, to deny the Muslims their rights of living in safety under the Islamic caliphate will result in the bloodshed of your people,” he says, before he begins to cut the man’s throat. In a message posted to the Facebook page “Free James Foley”, Diane Foley wrote: “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. 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.”
The Islamic State has not publicly executed American citizens before now. Following the beheading, the video also shows a second man on his knees, who is named as Steven Sotloff, another American journalist, who was kidnapped in Syria in August 2013. After bringing out the second man, the masked executioner addresses the US President, saying: “The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision.” Isis has declared an Islamic state – caliphate – across swathes of northern Iraq and Syria, taking numerous towns and cities. In recent days, Kurdish fighters, back by US air strikes have engaged in a battle for control of the key strategic Mosul dam.
Islamic State added new fighters in Syria at a record rate in July, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict. About 6,300 men - 80 percent of them Syrian and the rest foreigners - joined last month, Rami Abdelrahman, founder of the Observatory, told Reuters news agency.