The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, better known as ISIS, an Islamic terrorist group released a video on Tuesday showing a man they claim is a missing American journalist's beheading at the hands of a member of the terrorist group. ISIS leaders said the purpose for releasing the horrific video is to send a message to the United States.
ISIS leaders identified the man shown in the video as James Wright Foley, an American photo-journalist kidnapped in Syria on Thanksgiving Day in 2012,.while on assignment for the GlobalPost. In the video, a white man believed to be James Wright Foley is seen and heard reciting threats against America before he is executed by an member of the terrorist group. Additionally, the video shows footage of President Obama speaking from the White House on the day he announced he had authorized airstrikes in Iraq.
In a statement, White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said:
"'[the] intelligence community is working as quickly as possible" to determine the authenticity of the terrorist video. "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."
Earlier in August, newly discovered recruitment videos and a propaganda magazine distributed by the terrorist group ISIS show english speaking members of the terrorist group encouraging Americans to join the fight, and ABC News in Chicago obtained a copy of the Summer 2014 edition of a propaganda magazine distributed by ISIS in which a photo of Chicago's skyline is seen.
In the recruitment videos, a key figure of ISIS threatened to raise its flag over the White House, according to a Vice documentary published on the same day U.S. President Barack Obama authorized airstrikes on ISIS in Iraq if United States personnel were threatened.
ISIS, now prefer to be called the Islamic State, are known for employing tactics to instill fear in its enemies so brutal that al-Qaeda, the terrorist group responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks on American soil and dozens of other attacks worldwide -- renounced its affiliation with the terrorist group.
