The Islamic State militant group operating in Iraq has released a video online allegedly showing the beheading of US journalist James Foley, missing since 2012, according to a BCC News report Wednesday.
The group said they killed Foley to avenge US air strikes on their group in Iraq.
Foley’s mother Diane said on social networking site Facebook she was proud of her son, “He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people.”
The White House said if the video was genuine, the US would be ‘appalled’, BCC News added.
Sky News quoted Britain’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Philip Hammond, who said “the video, voiced by an IS fighter with a British accent, appeared to be genuine” and was “an appalling example of the brutality of this organisation”.
The message by the ISIS jihadist, spoken in a British accent not dissimilar to that of Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G character, says to camera: “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.”
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