The Islamic State has released a 2-minute, 46-second video showing the beheading of Steven Sotloff, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. Sotloff, an American journalist, had been seen in captivity in an earlier video of the killing of his fellow prisoner, James Foley. The raw video was posted here and later taken down. Below is the edited version that was later posted:
The raw video is posted here. (Content is EXTREMELY disturbing, we would strongly recommend that you do not watch the video)
Sotloff, who is 31-years-old works as a journalist freelancing for Time and Foreign Policy was kidnapped in northern Syria last year by ISIS, an extremist group that now calls itself the “Islamic State.” He was last seen in Syria in August 2013.
Below is the transcript from the video:
“I am Steven Joel Sotloff. I’m sure you know exactly who I am by now and why I am appearing before you. And now this time for my message:
Obama, your foreign policy of intervention in Iraq was supposed to be for the preservation of American lives and interests, so why is it that I am paying the price of your interference with my life. Am I not an American citizen? You’ve spent billions of U.S. tax payers dollars and we’ve lost thousands of our troops in our previous fighting against the Islamic State, so where is the people’s interest in reigniting this war?
Form what little I know about foreign policy, I remember a time you could not win an election without promising to bring our troops back home from Iraq and Afghanistan and to close down Guantanamo. Here you are now, Obama, nearing the end of your term, and having achieving none of the above, and deceivingly marching us the American people in the blazing fire.”
Our prayer and condolences go to the family.
