There has been universal shock and horror after an Islamic State terrorist group posted a video to YouTube showing the beheading of American journalist James Foley. INSIDE EDITION has the story.
Is another American next? That's the question after grisly video surfaced of American journalist James Foley’s beheading at the hands of an Islamic State terrorist group.
Now, the clock may be ticking for the other journalist, Steven Sotloff, a Time magazine freelance writer from Miami. His image appeared at the end of the beheading video. He has spent a year in captivity in Syria.
An angry President Obama spoke out today saying, “When people harm Americans anywhere, we do what's necessary to see that justice is done.”
The graphic beheading video was first posted on YouTube but has been removed. Twitter is also suspending the accounts of anyone re-tweeting the video and still frames.
Columbia University Adjunct Professor Liz Borod Wright told INSIDE EDITION, "The social media platforms themselves have an incentive to somewhat police and moderate the community, so that people are not bombarded with gory images when they just want to see their friends vacation photos."
So, who is the masked terrorist? One big and frightening clue is that he speaks in a British accent, specifically East London.
Foley’s head was shaved and he was wearing all orange, the color worn by prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
Foley, 40, grew up in New Hampshire. He was kidnapped two years ago while covering the Syrian civil war for the online publication Global Post. He had been kidnapped once before in Libya and had been held for 44 days before being released.
In 2011, he appeared on Fox News to talk about his ordeal, saying, “I was struck several times with the butt of an AK-47, punched. Very young soldiers, very aggressive. But once we were actually captured the tension calmed way down.”
Today, his family is left to grapple with the loss of their son and the very uncertain future of Steven Sotloff.
His family said at a press conference, “It's difficult to find solace at this point in time but we know Jim is free, he's finally free and we know he's in Gods hands. We beg compassion and mercy of Jim's captors and Steven Sotloff for the other captors. We just beg mercy.”
