Obama under renewed pressure to mount direct action
The militant Islamic State outfit on Tuesday released a new video that is purported to show the beheading of the second American journalist in its custody – 31-year-old Steven J Sotloff, who went missing last year while covering the Syrian civil war.
Similar to the one released two weeks ago when journalist James Foley was beheaded, the new video shows Sotloff being held at knifepoint by a black-clad militant against a desert backdrop.
In the video that mounts renewed pressure on President Barack Obama for direct action just before he is set to leave for Europe for a NATO summit, the masked militant is reported to be heard saying: “I’m back, Obama, and I’m back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State.”
Citing the recent American airstrikes against the ISIS in Iraq, the man goes on warn: “Just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people.”
Sotloff, a freelance journalist who wrote for Time magazine, Foreign Policy and other publications, went missing in Syria last year while covering the civil war there. The video that runs for two-three minutes also threatens the life of David Haines, a British citizen. Besides the two journalists, ISIS is said to be holding in custody two other American nationals.