Free Republic

The families of two journalists beheaded by Islamic State jihadists were both warned by US government officials they could face prosecution if they raised a ransom for their release. The recent executions of James Foley and Steven Sotloff by Islamic State (IS) extremists triggered worldwide revulsion and Washington has since declared it is at war with the radicals. The United States has a policy of never paying ransoms, contending that doing so would endanger Americans all over the world. Late Friday, a spokesman for Sotloff's family said the murdered journalist's parents were told by a White House counterterrorism official last...

As part of his “strategy” to eliminate ISIS, also known as ISIL, President Obama wants to “equip Syrian opposition fighters,” and while not mentioning the Free Syrian Army, or FSA, by name, that group, the group in which American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff were embedded before they were captured by ISIS and beheaded, likely would be a recipient. It was the same FSA that ultimately turned Foley and Sotloff over to ISIS.

An abundance of polls over the last week taking the temperature of the American public on the threat posed by the Islamic State have begun to paint a clear picture of how the United States was reshaped by a summer dominated by tales of ISISÂ’s horrors. Americans, it turns out, were profoundly affected by events overseas, disquieted by the apparent new threat to national security posed by this uniquely terrorizing force, and appalled at the slaughter of American hostages.Two polls released this week showed that nine out of every 10 Americans believe ISIS represents a threat to national security....

Murdered journalist Steven Sotloff was kidnapped and sold to the radical Islamic State terrorist group, or ISIS, by one of the "moderate" rebel groups to whom the US government has considered offering support, according to his family's spokesman. Barak Barfi told CNN that Sotloff - who was Jewish and a joint US-Israeli citizen - was sold for a sum of money in the tens of thousands of dollars at the Syrian border. He said credible "sources on the ground" had provided the dramatic and tragic details of the abduction. "For the first time, we can say Steven was sold at...

Murdered journalist Steven Sotloff was kidnapped and sold to the radical Islamic State terrorist group, or ISIS, by one of the “moderate” rebel groups to whom the US government has considered offering support, according to his family’s spokesman. Barak Barfi told CNN that Sotloff—who was Jewish and a joint US-Israeli citizen—was sold for a sum of money in the tens of thousands of dollars at the Syrian border. He said credible “sources on the ground” had provided the dramatic and tragic details of the abduction. “For the first time, we can say Steven was sold at the border,” Barfi said....

... Sotloff's death by videotaped beheading, made public on Tuesday, ended a frantic two-week campaign by Roman and a network of people scouring the Internet and scrubbing references to Sotloff's being a Jew, having studied in Israel or becoming an Israeli citizen, a fact few knew. “Gregg and his team played a crucial role once Steve appeared in the Jim Foley video,” said a Sotloff family representative, who asked not to be named...

The family of Steven Sotloff, the latest American journalist beheaded by ISIS, is reportedly "outraged" at the Obama administration for "deliberate leaks" they interpret as "an attempt to absolve the administration of inaction." This reporting comes Wednesday from no less a source than the New York Times, which chose to bury the news under more than two dozen paragraphs: Last Thursday, Mr. Sotloff’s mother, Shirley, appealed to the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed caliph of the Muslim world, to grant amnesty to her son. “I ask you to use your authority to spare his life,” she said...

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday issued a sharp warning to the Islamic State group, saying after the United States is done grieving the death of two American journalists, their killers will have to answer for their actions. "They should know we will follow them to the gates of hell until they are brought to justice," he forcefully told an audience at an event on the New Hampshire-Maine border, according to CNN. "Because hell is where they will reside. Hell is where they will reside." Biden opened his remarks in memory of Steven Sotloff, the journalist who was beheaded...

The beheading of Steven Sotloff and James Foley are not isolated incidents. From northern Iraq and Syria come gruesome videos of piles of severed heads, heads stuck on fence spikes, teenagers beheading prisoners and even children laughing and carrying severed heads in the streets. In this article I asked “Why Do Muslims Behead People?”  Douglas Murray, writing in the Spectator here argues that beheading is commanded in the Quran. He quotes Quran 8:12 which says, “When your Lord revealed to the angels: I am with you, therefore make firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts...

The second American journalist killed by ISIS militants was Jewish and held Israeli citizenship, according to newly released details about his personal life. According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Sotloff had taken on Israeli citizenship when he studied in the country. That information was scrubbed from the media after he was captured, because of fears that it would decrease his chances of getting released and worsen his treatment, and only cleared by Israel's foreign ministry on Wednesday, following the release of a video showing Sotloff's execution. There had previously been some close calls. The New York Times reported that Sotloff...

A newly released video showing the Islamist terror group ISIS’ execution of American Steven Sotloff has been deemed authentic, President Obama confirmed today at a joint news conference in Estonia.

SNIPPET: "Two U.S. planes have flown radical Muslim preacher Abu Hamza al-Masri and four other suspected terrorists to the United States, hours after Britain's High Court cleared the way for their extradition. The planes departed a Royal Air Force base immediately after the British High Court rejected last-minute appeals by Hamza and the others. The five had raised legal questions about human rights and prison conditions they expected to face in the United States. In rejecting the appeals, the British court cited an “overwhelming public interest” in seeing the extraditions carried out. Hamza is wanted on U.S. charges that include...

BEFORE he was named as a key suspect in the brutal beheading of two western journalists, the man who has become known as Jihad John was an aspiring rapper with a dark message. Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, who released music videos under the name L Jinny and even had a few songs played on BBC radio, has gained notoriety for darker reasons other than his music. The British man has gained worldwide attention after he was named as the chief suspect in the gruesome beheading of American journalist James Foley. Police and intelligence officials told Britain’s Sunday Times that “MI5 and...

An Islamic militant group released a video on Tuesday showing the second beheading of an American hostage in two weeks and blamed President Obama for the killing. The video raised the pressure on the president to order military strikes on the group in its sanctuary in Syria. The hostage, Steven J. Sotloff, is shown in the video kneeling like the previous victim, James Foley, while a masked figure stands above, wielding a knife. Mr. Sotloff addresses the camera and describes himself as “paying the price” for Mr. Obama’s decision to strike the group, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria,...

Islamic State extremists released a video Tuesday purportedly showing the beheading of a second American journalist, Steven Sotloff, and warning President Barack Obama that as long as U.S. airstrikes against the militant group continue, “our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people.” The footage — depicting what the U.S. said appeared to be a sickening act of brutality — was posted two weeks after the release of video showing the killing of James Foley and days after Sotloff’s mother pleaded for his life. Barak Barfi, a spokesman for the Sotloff family, said that the family had seen...

No text, just video at the link.

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) release video apparently showing beheading of US hostage, Steven Sotloff ---- David Cameron has said: "I've just seen the news. It's an absolutely disgusting and despicable act and I will be making a statement later."

CHRIS MATTHEWS: I think a lot of Americans watching that execution set-up we were just witness to, they would like to push the button and have all of the people killed. They can't stand what they saw. This will cause rage in this country to see the way they did this... No matter how we get into this, it is Obama's war now. I think he is saying that himself right there. They decapitated this guy on tape to get even with him for starting the war on ISIS. He's coming back. And we also have at least one other...

'American Bombing Had Signed My Death Certificate': Missing US journalist James Wright Foley goes unflinching to his death as ISIS behead him in horrific video, as a warning to Obama American photojournalist James Wright Foley has been beheaded by ISIS forces Foley has been missing since Thanksgiving 2012 while working in Syria ISIS posted the extremely graphic video 'A Message to America' to social media Foley speaks to camera before his death and labels the US his killers Apparently coerced by his captors into speaking against his country A masked and robed member of ISIS speaking English in what is...