The Horror Before the Beheadings

◼ ISIS Hostages Endured Torture and Dashed Hopes, Freed Cellmates Say - New York Times

The hostages were taken out of their cell one by one.

In a private room, their captors asked each of them three intimate questions, a standard technique used to obtain proof that a prisoner is still alive in a kidnapping negotiation.

James Foley returned to the cell he shared with nearly two dozen other Western hostages and collapsed in tears of joy. The questions his kidnappers had asked were so personal (“Who cried at your brother’s wedding?” “Who was the captain of your high school soccer team?”) that he knew they were finally in touch with his family....

The story of what happened in the Islamic State’s underground network of prisons in Syria is one of excruciating suffering....

Mr. Foley seemed to sense the end was near. In his letter, amid expressions of love, he slipped in a sentence instructing his family on how to disburse the money in his bank account.

In August, when the militants came for him, they made him slip on a pair of plastic sandals. They drove him to a bare hill outside Raqqa. They made him kneel. He looked straight into the camera, his expression defiant. Then they slit his throat.

Two weeks later, a similar video surfaced on YouTube showing Mr. Sotloff’s death. In September, the militants uploaded Mr. Haines’s execution. In October, they killed Mr. Henning. Only three from the original group of 23 remain: two Americans, Mr. Kassig and a woman who has not been identified, as well as a Briton, Mr. Cantlie.

The militants have announced they will kill Mr. Kassig next.

Across Europe, those who had survived gasped when they saw the footage of their cellmate’s death: The cheap, beige-colored plastic flip-flops splayed next to Mr. Foley’s body were the same pair the prisoners had shared.... MORE

◼ #ISIS Hostage James Foley Campaigned for Barack Obama – But Obama’s Delays Cost Him His Life - Jim Hoft/Gateway Pundit

American journalist and freelance photographer James Foley campaigned for Barack Obama.
But when he was captured and held by ISIS, Obama was not there for him.

The Sunday Times reported in August that President Obama delayed a rescue mission for James Foley and the other prisoners for 30 days. Obama spent that time “fretting over his image”, playing golf and worrying his administration would be “Carterized” if the mission failed.... MORE

Brother of Beheaded American Journalist James Foley: State Department Threatened Us

◼ In an exclusive interview with Fox News' Megyn Kelly last night on the Kelly File the brother of beheaded American journalist James "Jim" Foley, Michael Foley, expressed disappointment over how the Obama administration is handling the threat of terror army ISIS and in the administration's handling of his brother's capture leading up to his death. - Katie Pavlich/Townhall

In reacting to President Obama's speech earlier this week, Foley said he wanted to see a more involved strategy put on the table to stabilize the region. Further in reaction to a question posed by Kelly about whether the Obama administration did everything it could to bring James Foley home, especially after the Bowe Bergdahl swap and comments by Obama saying Americans leave no man behind, Michael Foley said his family is "appalled" by the situation. Foley also talked about how he was threatened directly by the State Department and said that when the family tried to get information from the U.S. government or from other allies, they were stonewalled.

Kelly: I'm wondering if you feel he [Obama] and the administration did all they could to get Jim back.

Foley: No, no. We're appalled by the situation and you know, it went past not doing everything they could, they were actually in impedance and got in our way and that's what really bothers me to the core. We were, I was specifically threatened by the Department of State about raising funds toward ransom demands for my brother. We were smart enough to look past it but it slowed us down. We lost a lot of time trying to regroup.

◼ Paying ransom: the families versus the governmentNeoneocon/Le-gal In-sur-rec-tion

Therein lies the terrible ethical, emotional, and practical dilemma. By paying ransoms, the behavior of the terrorists is rewarded, more kidnappings of Americans occur, and our enemies grow richer. Plus, there is no guarantee that a group such as ISIS is actually serious about such negotiations.

Every now and then the Obama administration gets it right, and this is one of those times. However, Obama’s staff being who they are, they were probably especially cold and insensitive in communicating with the families. That being said, it’s not clear that under the circumstances there would have been any acceptable way to say “no,” or that any approach short of complete cooperation would not raise the families’ ire and frustration....

What the hell? This time you’ve gone too far, ISIS – we’re going to shrink you slightly! One more step across this red line, and so help me God, we’ll make you “manageable!”

◼ OBAMA VOWS TO MAKE ISIS ‘MANAGEABLE’ - John Hayward/Human Events @Doc_o

Updated with today's "Protect the Precious!" award for media shielding their beloved President from criticism: http://t.co/QHYSgubN28

— John Hayward (@Doc_0) September 3, 2014

...When last we left former President Barack Obama, he was scooting off to Europe to do something-or-other that will persuade Vladimir Putin to halt his slow-motion invasion of Eastern Europe. A herd of reporters chased him to Marine One and begged him to make some kind of statement about ISIS beheading another captive American, journalist Steve Sotloff. Hope that Obama would reconnect with the real world, spin on his heel, and provide a burst of leadership was written on the faces of his media admirers.

They went home with nothing, and spent the evening half-heartedly pecking out op-eds that argued Obama’s determination not to let a few dead Americans get in the way of his plans was actually a form of steely resolve that would have the head-choppers shaking in their boots. ...

And Obama’s response to the firestorm that erupted after he admitted he has no strategy to defeat ISIS is to… repeat that he has no strategy to defeat ISIS. He’s hoping no one will notice that “regional strategy” is political code for “I’m really hoping the Kurds, Iraqi army, and ‘moderate’ Syrian rebels tackle these guys for us,” a possibility that serious strategic planners have grown increasingly dubious about, especially since nobody in the region looks at Barack Obama and sees a war leader that will back them every bloody step of the way to glory. Obama’s penchant for turning on American allies and making doomed outreach efforts to adversaries has definitely made an impression....

Update: Today’s “Protect the Precious!” award for heroic media efforts to shield their beloved President from criticism comes from the Obama stalwarts at the New York Times, who briefly refer to Steven Sotloff’s family at the beginning of their report on his murder… and wait until literally the last two paragraphs of the story to casually mention that they’re furious at the Obama Administration for its “inaction.”

A person close to the Sotloff family expressed outrage at what he viewed as a pattern of deliberate leaks in Washington suggesting that Mr. Sotloff was killed the same day as Mr. Foley — a strategy he said the family sees as an attempt to absolve the administration of inaction.

“It was incredibly frustrating for us, because it was as if basically they were saying, ‘Don’t hope for any positive outcome,’ ” said this person, who requested anonymity because he did not have the family’s permission to speak publicly.

“Don’t hope for any positive outcome” would make a fine slogan for the Obama lame duck years.

SECOND AMERICAN JOURNALIST BEHEADED

◼ 'I'm back, Obama': ISIS executioner Jihadi John taunts President as he beheads second US journalist, Steven Sotloff . . . and then threatens to kill a Briton next - JAMES NYE FOR MAILONLINE

Steven Sotloff, 31, from Miami, was captured in Syria in August 2013
The video is titled ‘A Second Message to America’
In the video, Sotloff describes himself as 'paying the price' for the Obama administration’s decision to attack ISIS in Iraq
His execution follows the beheading of fellow Journalist James Foley last month
Sotloff freelanced for Time and Foreign Policy magazines
The White House today said: 'Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr Sotloff and Mr Sotloff's family’

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was taken by surprise when a reporter asked him about the video during a regular Tuesday press briefing.

BREAKING: Family spokesman: Sotloff relatives aware of beheading video by Islamic State, are grieving.

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 2, 2014

The official said Haines, the British hostage shown in the #Sotloff video, has also likely been killed. http://t.co/mLCw1MveYj #ISIS #Iraq

— Matt Bradley (@MattMcBradley) September 2, 2014

◼ Video Purports to Show Beheading of U.S. Journalist Steven Sotloff - Natt Bradley/Wall St. Journal
◼ Breaking: New Islamic State video purports to show beheading of US reporter Steven Sotloff - Jihadwatch
◼ VIDEO: Obama’s State Department: Savage Beheading of another US Journalist NOT an “Act of War” - Pamela Geller
◼ NEW VIDEO SHOWS THE ISLAMIC STATE BEHEADS ANOTHER AMERICAN REPORTER STEVEN SOTLOFF - Pamela Geller

Sean Hannity Confronts Imam Who Allegedly Radicalized the ISIS Murderer of James Foley

◼ On his show Wednesday, Sean Hannity had an explosive interview with Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary about ISIS and radical Islam. Choudary, who spent three-and-a-half years in prison on charges of inciting terrorism, allegedly helped radicalize Abdel Majed Abdel Bary, the main suspect in James Foley’s beheading. - IJ Review

It’s not everyday you see a vigorous debate between a terrorism supporter and a news commentator, but if you want to see how that would go down, this is your opportunity.

◼ “Eventually the world’s going to wake up to what I would say and every radical Islamist like you will be wiped off the face of the earth,” Hannity lectured the imam. “Because you have no respect for women, you have no respect for people of other faiths, you have no respect for innocent human life. You are radical and you want your religion or no religion.” - Daily Caller

◼ London Imam Choudary to Hannity: You Have 'No Choice,' Sharia Is 'Coming to a Place Near You' "The Sharia will be implemented in America. It's coming to a place very close to you." - Ben Shapiro's TRUTH REVOLT

Epic fail: Obama delayed Foley rescue because he worried about his image

◼ Obama delayed Foley rescue because he worried about his image - Allen West

So here’s yet another symptom of epic fail from Obama and his JV team of dubious sycophants. As reported by Fox News and Breitbart from the original article in The Sunday Times by Toby Harden, “Pentagon sources said Foley and the others might well have been rescued but Obama, concerned about the ramifications of US troops being killed or captured in Syria, took too long to authorize the mission.” It’s claimed that Obama was concerned about his administration being Carterized had the mission failed.”

In others words, the most important decision criteria for mission execution was President Barack Hussein Obama’s image.

As the Sunday Times article states, “for President Barack Obama the decision to send in the Night Stalkers was an agonizing one. The audacious bin Laden raid in Pakistan had been a success but also preying on his mind was the failed 1980 Delta Force operation to rescue American hostages in Tehran. Sandstorms and mechanical troubles led the mission to be abandoned and eight American troops were killed when two aircraft collided. The debacle cast a shadow over Jimmy Carter’s presidency.”

...Anthony Shaffer is a former lieutenant-colonel in U.S. military intelligence who worked on covert operations and someone I know very well. He said, “I’m told it was almost a 30-day delay from when they said they wanted to go to when he finally gave the green light. They were ready to go in June to grab the guy [Foley] and they weren’t permitted.”

Why Did ISIS Really Kill James Foley? For Money

◼ Kidnapping is a big cash business for many terrorist groups. Westerners are the most lucrative kidnapping targets. - Daniel Greenfield/Front Page

Reuters has run a rather shrill article on the subject. But it’s obvious why the US should no be in the business of financing Al Qaeda. Any Al Qaeda. These are not simply groups that take the money and walk away. They use the money to launch terrorist operations.

Trying to save lives by financing murder is abhorrent and self-defeating.

◼ ISIS Uses Kidnapped Reporter in Brutal New Twitter Campaign #StevensHeadInObamasHands

It's almost surreal now to listen to Obama's Cairo speech praising Islam & stressing what America can learn from it.

Dinesh D'Souza



◼ Our JV President: Never saw ISIL coming - Washington Free Beacon

PENTAGON OFFICIAL: ISIS Had NO IDEA the U.S. attacked ISIS to recover James Foley until their mission was leaked and politicized by the Obama Administration

◼ Pentagon Official: White House Foley Leak Endangers Future Operations, American Hostages - Joseph Miller/Daily Caller

Joseph Miller is the pen name for a ranking Department of Defense official with a background in U.S. special operations and combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has worked in strategic planning.

...When the hostage rescue force arrived at the target location in Syria, they encountered a handful of fighters on the ground, which they quickly neutralized. As has been previously reported, one U.S. helicopter pilot transporting the rescue force suffered a gunshot wound during the operation. He completed the entire mission before informing anyone that he had been shot. It was an act of heroism that would have gone unknown before yesterday’s leak.

Following the mission, it was determined that the Islamic State did not know that it was the United States that had conducted the raid. This was confirmed Wednesday by media outlets, who quoted the leaker saying the “[Islamic State] did not know who they were fighting that night, and we assess Syria did not know.”

As such, the decision was made to maintain absolute secrecy in the event that hostages could be located again, and another rescue operation could be undertaken. After Wednesday’s leak by the White House, this seems highly unlikely. The Islamic State is now aware that the United States is tracking the whereabouts of the Western hostages, and that the U.S. has shown a willingness to take military action to free them. They will likely increase their operational and communication security postures in order to prevent a repeat operation.

Wednesday’s selfish, politically motivated leak has reduced the chances for a successful second rescue attempt, and has likely increased the risk to the lives of the hostages still in the Islamic State’s possession. For that, someone should be fired.

Is this the breaking point? Media, pundits furious with Obama for golfing as ISIS horrors go unanswered

This is what President Obama did after his speech on #ISIS http://t.co/XUG3awdIgX pic.twitter.com/8DSohz6DPt

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 21, 2014

◼ link - T. Becket Adams/Washington Examiner

◼ Want to go blind with rage? Read this letter from ISIS to the Foley family - Noah Rothman/HotAir

...The video featuring the execution of James Wright Foley would be made public just six days after this letter was received.

There are some who will object to the publication of this letter, perhaps in much the same way that so many were enraged by the New York Post’s decision to publish an image of Foley the moment before he was beheaded by an IS terrorist. That’s not an unjustified emotion, but it is sometimes better to look evil in the eye than to rage against those media outlets that refuse to sanitize reality.

These people would like nothing more than to kill you and your family. No one is well-served by being shielded from that fact.



◼ Irate Chris Matthews Taken Aback by Obama Reax to Foley Beheading; Says of ISIS 'If They Want to Die, Help Them Out'

"This is our country versus this group that's declared war on us. What's justice mean in this con-- I don't know why the word's used, like we're going to go to the World Court with this?!" (Chris "Tingles Up His Leg") Matthews sneered to guest Howard Fineman of the Huffington Post Media Group on the August 20 edition of Hardball. Later in the segment, an irate Matthews insisted "no American president can survive if he lets Americans be beheaded on international television with impunity. Impunity! He has to strike back, as an American, it's in our soul!"

◼ Mark Levin to Obama: ‘Get Your Ass Off The Golf Course, Act Like a President, or Get the Hell Out!’ - TPNN

“"You know, folks, an American is decapitated in the middle of the desert by some British-Islamo-Nazi puke,” Levin begins exhibiting righteous indignation. “This puke, this punk, ties one of our citizens up, his hands behind his back, lifts up his chin, and saws his head off!” Levin shouted.

“Is it too much to expect this pathetic president to spend more than five minutes on it?” Levin asked, referring to Obama hitting the links immediately after issuing his brief emotionless prepared statement regarding the barbaric beheading of photojournalist James Foley.

ISIS offered to swap Foley for 'Lady al Qaeda': Terrorists wanted return of MIT-educated neuroscientist who was caught with plans for 'mass casualty attack' with a dirty bomb, Ebola, and a chemical weapon 'that spared children'

Lady Al Qeada: Aafia Siddiqui is currently serving 86 years in a Texas jail after being arrested with plans for a 'mass casualty attack' in the US, including infecting people with Ebola and a dirty bomb. She was named by Foley's captors on a 'laundry list' as the person they wanted in a prisoner swap

◼ link - Daily Mail

◼ ISIS sent 'laundry list' of demands for release of James Foley
◼ Before ransom rose to $132m, ISIS wanted release of Afia Siddiqui among other prisoners
◼ Mother-of-three was jailed after she was caught with plans for 'mass casualty attack' and details of New York landmarks
◼ Author describes her as a 'poster girl for jihadists' and her release would have been PR disaster for Obama
◼ In her handbag was found details for a dirty bomb, Ebola, and a theoretical chemical weapon that did not kill children, her New York trial was told
◼ Government refused to enter into negotiation with his captors and launched failed rescue attempt instead - in contrast to the Bowe Bergdahl swap

An early look at tomorrow's front page.

An early look at tomorrow's front page. http://t.co/orsS8nH93j pic.twitter.com/H3Y657jSds

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) August 21, 2014

◼ Obama’s Golf War - Ed Driscoll/PJ Media

Kudos to the New York Daily News, a center-left newspaper, for having a rare moment of clarity, even as its crosstown rival pulls its punches and retracts its own golf-related punch at their boss, and unlike the Daily News a likely accidental one, to boot.

But then, ◼ as John Hinderaker writes at Power Line, “In recent months, Barack Obama has crossed an important threshold. He has always shown contempt for his opponents; now he shows contempt for his supporters. He has quit pretending to be a leader, and more or less quit pretending to be a president. On the right and the center, he has become a joke,” as demonstrated by the Michael Ramirez cartoon that Hinderaker links to in his post.

Ace compares Mr. Obama’s contempt for — at this point, well, pretty much the entire world — as something akin to the mammoth level of OCD displayed by the Sheldon Cooper character on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory sitcom.

◼ The Meltdown - Commentary Magazine

As I write, the foreign policy of the United States is in a state of unprecedented disarray. In some cases, failed policy has given way to an absence of policy....

◼ This was a very long piece so you may
have put it aside. Don't. - Discussion at Lucianne

Fist bump: Furious reactions hit Obama for golfing after Foley speech http://t.co/SSGDVcGnwZ via @MailOnline

— Greta Van Susteren (@gretawire) August 21, 2014

◼ Fist bump? Just when you thought Obama’s golf after Foley presser couldn’t get more sickening … [photo] - Twitchy

President Obama: "No just God would stand with what they did yesterday or what they do every single day"

◼ President Obama denounced the Islamic State’s beheading of an American journalist as an uncivilized act that has "no place in the 21st century" and vowed to continue confronting the group in Iraq or elsewhere whenever it threatens U.S. citizens.

We will continue to confront this hateful terrorism and continue to replace it with hope and civility — that’s what Jim Foley stood for," he said Wednesday during a break from his vacation on Martha's Vineyard.

He also described the terrorist group's ideology as morally "bankrupt" and said the "world is appalled" by the Islamic State's brutality.

..."No just God would stand with what they did yesterday or what they do every single day" in slaughtering innocent women and children, slaying other Muslims and targeting ethnic minorities for genocide, he said.

◼ BEFORE RETURNING TO GOLF COURSE, OBAMA PROMISES 'RELENTLESS' PURSUIT OF JUSTICE AGAINST ISIS - Breitbart

After the release of the ISIS video Tuesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron cut his vacation short.

Marco Rubio: “For more than a year, ISIL has been murdering civilians, raping women and young girls and enslaving them, and carrying out a systematic genocide of anyone who does not share their warped and extremist Islamist views. ISIL cannot be reasoned with, they can’t be negotiated with, and their view of the world is irreconcilable with civilized society."

◼ Fighting the ‘Convert or Die’ Caliphate in Iraq 0 Marco Rubio/National Review
◼ Lawmakers: Foley killing shows brutality of ISIS - The Hill
◼ US officials: Video shows American's beheading - AP/Townhall

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists estimated Tuesday that about 20 journalists are missing in Syria, and has not released their nationalities. In its annual report last November, CPJ concluded that the missing journalists are either being held and threatened with death by extremists, or taken captive by gangs seeking ransom. The group's report described the widespread seizure of journalists as unprecedented and largely unreported by news organizations in the hope that keeping the kidnappings out of public view may help in the captives' release.

◼ Everything has changed after the execution of James Foley by ISIS - Noah Rothman/HotAir

President Barack Obama will return to Washington today to give a statement on the gruesome execution of an American at the hands of an Islamic militant who appears to have been British-born. Obama will be unable to satisfy the concerns of a nervous and wounded nation if he merely reprises his threadbare role as America’s “comforter-in-chief.” The country demands a plan of action aimed at rolling back ISIS from Iraq and a longer-term strategy to suppress the Islamic State threat in Syria.

DRUDGE:
ISIS BEHEADS AMERICAN JOURNALIST...
Threatens to kill another...
Fate depends on Obama's next move...
Al-Qaeda Announces 'Solidarity'...
UK 'urgently investigates' slaughter...
David Cameron cancels vacation...
TWITTER suspends accounts for sharing gruesome images...
CLAIM: ISIS, MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS 'TALKING TO EACH OTHER'...

‘Evil straight from the pits of hell': American journalist James Foley reportedly beheaded by ISIS

Evil straight from the pits of hell. pic.twitter.com/FainmvJOfo

— el Sooper (@SooperMexican) August 19, 2014

◼ link - Twitchy

◼ ‘He’ll muster outrage after vacation': James Foley barbarically beheaded; WH response a disgrace - Twitchy

British man executes an American reporter. So far only the PM of Australian has said appropriately strong words of condemnation.

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) August 20, 2014

◼ Whoa! Report: ISIS recently threatened to kill James Foley and Obama admin knew - Twitchy

Oh no. RT @rickklein: White House knew of recent ISIS threat to kill James Foley, @jonkarl reports: http://t.co/9pFPvx6BrD

— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) August 20, 2014

We're sorry to hear of the reported death of journalist James Foley http://t.co/Weh3l6aS0p pic.twitter.com/bltJ6WIqQP

— NewsHour (@NewsHour) August 19, 2014

◼ ‘Normal people would say ‘enraged”: PBS News Hour ‘sorry’ about Foley’s death - Twitchy, Who Said What on Twitter

Reading PBS News Hour’s tweet about it, you would think James Foley died peacefully in his sleep at a ripe old age. “Sorry” just doesn’t seem like something you say about a guy getting beheaded on video by fanatical Islamists.

@iowahawkblog @NewsHour It was not a "death." It was a videotaped sickening murder.

— Undine (@HorribleSanity) August 19, 2014