Beheaded by Islamic State thug: James Foley, photojournalist, RIP
- 9 years ago
Photojournalist James Foley was kidnapped in Syria in November 2012. Sadly, despite the best efforts of many, on Tuesday, the radical group that is now calling itself the Islamic State, but out a horrifying video that ends with Foley being murdered.
Foley, 40, had worked as a photojournalist for a variety of news outlets over the years, with his specialty being documenting war zones. He was taken hostage for several weeks in Libya after the fall of Mommar Kaddafi in 2011. Foley also documented wars in Afghanistan and Syria, where he would be taken prisoner by Islamic militants in 2012.
The raw video of Foley’s execution is, of course, still available on the Internet for those that may chose to seek it out, but we don’t want to give Mr. Foley’s thug murders anymore airtime than necessary.
As has been the case with other videotaped murders, the victim is shown kneeling in an orange prison jumpsuit, much like those worn by detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Mr. Foley then makes a speech condemning US government action in Syria and imploring his brother--who Foley says serves in the US air force-- to rethink his involvement attacks against the Islamic State.
Considering that we will never know if what Foley is saying before he is killed expresses his own sentiments, we think it best not to air his exact words. One thing to note, however, is that the masked man who ultimately kills Foley speaks in a British accent, raising the possibility that he is a foreign jihadist.
At the end of the video, Foley is murdered.
After Foley’s parents confirmed the passing of their son, they issued a statement on Facebook that reads in part: “We have never been prouder of our son Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people...we mourn and cherish Jim.”
Tributes to the slain reporter have come from around the world with media groups and individuals praising Foley’s courage and commitment to his mission of documenting crisis zones and those
Foley, 40, had worked as a photojournalist for a variety of news outlets over the years, with his specialty being documenting war zones. He was taken hostage for several weeks in Libya after the fall of Mommar Kaddafi in 2011. Foley also documented wars in Afghanistan and Syria, where he would be taken prisoner by Islamic militants in 2012.
The raw video of Foley’s execution is, of course, still available on the Internet for those that may chose to seek it out, but we don’t want to give Mr. Foley’s thug murders anymore airtime than necessary.
As has been the case with other videotaped murders, the victim is shown kneeling in an orange prison jumpsuit, much like those worn by detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Mr. Foley then makes a speech condemning US government action in Syria and imploring his brother--who Foley says serves in the US air force-- to rethink his involvement attacks against the Islamic State.
Considering that we will never know if what Foley is saying before he is killed expresses his own sentiments, we think it best not to air his exact words. One thing to note, however, is that the masked man who ultimately kills Foley speaks in a British accent, raising the possibility that he is a foreign jihadist.
At the end of the video, Foley is murdered.
After Foley’s parents confirmed the passing of their son, they issued a statement on Facebook that reads in part: “We have never been prouder of our son Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people...we mourn and cherish Jim.”
Tributes to the slain reporter have come from around the world with media groups and individuals praising Foley’s courage and commitment to his mission of documenting crisis zones and those