Islamist militants claim responsibility for killing of US journalist

On Tuesday, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the killing of an American journalist in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes on their positions in Iraq. The victim was James Foley, a journalist for the Global Post website, who was kidnapped in November 2012 in Syria.

James Foley, an American journalist kidnapped on November 22, 2012 in Syria, was executed by Islamic State militants in Iraq. Photo: Twitter

The White House responded shortly after the video was posted online. In a statement, Washington said the “horrific” video needed to be verified. If it was authentic, the United States was “shocked by the death of an innocent journalist” and “expressed our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones” of the murdered journalist.

James Foley, 40, is an experienced reporter, especially in the conflict in Libya against the regime of Bashar al-Assad for the Global Post. There is much evidence that the journalist was kidnapped in northern Syria on November 22, 2012. The journalist's family has posted a search but has so far had no results.

The less than five-minute video, titled “A Message to America,” was filmed in a desert area and its exact location is unknown. The release of the ISIL video comes as the United States is conducting airstrikes against Islamic militants in northern Iraq.

According to Reporters Without Borders, James Foley is the 44th journalist to die on assignment worldwide since January 1, 2014.

Chu ThanhTranslate fromLe Parisien