According to the New York Times the video of James Foley's execution was initially up loaded to an online account owned by an outfit known as the al-Furqan Media Foundation. Some grotesque beast quickly moved the nearly five minute clip to YouTube, which subsequently took it down. It was reportedly titled, "A Message to America."
The executioner who delivered part of the message wore a black hood and mask. According to the Times he spoke English with what sounded like an east London accent. The paper also reports Foley read a statement which, in part, said, "I call on my friends, family, and loved ones to rise up against my real killers--the U.S. government."
When he was done speaking, James Foley's head was cut off.
After the video hit the internet, Fox News reports there have been at least 14 American air strikes against Islamic State positions. In addition, although it hasn't been confirmed, various outlets are saying Kurdish and Iraqi forces have retaken the Mosul dam from IS forces.
Given what has transpired since Foley's murder it would be easy to gloat, or be glib about the immediate U.S. response to the Islamic State's message, despite its awful and grisly content. However they are holding at least one other American journalist, Steven Sotloff and have promised to kill him too if the strikes keep coming, which, they obviously have.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists around 20 reporters of various nationalities have been kidnapped in either Syria, or other areas of the middle east over the last few years and no one has any real idea who is holding them. Given the circumstances we can expect more hideous videos to show up soon.
Using the acronym ISIL, the president called the Sunni militants a cancer and said they, "speak for no religion." Addressing the James Foley murder, he added, "No just God would stand for what they did yesterday and what they do every day."
Of course that is a large part of the problem. While Obama and the rest of us can say no just God would put up with the brutal and senseless killing of hundreds, if not thousands of innocent people, the crazy fucks who are perpetrating these atrocities believe God does just that. Indeed, they not only think the Good Lord approves their acts, they're convinced He will send them all directly to an eternal paradise because they commit them.
It goes without saying when you're dealing with monsters like these there is no room for negotiation, or compromise. Think of the Nazi SS--the congregation of the Westboro Baptist Church multiplied by tens of thousands and armed to the teeth--Attila the Hun, whipped into a frenzy by a tab of window pane acid laced with too much speed.
Yes, such visions are a terrible and bloody tableau, but that is exactly what we are faced with when it comes to these gruesome werewolves.
Fox also reported the United States is mulling over the possibility of sending in an additional 300 or so troops, to bolster "the security of American interests" and personnel in Iraq. If true, it would be the third escalation of the American ground presence in the country during the last two months. Some of us have seen this sort of slow creep before.
Tragically, we are on the verge of a third Iraq war, because the truth is the assholes running ISIL are either utterly stupid, or quite smart. If they think the public murder of one or two U.S. citizens will scare us away they have no concept of the American psyche. On the other hand they might believe another incursion into Iraq by forces of the United States will rally thousands of true believers to their cause.
Even if they are convinced of the latter possibility they still have a major problem. As brutal as their God might be, in all His blazing and righteous anger, He still has no answer to massive air power.
And while bombs alone can't defeat an entrenched enemy, it can certainly make the ruthless bastards crawl into holes and not advance on an objective.
The terrible truth is we're going in once again. If you don't believe it, you should sit out in a field with Charlie Brown late this October and wait for the Great Pumpkin.
America, welcome to Iraq part III.
sic vita est
8-20-14
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