Full Text of last message to the Foleys

Full text of the last email the Islamic State sent to the Foley family

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The GlobalPost releases last email the Islamic State sent to family of journalist James Foley – @GlobalPost

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August 21, 2014 17:56

Full text of the last email the Islamic State sent to the Foley family

The last time James Foley’s parents heard from their son’s captors was on Aug. 12. They received this email.

BOSTON, Mass. — American journalist James Foley was murdered by Islamic State militants, who on Aug. 19 publicized the killing in a graphic video uploaded to YouTube.

On Tuesday, Aug. 12, Foley’s parents received an email from their son’s captors stating that Foley would be “executed.” The Foley family, GlobalPost, government authorities and private security consultants had been investigating Foley’s whereabouts and attempting to secure his release since he was kidnapped on Thanksgiving Day nearly two years ago.
The terrorist group declared Foley’s death would be in retaliation for recent US airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq.

The Islamic State, which is now holding three American hostages in Syria, has since threatened to kill one of them, freelance reporter Steven Sotloff, if the US continues its bombing campaign in Iraq.

The Foley family has agreed to release the email from Foley’s captors. GlobalPost has chosen to publish it in full in the interest of transparency and to fully tell Jim’s story. We believe the text offers insight into the motivations and tactics of the Islamic State.

In addition to the extreme views it espouses, the email contains factual inaccuracies. For example, the Foley family was not “given many chances to negotiate” for Jim’s release. After more than a year without contact, the Foleys received their first message from Jim’s captors on Nov. 26, 2013, asking for money, fast. After the militants had proved to the Foleys and investigators that they were in fact holding Jim, they made their sole demand for a ransom of 100 million euros (about $132 million) or the release of unspecified prisoners held by the United States.

The next time the Foley family heard from the captors was on Aug. 12, 2014. They received this email:

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HOW LONG WILL THE SHEEP FOLLOW THE BLIND SHEPPARD?

A message to the American government and their sheep like citizens:

We have left you alone since your disgraceful defeat in Iraq. We did not interfere in your country or attack your citizens while they were safe in their homes despite our capability to do so!

As for the scum of your society who are held prisoner by us, THEY DARED TO ENTER THE LION’S DEN AND WHERE EATEN!

You were given many chances to negotiate the release of your people via cash transactions as other governments have accepted,
We have also offered prisoner exchanges to free the Muslims currently in your detention like our sister Dr Afia Sidiqqi, however you proved very quickly to us that this is NOT what you are interested in.

You have no motivation to deal with the Muslims except with the language of force, a language you were given in “Arabic translation” when you attempted to occupy the land of Iraq!
Now you return to bomb the Muslims of Iraq once again, this time resorting to Arial attacks and “proxy armies”, all the while cowardly shying away from a face-to-face confrontation!

Today our swords are unsheathed towards you, GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS ALIKE! AND WE WILL NOT STOP UNTILL WE QUENCH OUR THIRST FOR YOUR BLOOD.

You do not spare our weak, elderly, women or children so we will NOT spare yours!

You and your citizens will pay the price of your bombings!

The first of which being the blood of the American citizen, James Foley!

He will be executed as a DIRECT result of your transgressions towards us!

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I am an American Patriot.  I take that as a direct and personal threat to my friends, family, colleagues and country and  I will act accordingly.

While I am no longer an active duty military man, I was and I took an oath of office that I believe in and will continue to keep.  If these animals come across the border to hurt American Citizens, I will act and so will many others.  And I urge you to consider acting as well.

If they come to our soil to act upon their threats, this is no longer “just the President’s problem” and it’s not just “the military’s problem”.  It’s ALL of our problem.  If you’re NOT prepared to defend yourself and your family, and you somehow think that “discussion” and “talks” and “ransom” is the right thing to do, you’re NOT an American.

It is time to defend this country.

I am an American fighting man. I served in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.

I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender my men while they still have the means to resist.

If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.

If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information, or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades.

If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way.

When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am bound to give only name, rank, service number and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.

I will never forget that I am an American fighting man, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.

 

Is President and his crew “waking up” to the dangers of Islam?

I hope so.

I think that they have finally figured out that the world is not a nice place, that you can’t just talk people into playing nice.  Sometimes an unruly child NEEDS a spanking.  Sometimes punishment is required for bad actors.

Terrorists need to die.  Period, plain and simple.  If the American Government does NOT shut down and obliterate ISIS, no one will and eventually we will have hoards of “Mongrels” at the front door.

Kerry Condemns Murder of James Foley, Says ISIS Must Be Destroyed

6:35AM Thursday
August 21, 2014

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(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called the murder of American James Foley at the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, video of which was posted online Tuesday, heartbreaking and unfair.

In a statement released Wednesday, Kerry recalled that in 2012, Foley was captured while on assignment in Syria. Kerry was a senator at that time and had the opportunity to meet Foley’s family. “The sheer unfairness and unlikely odds that this young journalist would again find himself in captivity in another conflict was almost unimaginable,” Kerry said.

“There is evil in this world,” Kerry said in light of Tuesday’s video, “and we all have come face to face with it once again.” Also on Wednesday, Kerry tweeted strong words for ISIS.

US special ops tried but failed to find hostages

Posted: 39 mins ago

After speaking with U.S. President Barack Obama by phone, John and Diane Foley talk to reporters, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2014, outside their home in Rochester, N.H. Their son James Foley was abducted in November 2012 while covering the Syrian conflict. Islamic militants posted a video showing his murder on Tuesday and said they killed him because the U.S. had launched airstrikes in northern Iraq.  / AP Photo/Jim Cole WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama sent special operations troops to Syria this summer on a secret mission to rescue American hostages, including journalist James Foley, held by Islamic State extremists, but they did not find them, officials say. The rescue mission was authorized after intelligence agencies believed they had identified the location inside Syria where the hostages were being held, administration officials said Wednesday. But the several dozen special operations forces dropped by aircraft into Syria did not find them at that location and engaged in a firefight with Islamic State militants before departing, killing several militants. No Americans died but one sustained a minor injury when an aircraft was hit. “The U.S. government had what we believed was sufficient intelligence, and when the opportunity presented itself, the president authorized the Department of Defense to move aggressively to recover our citizens,” said Lisa Monaco, Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser, in a statement. “Unfortunately, that mission was ultimately not successful because the hostages were not present.” Officials revealed the rescue operation a day after the militants released a video showing the beheading of Foley and threatened to kill a second hostage, Steven Sotloff, if U.S. airstrikes against the militants in Iraq continued. Despite the militants’ threats, the U.S. launched a new barrage of airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq Wednesday. The Obama administration did not rule out the prospect of a military operation in Syria to bring those responsible for Foley’s death to justice. Disclosure of the rescue mission marks the first time the U.S. has revealed that American military personnel have been on the ground in Syria since a bloody civil war there broke out more than three years ago. Obama has resisted calls to insert the U.S. military in the middle of Syria’s war, a cautious approach his critics say has allowed the Islamic State to strengthen there and make gains across the border in Iraq. Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said the administration never intended to disclose the operation. But she said the U.S. went public Wednesday because a number of media outlets were preparing to report on the operation and the administration “would have no choice but to acknowledge it.” In a statement Wednesday night, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said: “As we have said repeatedly, the United States government is committed to the safety and well-being of its citizens, particularly those suffering in captivity. In this case, we put the best of the United States military in harm’s way to try and bring our citizens home.” It’s unclear how many Americans the special forces attempted to rescue in Syria. While the officials who described the mission would not provide an exact number, other U.S. officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly, have said Foley was one of at least four Americans held in Syria. Like Foley, two others are believed to have been kidnapped by the Islamic State. The fourth, freelance journalist Austin Tice, disappeared in Syria in August 2012 and is believed to be in the custody of government forces in Syria. Administration officials would not say specifically when or where the operation took place, citing the need to protect operational details in order to preserve the ability to carry out future rescue missions. They did say that nearly every branch of the military was involved and that the special forces on the ground were supported from the air by fixed wing, rotary and surveillance aircraft. Obama has authorized previous military missions to rescue hostages. In 2009, Navy SEAL snipers carried out a daring sea operation to rescue an American ship captain held by Somali pirates in a lifeboat. And in 2012, special operations forces successfully rescued two aid workers — an American and a Dane — held in Somalia.

James Foley Killing Part of Larger Terror Spree Unleashed by ISIS

By Erik Ortiz

Video showing the brutal beheading of kidnapped American journalist James Foley is only the latest episode of barbarity carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.

The extremist network — known as ISIS — raised its profile in May after seizing major Iraqi cities and towns in a bid to overrun the central government in Baghdad and establish an Islamic state. Foley’s execution, now confirmed by the U.S. government, gives ISIS the exposure it craves while inciting jihadists with its bloodthirsty campaign of destruction.

US rescue mission of James Foley failed

TODAY

Here are some things to know about ISIS.

Where did ISIS come from?

The terror group, made up of Sunni extremists, originated from al Qaeda in Iraq in the mid-2000s. Prominent jihadist Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi emerged as a leader in 2010, transforming the fighters into a cohesive unit.

The group became known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (or the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham) in April 2013, when Baghdadi said his militants were also fighting in Syria. ISIS remains the largest terror organization in Iraq, with its numbers estimated in the thousands.

What is a Caliphate?

What are they trying to accomplish?

In June, ISIS declared its occupied territory as a caliphate — or an Islamic state governed by Shariah law – and rebranded itself as the Islamic State. But its goal to overthrow the Shiite-led government in Iraq has slowed in recent weeks, despite initial successes capturing parts of northern Iraq.

ISIS’s attempt to maintain control of a key location — the Mosul Dam, which supplies power and water to millions of people — failed after the U.S. intervened with airstrikes this month. Those strikes helped Kurdish and Iraq forces drive out ISIS fighters from the dam.

After news broke Tuesday that ISIS had executed Foley, the U.S. launched more strikes overnight against ISIS near the Mosul Dam.

What are some of ISIS’s alleged atrocities?

In communities overrun by ISIS, survivors have shared stories of torture and slaughter. Photos posted online show scenes of men — purportedly ISIS prisoners — being marched with their hands tied then getting shot in the back of their heads.

 The Islamist extremists have been blamed for massacres of dozens in some towns, decimating in particular an ancient religious minority known as the Yazidis. Tens of thousands have been driven from their homes and fled, desperate to escape religious persecution.

Some were forced to flee to Mount Sinjar, where the U.S. earlier this month dropped food and water to the stranded. Those in refugee camps told NBC News that they witnessed the shootings and beheadings of innocent people — including children — and the rape and capture of women. Other reports have victims being buried alive.

The Christian minority in Mosul has also described being run out by ISIS. If they wanted to stay, they had to convert to Islam or pay a tax, they told NBC News. Otherwise they would be killed.

Yazidi Refugees Tell Chilling Tales of ISIS Atrocities

Why did they kill James Foley?

The execution of Foley, who went missing in Syria in November 2012 and who the U.S. tried but failed to rescue, appears to be in retaliation for the latest wave of American airstrikes targeting ISIS in Iraq. But the dissemination of the video falls in line with a larger public-relations campaign. ISIS has previously posted recruitment videos featuring its fighters — some claiming to be citizens of Western countries such as the United States, Britain and Australia — urging others to join the group’s ranks.

ISIS has been successful at using online platforms, including Twitter and YouTube, to draw attention and encourage others to join the group’s cause. At one point, the ISIS hashtag jumped from about 1,000 hits before its Iraq invasion to between 30,000 and 40,000 hits on some days, a researcher with the International Center for the Study of Radicalization in London told NBC News.

In addition, ISIS has two English-language magazines and a newsletter meant to win the hearts and minds of Muslims. The full-color glossies include pictures of alleged infidels who were blindfolded and about to be executed as punishment for going against the Quran, the sacred Islamic text.

Terrorism analyst: ISIS ‘looking for a confrontation’ with US

First published August 21st 2014, 2:46 am

US reporter’s death galvanizes anger but little action yet against Islamic State fighters

Published August 21, 2014

Associated Press

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  A yellow ribbon is tied to a tree outside the family home of freelance journalist James Foley, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2014 in Rochester, N.H. Foley was abducted in November 2012 while covering the Syrian conflict. On Tuesday, Aug. 19, militants with the Islamic State extremist group released a video showing Islamic State militants beheading Foley in an act of revenge for U.S. airstrikes in northern Iraq . (AP Photo/Jim Cole)The Associated Press

PARIS –  The killing of an American reporter is galvanizing international anger at Islamic State extremists and fueling fears about the flow of foreign fighters joining their ranks. But governments from the Mideast to Europe and even Washington appear uncertain about how to stop them.

The international police agency Interpol said Thursday it wants a globally coordinated push to stem the tide of international fighters joining the Islamic State group that has swallowed up territory across Iraq and Syria.

Up to now, actions against them have been decided largely at a national level. The U.S. sent in forces and airstrikes. Some European countries are sending weapons to those opposing IS fighters. Some Mideast countries are tightening their borders.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Moussawi expressed hope that the international attention could produce a consensus on what to do next.

“The world must unite to eradicate this organization and those alike. It is supported by countries, organizations and individuals and it cannot be eliminated unless we fight this extremism in all possible ways,” he said.

One thorny question is how to cut off funding for the Islamic State fighters. Some accuse Qatar of being among their financial backers, which the government denies. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned Foley’s killing, saying it was “a heinous crime that goes against all Islamic and humanitarian principles, as well as international laws and conventions.”

Interpol didn’t give any specific recommendations but is particularly concerned that a man who appears in a video of journalist James Foley’s death may be British.

“(This highlights) the need for a multilateral response against the terror threat posed by radicalized transnational fighters travelling to conflict zones in the Middle East,” said Interpol Secretary-General Ronald Noble.

More than a thousand radicals from Europe have joined militant fighters in Syria and Iraq, and Interpol has long warned of the threat such fighters pose. European governments worry those radicals could stage attacks when they get home and have introduced new anti-terrorism measures to try to catch them or stop them from leaving in the first place.

French President Francois Hollande urged other countries to wake up to the threat of the group.

“It’s not simply a terrorist group like those, alas, we have already known — dispersed, scattered, with several chiefs. This is a terrorist enterprise that has decided to enslave, annihilate, destroy,” he said Thursday.

France, which has seen an unusually large number of its citizens travel to fight with the Islamic State group, was the first European country to send arms to Iraq and has pushed its European counterparts to do more.

Within Europe, any concerted action in Iraq is complicated by uncomfortable memories of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

There were no immediate signs of a shift in British policy in the wake of Foley’s slaying. Britain has already said its mission in Iraq has moved beyond the humanitarian phase and includes Royal Air Force reconnaissance patrols. Britain has also said it is willing to arm Kurdish troops fighting the Sunni insurgents.

Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the “brutal and barbaric” killing of Foley but said Britain would not take any “knee-jerk” action.

“I have been very clear that this country is not going to get involved in another Iraq war. We are not putting combat troops, combat boots on the ground,” he said.

Germany announced it is sending arms to Kurds fighting the extremists and said Foley’s death played a role in the decision, which it had been considering for weeks. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin the video posted online of Foley “shows the barbaric and completely merciless murder of a human being.”