Categories: Hard NewsMiddle East

ISIL’s new video shows beheading of David Haines

The ISIL terrorists have released a video purportedly showing the decapitation of British hostage David Cawthorne Haines.

On Saturday, the Takfiri group posted the footage consistent with the earlier ones showing the execution of two American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

A masked militant appeared in the video, entitled, “A Message to the Allies of America,” saying the execution was in response to UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s engagement in a US-led coalition against the militants.

“This British man has to pay the price for your promise, Cameron, to arm the Peshmerga (Kurdish fighters),” against the ISIL, said the man dressed in black with a British accent.

The British prime minister had earlier talked of efforts “to help make sure the Kurds have the arms they need to fight off” the terrorist group.

In the footage, Haines also accused British premiers for not having the “courage to say no to the Americans.”

“Unfortunately, it is we, the British public that will, in the end, pay the price for our Parliament’s selfish decisions,” Haines said, referring to Britain’s engagement in war on the ISIL.

The British victim, who is a 44-year-old father of two from Perth in Scotland, was reportedly captured in Iraq last year.

Another hostage, identified as Alan Henning, was shown at the end of the video, with the masked terrorist saying he would be killed if Cameron continued fighting the ISIL.

The video was shot in a desert setting similar to the two previous ones with the victim wearing an orange jumpsuit.

Cameron reacted to the video, saying, “This is a despicable and appalling murder of an innocent aid worker. It is an act of pure evil. My heart goes out to the family of David Haines who have shown extraordinary courage and fortitude throughout this ordeal.”US President Barack Obama also said that Washington would stand “shoulder to shoulder,” with the UK following “the barbaric murder” of Haines.

“We will work with the United Kingdom and a broad coalition of nations from the region and around the world to bring the perpetrators of this outrageous act to justice,” Obama said.

Iraq has been fighting the ISIL terrorists since they took control of Mosul on June 10. The takeover was followed by the fall of the city of Tikrit, located 140 kilometers (87 miles) northwest of the capital Baghdad. The control of Tikrit was later retaken by the Iraqi army.

The Takfiri terrorists currently control parts of eastern Syria and Iraq’s northern and western regions. They have threatened all communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Izadi Kurds and others, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq.

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Emad Askarieh

Emad Askarieh has worked as a journalist since 2002. The main focus of his work is foreign policy and world diplomacy. He started his career at Iran Front Page Media Group, and is currently serving as the World Editor and the Vice-President for Executive Affairs at the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website.

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