Terrorist group ISIS (The Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria) brutally beheaded American hostages James Foley and Steven Sotloff in Syria the week of August 20 and released videos of the beheadings shortly after.
ISIS, the terrorist group that has been striking fear into the Syrian and American people, has been fighting against the U.S. after an air strike was issued on the militant group in Iraq. The U.S. launched the attack to help Iraqi forces fight back against the growing militant threat. However, terrorists groups all across Syria, particularly ISIS, have been responding violently to this action.
Both Foley and Sotloff were freelance journalists sent to report the problems within Syria. According to CNN, Sotloff was a freelance journalist for Time and Foreign Policy Magazines, and Foley was a freelance journalist who worked for major media outlets such as the Global Post and Agence France-Presse. While there, they were both captured and held hostage for about a year with other civilians as well as other journalists.
However, journalist Peter Theo Curtis was released on Sunday, August 24, after being held captive for almost two years. Curtis was held by Al Qaeda’s official branch in Syria, Nusra Front, and released after the government of Qatar had brokered his release. He was then handed over to the United Nation peacekeepers in the Golan Heights, which is on the border of Syria.
As for the remaining journalists, Foley and Sotloff, the reasons for their deaths are not specifically known. Each journalist was beheaded within a couple of minutes after stating a message that the terrorist group forced them to say. Shortly after the killing, videos were released to the public. The terrorists groups have, however, placed the blame and put the deaths of the journalists on President Barack Obama’s hands.
According to CBS News, President Barack Obama responded to the deaths of the journalists, promptly, last Wednesday by saying that “the United States will not be intimidated by the Islamic State militants,” and that “the United States will build a coalition to degrade and destroy the group.”
Since then, ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), has made constant threats towards the United States as a way to get the President Barack Obama’s attention.
On Wednesday, September 10, the President delivered a speech to CNN and other news stations talking about the new american strategy for “destroying” and “degrading” the terrorist group.
Within his speech, the President listed four parts of the U.S. strategy to bring down ISIL. First and foremost, a systematic campaign of airstrikes will be ordered against ISIL. Secondly, the President intends to bring more troops into Iraq to strengthen the support of forces fighting on the ground. Lastly, counterterrorism capabilities with be increased to prevent ISIL attacks and humanitarian assistance will be offered to those who had been displaced by ISIL.
Shortly after the President then released a statement from the White House, “Our objective is clear: We will degrade and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive strategy and sustained counterterrorism strategy.”
