Sotloff identifies himself in English and calmly explains that he is paying the price for Obama’s policy. His killer also speaks in English. The masked militant condemns the ongoing US strikes against the Islamic State – a Sunni jihadist group that operates in Iraq and Syria – and cuts Sotloff’s throat. He then introduces a second captive, identified in a caption by name as a British citizen. “I’m back, Obama, and I’m back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State,” the militant says, speaking in what sounds like a London accent. This was an apparent reference to a previous video in which US journalist James Foley was murdered, again by a suspected British foreign fighter and in an almost identical fashion.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said the latest video depicted an “absolutely disgusting, despicable act.” The previous video was released last month after US President Barack Obama ordered air strikes against the Islamic State. It showed 40-year-old Foley’s death at the hands of a masked militant who then threatened Sotloff, a Miami-born freelance reporter who has written for Time magazine, Foreign Policy and other outlets. US officials said they were working to confirm the authenticity of the latest video, and State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Washington would be “sickened” if it proved genuine.
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