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THE GRUESOME VIDEO showing American photojournalist James Foley being beheaded has been verified as authentic, the White House has confirmed.
The US National Security Council said the video, which was released last night by Islamic State militants, had been carefully analysed.
The almost five-minute-long video entitled ‘A Message to America’ shows the journalist being beheaded by a man dressed in black who speaks with what appears to be a British accent.
“The US Intelligence Community has analysed the recently released video showing US citizens James Foley and Steven Sotloff,” a spokeswoman for the National Security Council said.
We have reached the judgement that this video is authentic.We will continue to provide updates as they are available.
Journalist Steven Sotloff, who also appears in the video, is threatened but is not hurt in the video. The man who threatens him addresses the US president, saying: “The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision”.
It is not yet known when or where the video was recorded.
Foley was abducted while he was working in Northern Syria in November 2012.
Criticism of the graphic images
There has been widespread criticism of the use of the video and images of Foley, with the New York Post and New York Daily News printing graphic still images from the beheading on its front page today.
Twitter CEO Dick Costolo has said the social network will suspend users who post clips of the video.
YouTube has also been removing the video from its site.
Scotland Yard has confirmed that it is investigating the video and whether or not a British citizen was involved. In a statement, police in London also warned the public in the UK about watching the video.
“We would like to remind the public that viewing, downloading or disseminating extremist matierial within the UK may constitute an offence under Terrorism legislation”, London Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
Foley’s family have urged his kidnappers to spare the lives of remaining hostages.
“We have never been prouder of our son Jim,” his mother Diane wrote in a post on Facebook. “He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people”.
“We thank Jim for all the joy he gave us. He was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist and person”.
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I would call the day before the government commits economic treason against the Irish people by taking the money saved by demolishing our health and education services and flushing it down the toilet a reasonable deadline, no?
The economic treason was committed primarily by Fianna Fail who provided the unlimited bailout to the zombie banks in the first place, vocally supported by Fine Gael and Sinn Fein at the time.
Unfortunately the organisations currently funding a large chunk of our health and education services want this money paid back, so Ireland isn’t accused of default. And if these organisations weren’t funding Ireland then our health and education services would be in a far worse position.
Right Desmond. Fianna Fáil did sign the death warrant but FG/Labour are doing the killing? Get real.
We don’t have to remind you of Labour’s way or Frankfurt’s way again, do we?
Or Leo ‘not another red cent to anglo’ Varadkar. How many red cents in €3.1 Billion??
Réada … It was Fianna fail, supported by fine Gael and Sinn Fein, who saddled us with this catastrophic debt and which precipitated the eu/IMF bailouts. Labour was the only party to consistently oppose this madness. Having been saddled with this debt and with the straitjacket of the Troika programme, this state has lost its economic sovereignty. Oh, the irony of the three nationalist parties donning the green jersey in order to sell out this country’s independence.
There is no credible alternative to operating within the terms of the Troika programme. Default is a fool’s proposal.
As a lifelong Labour voter Desmond I sympathise with you. Always voted labour although would have preferred candidates further to the left. Did so because I knew Labour was as left as my fellow conservative citizens could handle and thought they’d be our best chance. But they’ve let me down twice too often.
I know that they were alone in opposing the bank guarantee but they’re certainly rowing in behind it now. I do like the way I can read Gilmore like a book though and his “between the lines” comments re threats from Europe and further afield have been noted.
But I am sincere when I say you have my sympathies. Give it up tho Desmond. It’s a dead horse. Eamon doesn’t have the political courage to stick to his principles.
So, the plan is to hand 3.1 billion over, pass the austerity treaty, give up any leverage and then.. what, just ask for it back afterwards? They cannot – honestly – believe that is the best means of going about it.
At best incompetent, at its worst treason.
This is being paid for by the budget just gone. This is being paid for by taking the disability allowance from special needs adolescents. This is being paid for by taking the child benefit from kids above 7 years old. This is being paid for by taking a few months of fuel allowance from the elderly. This is being paid for by raiding people’s pensions.
Just to spell it out loud and clear. T-R-E-A-S-O-N.
Just to spell it out for you – even if there had been no bank bailout there would still be austerity and cut backs in spending. Why? Because more than half of the bailout is being used to plug the gap between the tax take and government spending. So what you describe would be happening anyway.
So very very true and the next payment will be part paid from the Household Charge/water charge/ Septic tank
If there was no bank bailout, the state’s debt was so low that we could tolerate the deficits initially and grow our economy out over a few years. The gap in tax and spending right now apart from the bank items, is relatively small and manageable at about 6 bililon(have a goo at the December Exchequer figures), and that can be explained by an economy suffering from a strike of investment ie no investment because the austerity is shredding the economy. Despite loading the banks with our cash, they’re not investing it, they’re hoarding it(because they understand what austerity means) and they’re actually reposessing the homes of the people that are bailing them out! This is and always has been a banking crisis, dressed up as something else to share the cost.
Of course the mathematical/economical side pales into insignificance when we take into account the immorality of it all. What’s wrong is wrong is wrong.
And your alternative …….. D – E – F – A – U – L – T which would mean the ending of imf/eu financial support our public finances the collapse of our public services, choking off of funds for our remaining banks and an economic winter the likes none of us have experienced before. Now that’s the real definition of TREASON.
Listen folks there wil be no deal worth talking about coming from the ECB. At best they will get an extension on the number of years over which it will be paid but it will be paid by this government. It will be spun out for a few more months until after the vote on the fiscal compact. We need to say now enough is enough and not pay the 3.1 billion have a structured default and suffer the consequences for the next few years. Look what happened to the markets with the structured Greek default , they rose and didn’t implode like we have been told. As said by David McWilliams on numerous occasions the markets have a short memory.
If Greece can secure a discount, what on earth isn’t the Irish government making more threatening noises?
Perhaps because the Irish people haven’t.
Gilmore just shut up and stay away thanks…
Party politics has no business at the present time. We all have our opinions on who we like to blame for this awful situation but we need leadership and above all negotiators at this time. People with real pride in the Irish People and who will negotiate our way to a better future for our kids. We are a small fish in a large sea but we can be heard with the right voice!
I hope our Politicians find the courage fast to have that voice.
I was happy to pay the household charge.
Past tense??? I hope you’ll be even happier when it’s abolished.
have your say