Jihadi John: Difference between revisions
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===Alan Henning=== |
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On 3 October 2014, a video released by IS showing Jihadi John beheading British aid worker Alan Henning. Henning, a |
On 3 October 2014, a video released by IS showing Jihadi John beheading British aid worker Alan Henning. Henning, a [[taxicab]] driver from [[Salford, Greater Manchester]], had volunteered to deliver aid to Syria when he was kidnapped in [[Al-Dana, Syria|Ad Dana]], an area held by IS, on 27 December 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29486118|title=BBC News - World reacts to IS video showing apparent killing of Alan Henning|work=BBC News|accessdate=4 October 2014}}</ref><ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29199086]</ref> |
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==Analysis of videos== |
==Analysis of videos== |
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Revision as of 20:09, 8 October 2014
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into The Beatles (terrorist cell). (Discuss) Proposed since September 2014. |
Jihadi John | |
|---|---|
 A close-up of "Jihadi John" | |
| Nationality | British[1] |
| Known for | Multiple beheadings |
| Allegiance | Islamic State |
Capture status | At large |
Wanted by | United States United Kingdom |
| Details | |
| Victims | James Foley Steven Sotloff David Haines Alan Henning |
| Date | 2014 |
| Country |  Syria |
| Weapons | Knife, handgun |
"Jihadi John" is a nickname given to a member of the Islamic State (IS, ISIS, or ISIL). He is known for his role as the apparent executioner in several beheading incidents in 2014.
He was given his nickname of John by a group of his hostages. They said he was part of a terrorist cell called "The Beatles", and guarded Western hostages while handling communications with their families.[2] His nickname was based on John Lennon of the British rock group the Beatles, with other members of the cell known as "George" and "Ringo", after Beatles George Harrison and Ringo Starr, as the cell members all had British accents.[3] The nickname of "Jihadi John" was created by the British press.[4][5]
Jihadi John was identified by the FBI on 25 September 2014, though his name has yet to be released publicly.[6] British Prime Minister David Cameron has ordered MI5, MI6 and GCHQ to track and capture Jihadi John.[7][8][9]
Killings
Unknown Syrian soldier
In a video posted on Instagram in May 2014, a man who investigators believe may be Jihadi John is seen killing a Syrian soldier. The video shows a soldier loyal to President Bashar al-Assad crouching in a field in Syria, then being shot in the back of the head by a man armed with a pistol.[10]
James Foley
In a video uploaded to YouTube on 19 August 2014, Foley read a prepared statement criticizing the United States, the recent air strikes in Iraq, and his brother who serves in the United States Air Force.[11] Jihadi John, wearing a mask, also read a prepared statement in which he criticized America and President Barack Obama and made demands to cease the 2014 American intervention in Iraq.[11] The masked man then beheaded Foley off-camera, after which he threatened to behead Steven Sotloff if his demands were not met. The FBI and United States National Security Council confirmed that the video, which included footage of Foley's beheaded corpse, was genuine.[11]
Steven Sotloff
On 2 September 2014, a video was released reportedly showing American journalist Steven Sotloff's beheading by Jihadi John.[12] The White House confirmed the video's authenticity.[13]
David Haines
On 13 September 2014, a video, directed at British Prime Minister David Cameron, was released, showing British hostage aid worker David Haines being beheaded by Jihadi John.[14]
Alan Henning
On 3 October 2014, a video released by IS showing Jihadi John beheading British aid worker Alan Henning. Henning, a taxicab driver from Salford, Greater Manchester, had volunteered to deliver aid to Syria when he was kidnapped in Ad Dana, an area held by IS, on 27 December 2013.[15][16]
Analysis of videos
Official analysis
Officially the FBI and United States National Security Council confirmed that the videos, which ended with footage of beheaded corpses, are genuine.[11] David Cameron and the British Foreign Office also confirmed the authenticity of the video showing the death of David Haines.[17]
The videos were produced and distributed by Al Hayat Media Center, a media outlet of IS that is under the authority of the IS's official propaganda arm, the Al-Itisam Establishment for Media Production, that targets specifically Western and non-Arabic speaking audiences.[18]
Unofficial analysis
An unnamed forensics expert commissioned by The Times to look at the video said "I think it has been staged. My feeling is that the murder may have happened after the camera was stopped." The Times concluded that "No one is questioning that the photojournalist was beheaded, but camera trickery and slick post-production techniques appear to have been used."[19] Two unnamed video specialists in the International Business Times of Australia claimed that portions of the video appeared to be staged and edited.[20] Dr. James Alvarez, a British-American hostage negotiator, also claimed the video was "expertly staged".[11] Jeff Smith, Associate Director of the CU Denver National Center for Media Forensics said “What’s most interesting is that the actual beheading that takes place in the videos, both of them are staged,”[21]
British analyst Eliot Higgins (Brown Moses) published photographic and video forensic evidence suggesting that the video was taken at a spot in the hills south of the Syrian city of Raqqa.[22][23][24]
Other hostages
Jihadi John has claimed that there are more than 20 hostages remaining.[25] Many hostage families have chosen not to reveal their relatives' names in order to avoid drawing attention to them and compromising their safety.[26]
Identification and manhunt
Jihadi John became the subject of a manhunt by the FBI, MI5 and Scotland Yard.[27][28][29] In his videos, Jihadi John conceals his identity by covering himself from head to toe in black, except for tan desert boots, with a mask that only leaves his eyes visible.[27] Despite this, several facts about Jihadi John can be ascertained from both videos. He speaks with a "Multicultural London English" accent[27] and appears to have a skin tone consistent with African or South Asian descent.[11] In both videos, he is seen to sport a pistol in a leather shoulder holster under his left shoulder, typical of right-handed people,[30] but his actions in the videos have led him to be widely considered to be left-handed.[31]
Other factors that could lead to his identification are his height, general physique, the pattern of veins on the back of his hands,[11] his voice and clothes.[11][27] A team of analysts might use the topography of the landscape in the video in an attempt to identify the location.[11] On 24 August 2014, the British Ambassador to Washington, Sir Peter Westmacott, said that Britain was very close to identifying Jihadi John using sophisticated voice recognition technology,[32] but when pressed, refused to disclose any other details.[33]
In an article by The Daily Telegraph, it was stated that even if Jihadi John is positively identified, it is highly unlikely that he would face justice in the UK due to the nature of the conflict in Syria and the conflict in Iraq.
On 20 September 2014, the US Senate approved a $10 million bounty for information that leads to the capture of anyone involved in the murders of James Foley, Steven Sotloff and David Cawthorne Haines, which includes Jihadi John.[34][35]
Possible identity
On 14 September British Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed that Jihadi John's identity was known but had yet to be revealed.[36]
On 25 September, FBI director James Comey told reporters that they had identified the suspect, but did not give information regarding the man's identity or nationality.[37] "I believe that we have identified him. I'm not going to tell you who I believe it is," Comey stated.[38] Michael Ryan, an author and scholar from the Middle East Institute speculated “Maybe 98 percent of 95 percent sure is not sure enough to put a man’s name out.”[37]
Reactions
Barack Obama condemned the actions of Jihadi John and vowed punishment for all the militants responsible behind the videotaped beheadings.[39] Secretary of State John Kerry also called Jihadi John a "coward behind a mask" and, echoing Obama, stated that all those responsible would be held accountable by the United States.[39] British officials have also reiterated their commitment to capturing Jihadi John. Admiral Alan West, a former UK Security Minister, said that he is a "dead man walking" who will be "hunted down like Osama Bin-Laden".[40] David Cameron also stated that he was absolutely certain that Jihadi John would "one way or another, face justice", he also condemned the actions.[41][42] Other figures like Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, and Secretary General of Interpol Ronald Noble also stated that Jihadi John should be brought to justice.[43]
Ringo Starr, a member of the Beatles, expressed disgust that the militant cell were given nicknames based on members of the band. Speaking to the Evening Standard, he said "It’s bullshit. What they are doing out there is against everything the Beatles stood for."[44]
See also
References
- ^ Simpson, John; Gardham, Duncan; Haynes, Deborah (21 August 2014). "The hunt for British jihadist 'Jailer John'". thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- ^ "Hunt for "Jihadi John" continues". DailyMail. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ^ Levy, Megan (5 August 2014). "How London rapper L Jinny became Jihadi John, suspected of beheading James Foley". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ^ "'Jihadi John', fears for Gazza and GCSE 'ghost of Gove' in headlines". BBC News. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ McCoy, Terrence (22 August 2014). "The brutality of 'Jihadi John,' the Islamic State militant who decapitated James Foley". Washington Post. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ "FBI: US identifies masked militant in beheading videos". BBC. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ^ "British Prime Minister David Cameron orders spy chiefs to hunt down 'Jihadi John'". The Times of India. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ "British PM David Cameron orders spy chiefs to hunt down 'Jihadi John'". Economic Times. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ "David Cameron pledges to defeat 'ruthless, senseless and barbaric' Isil killers". Patrick Sawer, Tim Ross. The Telegraph. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ "James Foley's Murderer May Have Been Spotted In Another Brutal Execution Video". Telegraph. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Rayner, Gordon (20 August 2014). "Video clues that could unmask James Foley's murderer". Telegraph. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- ^ Paul Lewis (2 September 2014). "Isis video purports to show execution of US journalist Steven Sotloff". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
- ^ Joshua Rhett Miller/AP (September 3, 2014). "White House confirms authenticity of ISIS video showing beheading of reporter". Fox News. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
- ^ "ISIS executes British aid worker David Haines; Cameron vows justice". CNN. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ^ "BBC News - World reacts to IS video showing apparent killing of Alan Henning". BBC News. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ^ [1]
- ^ CThe Associated Press (14 September 2014). "David Haines beheading: British PM vows to 'hunt down those responsible'". CBC.
- ^ Christoph Günther (20 August 2014). "Der 'Islamische Staat' agiert hochgradig rational". Deutsche Welle.
- ^ Deborah Haynes (25 August 2014). "Foley video with Briton was staged, experts say". The Times. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ "James Foley Beheading Video Has Play-Acting Portions – Video Experts Say". International Business Times of Australia. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Media Forensics Experts Analyzing ISIS Video In Denver « CBS Denver". Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "France 24: Exécution de James Foley: la traque de "Jihadi John" est lancée". France 24. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ "Bellingcat: The Hills of Raqqa – Geolocating the James Foley Video". Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ ""Is this where James Foley was killed?"". CNN Video. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ Chulov, Martin (20 August 2014). "Islamic State militants seize four more foreign hostages in Syria". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- ^ Julie Pace (September 3, 2014). "Obama says beheading videos won't intimidate US". Yahoo News!. AP. Retrieved September 3, 2014. Quote: "one [hostage] is a 26-year-old woman who was kidnapped while doing humanitarian aid work in Syria, according to a family representative who asked that the hostage not be identified out of fear for her safety."
- ^ a b c d Nick Allen and Philip Sherwell (20 August 2014). "Hunt for 'British' Islamic State killer of US journalist James Foley". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
- ^ Sparrow, Andrew (20 August 2014). "PM returns from holiday after video shows US reporter beheaded by Briton". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
- ^ "Uncovering James Foley's killer". The National (CBC). 21 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ^ Gordon Rayner, Alastair Beach, Martin Evans, Philip Sherwell (20 August 2014). "Hunt is on for ISIS terrorist: Video yields clues to identity of American journalist's left-handed executioner". The National Post. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Joshua Rhett Miller (3 September 2014). "White House confirms authenticity of ISIS video showing beheading of reporter". Fox News. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ Sherwell, Philip (24 Augusr 2014). "Britain 'very close' to identifying 'Jihadi John' – suspected killer of James Foley – says ambassador". Telegraph. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Almasy, Steve (26 August 2014). "Britain close to identifying James Foley's killer, ambassador says". CNN. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
- ^ "US Senate Approves $10m Bounty for James Foley and Steven Sotloff Isis Killers". 20 Sep 2014. Retrieved 22 Sep 2014.
- ^ Dassanayake, Dion (20 Sep 2014). "'Their deaths will not go unpunished': US pledges £6m bounty on IS executioner Jihadi John". Retrieved 22 Sep 2014.
- ^ "The British connection to ISIS beheadings". CNN. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
- ^ a b Crompton, Paul (26 September 2014). "FBI: U.S. identifies ISIS hostage executioner". Al Arabiya. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
- ^ Winter, Michael (25 September 2014). "FBI chief: ISIL militant in beheading videos identified". USA Today. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
- ^ a b "Log In – The New York Times". Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ "Jihadi John is 'dead man walking', says former security minister – Telegraph". Telegraph.co.uk. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ "David Cameron 'absolutely certain Jihadi John will be caught' – Telegraph". Telegraph.co.uk. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ "Alan Henning murder: David Cameron vows to defeat Isis". The Guardian. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
- ^ Whitehead, Tom (16 September 2014). "Jihadi John known to MI5 but may never be brought to justice". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ Watts, Matt (4 September 2014). "Ringo Starr takes on IS over Beatles nickname: 'It's bulls**t... We stood for peace and love'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 17 September 2014.