UPDATE: Sotloff has been murdered in a filmed execution.
Original story below
Steven Sotloff is the other U.S. journalist shown in the James Foley execution video. In the last moments of the horrifying footage, the executioner says: “The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision.”
On last reports, Sotloff was being held in Raqqa, Syria. His family were aware that he had been kidnapped but, heeding advice, did not want it to be public.
Here’s what you need to know about Sotloff:
1. Sotloff Is a Nationally Recognized Journalist
Sotloff is a renowned journalist who has worked for Time Magazine, among other outlets, and been a guest on CNN and Fox News. He apparently filed his last piece for Time on November 26, 2012. The piece was about “Libya’s New Crisis.”
2. He Has Been Missing for 12 Months
How much of an impact with big man #GregOden have with #MiamiHeat next season?
— Steven Sotloff (@stevensotloff) August 3, 2013
Sotloff had been missing, believed kidnapped since August 4, when he was taken in Aleppo, Syria. Sotloff, a Miami native, sent his last tweet on August 3, 2013. His second to last tweet was more relevant to conflicts in the region:
Hannibal Lecter wannabe Abu Sakkar killed by the Syrian regime today pic.twitter.com/xfAqEb99fW
— Steven Sotloff (@stevensotloff) July 31, 2013
A White House petition has been set up to try to force President Obama to do everything in his power to free Sotloff.
3. He’s a UCF Graduate
Is it bad that I want to focus on #syria, but all I can think of is a #HEATFinals repeat?
— Steven Sotloff (@stevensotloff) June 12, 2013
According to his LinkedIn page, Sotloff is a graduate of the University of Central Florida. He refers to his job as “Traveling Man.” On his Twitter page, Sotloff frequently tweeted about his beloved Miami Heat.
Liking how #KingJames & #MiamiHeat shutting up Cleveland
— Steven Sotloff (@stevensotloff) March 21, 2013
On August 7, 2013, just days after Sotloff was taken, his sister, Lauren, posted this on Facebook:
4. Sotloff Was Based in Libya & ‘Deeply Loved the Islamic World’
His social media posts were largely about the locals and scenery he encountered while working in Libya.
This photo was posted on Steve Sotloff’s Facebook page.
On his Facebook page, Sotloff wrote that he was living in Benghazi. A friend of Sotloff’s, Anne Marloe, wrote on Twitter that he lived in Yemen for years and that he “spoke good Arabic, deeply loved the Islamic world.”
5. The NSC Has Reacted to the Video
The National Security Council, reacting to the Foley video, said:
We have seen a video that purports to be the murder of US citizen James Foley by ISIL. The intelligence community is working as quickly as possible to determine its authenticity. If genuine, we are appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American journalist and we express our deepest condolences to his family and friends. We will provide more information when it is available.
54 Comments
54 Comments
This video is such a poor hoax it’s ridiculous. He has a military grade tactical knife and saws it at the throat with ZERO BLOOD. It would take one swipe and he’d already be to the bone, and after several swipes before they conveniently fade to black, there’s nothing on the neck, shirt, or hands of the assassin………He’s entirely too calm, as well. He speaks in terms of knowing he’s destined to die, so why read off the cue cards like they want him to if he knows there’s no chance of surviving. The whole video stinks of hoax to high hell. Stupid americans eat this shit up, though. We’re fucked.
From what I read (I don’t have the stomach to watch for myself) the full, uncensored video shows that Foley was decapitated and his head placed on his body… This, coupled with the fact that ISIS is one of the most barbaric and ruthless organizations in the world, makes me believe it’s probably not a hoax. There is not much hope for Steve Sotloff, unfortunately…
Hey mister told me , why AMERICA gave weapon to those mfuckahz ? Fo Syria freedom , syria freedom.Now , they killing Iraq people , before they did with Syrians , not ASAD soldiers ,they.
Cuz of you fockin americans
English?
let him back in to England and cut him up for the pigs . a muslim is a muslim
you are a dumb cunt
Get a NEW sister!
Same reason death row inmates choose to speak prior to taking their last breath – hope. Hope never dies.
I didn’t watch the video either & I don’t know if his parents watched; but they may have “listened” to his words … and as a mother, I’m confident enough to say his mother could hear those unspoken words our ears aren’t capable of.
Another life has tragically ended too soon behind a senseless crime. It needs to just stop – REGARDLESS of nationality, the country or leaders. It’s time to just stop!
I cannot wrap my mind around the thought process of someone’s 24/7 ill minded mentality. I can’t.
And what’s the point of pointing fingers? Seriously. Is that suppose to resolve the issue? No. And it never will. The blaming & accusations is doing nothing but adding more fuel to an out of control fire, if not providing ideas that haven’t already been conjured up. It also starts arguments which creates tension amongst ourselves.
History is repeating itself. Same script, different cast. I’m done. Smh.
R.I.P. to all whose life ended bc of any/all types of criminals … xoxo
~Take your Time, slow down. Enjoy Today bc Yesterday is gone & Tomorrow is not promised ~ by C.BG
My Dad told me me many years ago to believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see. It did look phony.
This young man looks to me like he knew what was going to happen… and he was brave. Look at his face willing to put down weakness and be strong and brave in the face of such evil… and such a horrible murder. I won’t watch the vid. It’s painful to have your neck and throat cut. However… he is a brave young man and this picture of bravery in the face of evil I will remember forever.
Did you listen to what he said before he was killed? Not very brave…
You realize they must have tortured him to the point of insanity. Where they can make him say anything they wanted. And even if he refused or said what he wanted to say, they would just torture him some more and do another take.
As terrible as it sounds, he may have said what they wanted because he wanted to die and be free from the torture (he was kidnapped for an entire year).
You must fight to the END ALWAYS. You must make your captives know you will not comply when it’s your life on the line. I watched the video and believe this is a CIA PSYOP. Think and be smart my fellow Americans.
i dare you to repeat that when IS is putting a knife against _your_ throat. also when, as T already said, you were most probably tortured to no end. i’m not going to even comment your ridiculous CIA conspiracy…
LOOK AT FOLEYS EMPLOYER; NOTHING THEY MAKE REACHES ANY OUTLET OF SOCIAL MEDIA. THE QUALITY OF HIS THE ‘JOURNALISM’ VIDEOS WERE THAT NO HIGHER THAN A 17 YEAR OLD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. HIS NARRATIVE, THE VERBAL DIALOGUE CONTAINED IN THE ITEMS HE MADE WERE A ‘2’ ON A ’10’ SCALE; HE WAS A RANK AMATUER, PORTRAYED AS ‘PROFESSIONAL’ LOOK AT HIS BROTHER AND SISTER, INTERVIEWED BY COURIC, NOTHING BUT SMILES (SISTERS REACTION AND ANIMATED SMILING IS UTTERLY BIZARRE) AND ZERO SADNESS A DAY AFTER THIS VIDEO, THEIR ‘BROTHERS’ GRISLY ‘DEATH’ WAS RELEASED.
A PICTURE LITERALLY FALLS OFF THE WALL DURING THE INTERVIEW….
THE WHOLE THING IS A FARCE
Agreed my man
Let all Americans know, we need to go into Iraq and hunt down every Isis weirdo and kill every damned one of them. Or else, gun up here in the USA and be ready to try to protect ourselves here on our land cause they hate us and want us! Hell, there planted here in the USA already! I have my doubts that Mr. O cares about us here in the USA! Boy, it would sure feel good to see OUR President flex his muscle on them! I’d feel alot more secure! I am scarred crap less of ISIS! There coming for us!! Omg! I’d shoot myself first!
Anyone who thinks we should send our soldiers back to Iraq should first volunteer themselves and their children to fight and risk their lives.
your president is a muslim pig
isis is under your bed!!!
BETTER CHECK YOUR FACTS . ISIS IS THE NAME OF A LARGE PRIVATE MILITARY CONTRACTOR; LIKE BLACKWATER. PROBABLY WHY THE NAME WAS WAS QUICKLY CHANGED TO ISIL . GOOGLE IT IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBT
OPS is the name of a Tin Foil Haberdashery.
GOOGLE IT IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBT
Ok, now. Calm yourself! Shoot ISIS not yourself for cripes sakes!
Gun up just like I have for years
That’s impossible. We all know torture is not effective. Right?
I expect that you would have been bawling like a baby and soiled your pants. Show some respect and dignity if you can muster it.
you expect . u nothing about me I am irish
not very brave? i would love to see how brave you are after being held captive for over a year physically and mentally tortured, his final words to his family and loved ones being altered to what ISIS wants him to say and then beheaded. have some respect for the family that had to witness the horrific murder of their son. a good man was killed and the comment you have made is not only disrespectful but also inhumane.
Have you ever been a hostage? No? then you have no clue what you’re talking about. MAYBE they threatened to kill his fellow hostages if he didn’t follow orders. Maybe he was doing it to protect others. You weren’t there so please keep stupid comments to yourself. He’s not brave? What the have you done in your life that is so brave which puts you in a position to judge?
stupid person your not wearing his shoes are you
Are you stupid he had a gun to his head you moron
I felt the same way. I had a tears in my eyes when he was speakin. It’s amazing how he chose to be brave while talking, his last msged to everyone including his families. Imagine if he has cried, begged and weakness in the video, he’ll kno his family would see it and be more devastated, so for them I think he stood strong. I still can’t believe it. It’s too sad. If there is a god, help his family recover aND not watch the video.
LOOK AT FOLEYS EMPLOYER; NOTHING THEY MAKE REACHES ANY OUTLET OF SOCIAL MEDIA. THE QUALITY OF HIS THE ‘JOURNALISM’ VIDEOS WERE THAT NO HIGHER THAN A 17 YEAR OLD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. HIS NARRATIVE, THE VERBAL DIALOGUE CONTAINED IN THE ITEMS HE MADE WERE A ‘2’ ON A ’10’ SCALE; HE WAS A RANK AMATUER, PORTRAYED AS ‘PROFESSIONAL’ LOOK AT HIS BROTHER AND SISTER, INTERVIEWED BY COURIC, NOTHING BUT SMILES (SISTERS REACTION AND ANIMATED SMILING IS UTTERLY BIZARRE) AND ZERO SADNESS A DAY AFTER THIS VIDEO, THEIR ‘BROTHERS’ GRISLY ‘DEATH’ WAS RELEASED.
A PICTURE LITERALLY FALLS OFF THE WALL DURING THE INTERVIEW….
THE WHOLE THING IS A FARCE
Just Google OPS, it’s the name of a Tin Foil Haberdashery.
I agree Laura. Bravery in the face of evil. He’s in a better place now and I’m sure his bravery was strength thru Christ. His Bravery had to be somewhat comforting to his Mom during her worst time in life. He died honorably.