A time for war: ISIS claims beheading of American Peter Kassig

For what it’s worth, I’m getting more than a little sick and tired of having to write up these stories. ISIS is once again claiming to have brutally executed an American, this time Army Ranger Peter Kassig.

The Islamic State terror group has claimed to have beheaded American hostage Peter Kassig, an aid worker and former Army Ranger, in a graphic new video.

In the nearly 16-minute video uploaded to social networks on Sunday, a black-clad militant with his face concealed stands before a severed head that he claims is that of the U.S. aid worker. The video also showed what appeared to be the mass beheading of several captured Syrian soldiers, but did not show the beheading of the person identified as Kassig.

Unlike previous videos, there is no speech by Kassig nor any footage of him still alive. One possibility being discussed is that Kassig simply refused to spread their message of hate and assist in their propaganda war. If he was unwilling to play his part for the terrorists, they may not have wanted to show him being defiant. (Again, assuming it was even him.) If anyone was going to take such a last stand, we shouldn’t be shocked that it was a Ranger.

Another difference between this video and the previous gruesome spectacles is that the voice of the executioner was distorted, as if to disguise his identity. The video is not yet confirmed, but CNN is stating that it’s “probably” Jihadi John, but is it? His voice was clear in the previous releases. This may tie in to a second story, with an also unverified report that Jihadi John was hospitalized after being injured during a US airstrike.

Jihadi John, the Briton who beheaded two British and two American hostages held by Islamic State terrorists, has been injured in a US-led air strike, according to reports received by the Foreign Office.

The masked ‘executioner’ with a London accent is believed to have narrowly escaped death when he attended a summit of the group’s leaders in an Iraqi town close to the Syrian border last Saturday.

The meeting was targeted by American and Iraqi jets.

This newspaper has received an independent account of how Jihadi John was injured and rushed to hospital after a devastating air strike in Al Qaim, in Anbar Province, Western Iraq.

The Foreign Office spokesman added: ‘We have a number of sources of information coming in.

The strike took place a week ago, but we don’t know when the alleged Kassig killing footage was taken, so it seems thus far impossible to match the two events up and conclude whether or not it’s the ISIS spokesmodel committing the latest atrocity.

A brief side note for the President of the United States:

It is long past time to put an end to this. The Iraqi army is essentially useless. The Turks have no incentive to help us and would barely qualify as an ally at this point, if they are to be considered allies at all. Israel has the muscle to do the job, but they really can’t get involved for what should be obvious reasons. The Brits are on board and doing what they can, but David Cameron had to move Heaven and Earth just to get his divided government to go along with air strikes. They are not about to unleash an army into those deserts on their own. The rest of the EU will stay on the sidelines and, for the most part, pacify the terrorists. From your trip to Australia, you said last night that boots on the ground might be required “if ISIS acquired a nuclear weapon.” If that is a red line in the sand, it was drawn too far down the field by a huge measure.

If you look at my writing over the years, I’m about as close to an isolationist as you’re going to find. I do not believe that America is the world’s policeman. But I am equally fervent in my belief that we need to not only maintain a strong military for our own protection, but must be willing to unleash that power when directly threatened or attacked. These animals are slaughtering Americans and our allies on international TV and the time to act was months ago. I realize that the nation is weary of war and your base will be up in arms, but you signed up for this job. Twice.

Woodrow Wilson desperately wanted to avoid going to war and the nation was largely behind him in that reluctance. But when the time came, in April of 1917, he pulled up his big boy pants, went before Congress and requested a declaration of war. In that address he said, The challenge is to all mankind. Each nation must decide for itself how it will meet it. We have seen how other nations will respond and you do not have the luxury of an assembly of world leaders ready to fight at your side. You may have to lead the way onto the battlefield alone. This is the terrible, lonely responsibility of the job you sought. With luck, others will follow, but leading from behind is not an option here.

It’s time to meet ISIS on the field of battle and bring an accounting which is long past due.

• Video: Carly Fiorina on how she would fight ISIS
• Quotes of the day
• Good news: ISIS ‘showing a good degree of tactical awareness’

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