In breaking news this morning, a US photojournalist has reportedly been beheaded by ISIS militants.
Unconfirmed footage and photos of the moment James Wright Foley was killed has been uploaded to Twitter in what is reportedly a message to US president Barack Obama to stop intervening in Iraq.
In the video, titled ‘A message to America’, Foley says “I call on my friends, family members and loved ones to rise up against my real killers, the U.S. government.'”
Forty-year-old Wright Foley was a freelance journalist and experienced war reporter who was kidnapped in Syria in November 2012.
The Free James Foley Facebook page posted a message this morning that says:
“We know that many of you are looking for confirmation or answers. Please be patient until we all have more information and keep the Foleys in your thoughts and prayers.”
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said today he had not seen the video, but was was sickened by the reports.
“It’s absolutely sickening, absolutely despicable,” he said, speaking on Brisbane’s 4BC radio.
“It’s a sign that there can be no compromise whatsoever with the murderous terrorists of the ISIL movment,” he said.
“This is as near to pure evil as we are ever likely to see.”
More to come.
Top Comments
Tony Abbott says that "[t]his is as near to pure evil as we are ever likely to see" ... I'd say worse is knowing that people are being killed / brutalised by these monsters and refusing to grant them asylum for the sake of popularity.
But we are granting them asylum. We announced 4000 places for people WE identified and WE have deemed to be suitable and compatible . If you are referring to illegal asylum seekers who are selected by people smugglers, than yes, we are stopping those. I don't know if you noticed but a few of them returned home with their children for a hair raising experience.
Disgraceful comment Monica, there is ABSOLUTELY no comparison to the deliberate slaughter, rape, and live be-headings of innocent people and the politics of Australia. Shame on you for using the murder of this man for such a purpose!
What do you suppose people that are seeking asylum are fleeing from? Bad weather?? The very definition of a refugee is "any person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, memberships of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his/her nationality and is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of that country."
Given that "persecution" includes imprisonment, being held incommunicado, torture (including systematic rape) and death, knowingly sending people back is DIRECTLY comparable.
Tony Abbott loves the issue of "boat people" and putting it down to being about 'people smuggling' - and yet, something like 95% of these people are found to be genuine refugees ... meaning they fit this exact criteria of persecution and these are the risks many of them face - beheading? Maybe. Some other kind of death that's not as high profile - e.g. being lined up and shot? Throats slit? Stoned? Entirely possible. But because many of these people aren't westerners and we've been sold the story so convincingly that they're "illegal", we don't care. And here's the kicker - seeking asylum isn't illegal - it's a basic human right and it should NEVER have been an issue to win votes. This is the reality ... politics needs to be taken out of issues of human rights issues - which is exactly my point. Our PM put it IN when he used it as a platform to win votes... and frankly, I find THAT evil.
And my "purpose"?! I'm saddened for this man's family. I'm saddened for all the families out there that are subject to people like this.
Nope not not good enough, the kidnapping, torture and subsequent murder of an innocent American journalist by 'these monsters' is not related to our boarder policy's. The murder of this man is an inappropriate platform for your accusations, furthermore comparing the actions of any Australian government to the genocide being attempted by isis is misguided at best.
We need to stop these types of people entering Australia, and kick those who support this evil terrorist group out!