A Second Message to America

A Second Message to America is an undated beheading video published by the Islamic State (ISIL, ISIS, IS) media department Al-Furqan Media Productions.

Synopsis

The video opens with a news clip of a press conference showing American President Barack Obama giving his response to journalist James Foley's execution. Next is a title screen saying "A Second Message to America". Then Sotloff appears with a desert background, kneeling with his hands behind his back and wearing an orange jumpsuit and a wireless microphone, and to his right is a figure dressed head-to-toe in back holding a knife in his left hand and wearing a pistol in a holster. Then Sotloff says in a rehearsed manner:

I am Steven Joel Sotloff. I'm sure you know exactly who I am by now and why I am appearing before you. And now this time for my message:

Obama, your foreign policy of intervention in Iraq was supposed to be for the preservation of American lives and interests, so why is it that I am paying the price of your interference with my life. Am I not an American citizen? You've spent billions of U.S. tax payers dollars and we've lost thousands of our troops in our previous fighting against the Islamic State, so where is the people's interest in reigniting this war?

From what little I know about foreign policy, I remember a time you could not win an election without promising to bring our troops back home from Iraq and Afghanistan and to close down Guantanamo. Here you are now, Obama, nearing the end of your term, and having achieving none of the above, and deceivingly marching us the American people in the blazing fire.

Next the executioner says while waving the knife at the camera:

I'm back, Obama, and I'm back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State, because of your insistence on continuing your bombings and [unclear] on Mosul Dam, despite our serious warnings. You, Obama, have but to gain from your actions but another American citizen. So just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people...[points knife at Sotloff's neck] We take this opportunity to warn those governments that enter this evil alliance of America against the Islamic State to back off and leave our people alone!

The executioner then puts his right hand on Sotloff's chin and the knife to his throat and begins a sawing motion while Sotloff flinches then falls back. The video fades to black without showing any blood. Next the camera pans left to right as it shows Sotloff's body on the ground with his bloody head on top of headless body.

The next scene shows the same executioner holding the shirt of British orange jump-suited captive saying "We take this opportunity to warn those governments that enter this evil alliance of America against the Islamic State to back off and leave our people alone."

See also

• 2014 American intervention in Iraq
• 2014 ISIL beheading incidents
• Beheading in Islamism
• Foreign hostages in Iraq
• James Foley (journalist)
• Steven Sotloff