08/19/2014

James Foley, an American journalist who went missing in Syria more than a year ago, has been executed by the Islamic State, a militant group formerly known as ISIS.

A video and photos of Foley emerged on Tuesday. The video -- entitled "A Message to #America (from the #IslamicState)" -- identified a man on his knees as "James Wright Foley," and showed his beheading.

"This is James Wright Foley, an American citizen of your country," an Islamic State militant says in the video. "As a government, you have been at the forefront of the aggression towards the Islamic State. You have plotted against us and have gone far out of your way to find reasons to interfere in our affairs. Today, your military air force is attacking us daily in Iraq, your strikes have caused casualties among Muslims."

The video also shows another man on his knees who is identified as American journalist Steven Sotloff. The Islamic State member says that Sotloff's future "depends" on President Obama's "next decision." Sotloff, a freelance journalist, went missing in Syria in August 2013.