CRI听力:Video Appears to Show IS beheading 2nd American

A new video has surfaced on the internet which purports to show the beheading of a second US journalist by Islamic State militants.

CRI's Qi Zhi has more.

Video Appears to Show IS beheading 2nd American

31-year-old Steven Sotloff appears to be the latest victim.

He was abducted in northern Syria just over a year ago.

Sotloff appeared at the end of a video last month which showed the beheading of fellow American journalist James Foley.

The Obama administration says it's so far been unable to verify the authenticity of the new video.
White House spokesperson Josh Earnest.

"The United States as you know has dedicated significant time and resources to try and rescue Mr. Sotloff. I'm not in the position to confirm the authenticity of that video or the reports at this point."

Jen Psaki is a spokesperson for the US State Department.

"The intelligence community will work as quickly as possible to determine its authenticity. If the video is genuine we are sickened by this brutal act, taking the life of another innocent American citizen."

In the video, Sotloff's killer describes the act he is about to commit as retribution for US air strikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq.

The executioner appears to be the same British-accented man who appeared in the August 19th video showing the killing of James Foley.

The masked figure in the video has also issued a threat against a British hostage, a man the group names as David Haines.

The threat also warns governments to back off from what they call "the evil alliance of America against the Islamic State".

UK Prime Minister David Cameron described the apparent beheading as an "absolutely disgusting, despicable act".

The massive Sunni militant insurgency in Iraq and Syria is creating growing criticism of the Obama administration's handling of it.

Manal Omar with the US Institute of Peace in Washington says the situation poses a significant political challenge for the White House.

"You know there isn't a lot of appetite for another war. You know we, in the United States, are burned out there is Iraq fatigue, there is Afghanistan fatigue. People want their families home. People want to focus on the economy, on the health care, on the domestic issues. So there is a lot of frustration at the idea of having to enter into another war again in the Middle East, it seems endless."

The so-called Islamic State, which originated as part of the jihadist movement in Syria, has been accused of wide-spread crimes against humanity, including murders, rapes and the persecution of non-Muslims in areas it currently controls.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.