Islamists Reportedly Kill New Hampshire Journalist

A Granite State photojournalist, missing since November 2012 in Syria, has reportedly been beheaded by the Islamic State (formerly ISIS), according to The Huffington Post.

Press reports stated that video and photos of James Foley of Rochester being murdered were posted on YouTube earlier today. He had been covering the civil war in Syria as a freelancer for Global Post.

“This is James Wright Foley, an American citizen of your country,” an Islamic State militant said in the video, which has since been taken offline. “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 murder comes just days after President Barack Obama ordered bombings against the militant group in Iraq and relief supplies to some of the group’s targets.

A post on the Find James Foley Facebook site earlier today stated that they couldn’t confirm the report but were trying to.

“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.”

Foley went missing in November 2012. A webpage and Facebook site were set up about a month later, trying to find out where he was being held and raise awareness about his captivity.

Read the full report on The Huffington Post.

Photo by Alice Martins.

Updated: 10:03 p.m. on Aug. 19

U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, D-NH, released the following statement after reading the statement from James Foley’s mother:

“My thoughts and prayers are with the Foley family at this terrible time. I remember Jim Foley as a child and I will not allow evil to change the way I remember him. I will always choose to remember his goodness, his life, and his great family.”

Updated: 10:22 p.m. on Aug. 19

Gov. Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter, issued the following statement on the tragic death of Granite Stater James Foley:

“A talented and fearless photojournalist, James Foley brought us images that connected us to events across the globe, illuminating stories of both heartache and hope and helping us better understand the world we all share. The appalling actions of ISIS are a crime against humanity and the values that we all hold dear. I join all Granite Staters and people around the world in mourning the tragic loss of James Foley, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.”

Former U.S. Scott Brown, R-NH, issued the following statement on the brutal execution of New Hampshire photojournalist James Foley:

“If anyone needed further evidence of the utter inhumanity of Islamic terrorism, this is it. ISIS is pure evil, and they must be stopped.”

Updated: 10:59 p.m. on Aug. 19

This evening, U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, NH-02, released the following statement regarding the death of New Hampshire journalist James Foley:

“Words cannot express the horror of this vile act, which was committed by truly evil individuals who must be brought to justice. As a mother, I cannot imagine what Mr. Foley’s family must be going through, and my thoughts and prayers are with them during this incredibly difficult time.”

Update: 10:07 a.m. on Aug. 20

On being advised of the apparent murder of journalist and Rochester native James Foley by Islamic State insurgents, the Most Reverend Peter A. Libasci, Bishop of Manchester, made the following statement:

“The brutality of this act is itself evidence of an unspeakable evil that is rampant and inhuman. To the prayers that have been offered since his captivity almost two years ago, we now add our prayers for James’s eternal rest and, in Christ Jesus Our Lord, James’s future resurrection to eternal life. Our prayers also must accompany a sorrowful mother, a grieving father, a deeply pained family and countless friends who have kept vigil all this time. May we also pray for those who have embraced the way of darkness and death, that they may turn away from this terrible evil now and forever.”