The terrorist group known as ISIS has released another video featuring a Western hostage — but unlike the gruesome beheadings previously filmed by the group, this video has a very different message.
JOHN CANTLIE ON SKY NEWS: "I'm going to show you the truth behind the systems and motivation of the Islamic State, and how the Western media — the very organization I used to work for — can twist and manipulate that truth."
British journalist John Cantlie, who was captured while on assignment in Syria in 2012, is shown in the video reciting ISIS propaganda. His speech blasts the U.S. and U.K. for refusing to negotiate with ISIS for the release of hostages. (Video via LiveLeak / Level11)
This latest video follows three previous ISIS videos, which showed the beheadings of two Americans and one British captive. The group has also threatened to execute another British hostage, aid worker Alan Henning.
Cantlie appears in the same orange jumpsuit worn by the murdered hostages, but that's where the similarities between the videos end. The captured journalist is positioned behind a desk like a mock news anchor — and he promises to release more videos revealing the so-called "truth" behind ISIS.
A veteran journalist of 20 years, Cantlie has reported from warzones like Iraq and Afghanistan. He's been abducted twice while covering the Syrian conflict — the first time in July 2012, just a few months before the second. (Video via The Telegraph)
In the first abduction, Cantlie was held by Islamic extremists for several days. He was shot in the arm during an escape attempt before being rescued by Free Syria Army troops.
CANTLIE ON ITV: "We were handcuffed to them, we were blindfolded, and we were told that we should prepare to meet our maker. And at that point, we decided 'This isn't going so well.'"
Multiple analysts say this latest video shows ISIS is adapting a different approach towards propaganda targeted at Westerners.
FOX NEWS:"This also suggests that ISIS is making a shift in its media strategy away from the execution videos, and now almost to a series of lectures where they're trying to speak directly to the American people."
BBC: "This is, I think, essentially trying to cut out the middleman, cut out the media, and say this is a direct address through the Internet to the British public ... essentially saying, 'There's another story, you're not getting it, and we're going to tell it to you.'"
The British government has yet to release a statement on the latest video, but Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond did say his department will look "very closely" at any material released by ISIS.
This video includes an image from Futurenet1977 / CC BY SA 3.0.
