US Creeps To Decision On Islamic State Threat

Washington has crept to a decision. It's time to do something about the threat posed by the Islamic State.

There's now no lack of senior officials describing the problem.

"This is an organisation that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated," General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said.

"They are beyond just a terrorist group. They marry ideology, a sophistication of ... military prowess. They are tremendously well-funded. This is beyond anything we've seen," said his boss Chuck Hagel, the US Secretary of Defence.

But how do you solve a problem on this scale?

Militarily there may be a short term effect from intensifying American airstrikes.

Car used by IS fighters is destoyed in a US airstrike

Widening the target list of IS forces across Iraq to include vulnerable areas on the edge of the Kurdish region and around Baghdad would at least stem the tide.

It might also buy some time for specialists to re-train the Iraqi army and for the central government to form a more inclusive administration involving Sunnis who for now may be supporting the IS.

But rolling back the IS in Iraq would take a much bigger air campaign.

That would risk killing Sunnis and painting the Baghdad government as lackeys of American imperialism.

And pushing IS back in Iraq would still leave its Syrian heartland as a base from which to continue to launch attacks, as well as terror operations beyond its borders.

Red shows areas controlled by IS, yellow shows areas of fighting

"To your question, can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organisation which resides in Syria? The answer is no. That will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a non-existent border," General Dempsey said.

So airstrikes against IS in Syria may be called for - even if this risks empowering the Damascus regime.

Syria has complex air defence systems. If it did not approve of the attacks on its enemy, IS, then these would need to be destroyed to allow for an effective air campaign against the Islamic state.

A rapidly widening air war could lead to more complexities on the ground.

Amid all the talk of attacking IS, many ordinary people, voters, in the West may favour a 'leave-well-alone' policy.

With the US and UK political elite facing elections next year this view may concentrate their minds on sitting on their hands.

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US 'Ready To Take Action Against IS In Syria'

The US has said it will not be restricted by the Iraq-Syria border as it considers further action against Islamic State militants.

White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes the US stood ready to take action to protect American citizens as the group was more dangerous now than it was six months ago.

The US has already carried out airstrikes on the group - formerly known as ISIS or ISIL - in Iraq as it has sought to support government forces and Kurdish Peshmerga in their attempts to push back the jihadists.

However, it has so far steered clear of Syria, except for a brief special forces raid which attempted to rescue journalist James Foley and other American hostages.

Red shows areas controlled by IS, while yellow is areas of fighting

Mr Foley was beheaded by a member of the group - believed to be British - in a video released earlier this week. The black-clad militant said the journalist was killed in retaliation for US airstrikes.

"When you see somebody killed in such a horrific way, that represents a terrorist attack- that represents a terrorist attack against our country and against an American citizen," Mr Rhodes told reporters at the White House

He added that the US had done everything it could to rescue American hostages but would keep trying to get back those still held by the group.

The announcement that the US would consider acting in Syria came after the former head of the British Army said the West should consider negotiating with Syrian president Bashar al Assad to tackle IS.

Lord Dannatt told Sky News: "You have to at least consider the otherwise unpalatable thought that maybe we've got to have some kind of dialogue, whether it's under the counter or over the counter, with President Assad of Syria.

Journalist James Foley was beheaded on video by an IS militant

"The old dictum that my enemy's enemy is my friend just might have some credence in this less than satisfactory and pretty extraordinary set of times that we are in."

However, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond ruled out working with Mr Assad - who is accused of carrying out war crimes, including chemical attacks, during his country's three-year civil war.

He said Britain would help Kurdish and Iraqi forces with weapons and training once there was a credible government in place in Baghdad.

However, efforts to form a new government around Prime Minister-designate Haider al Abadi were dealt a major blow when Sunni politicians pulled out of talks following an attack on a mosque that killed at least 64 people and injured 60 others.

The mass killing at Friday prayers was initially blamed on Shia militia allied with the government but there have also been suggestions that IS fighters, who have been trying to recruit Sunni tribes in the area, could have staged the attack.

Kurdish Peshmerga are leading the fightback against IS in Iraq

Elsewhere, Kurdish forces have launched a major assault to try to retake the northeast Iraqi towns of Jalula and Sadiyah.

Sky's Alex Crawford, reporting from the outskirts of Jalula, said the operation was being carried out by the Kurdish military's elite counter-terrorism unit, backed up by peshmerga forces.

She said the towns, near the Iranian border and semi-autonomous Kurdish region, had been under IS control for more than two months.

"What is significant about this assault is that they (the Kurds) are doing this pretty much entirely on their own," she said.

"They've had very little air support. There is no evidence of any outside weaponry, military hardware to back them up."

Although US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has warned that IS is the most dangerous threat faced by America for years, the FBI on Friday said there were no specific or credible threats that the group was planning an attack on US soil.

An intelligence bulletin, issued to state and local law enforcement, said officials were concerned though that IS supporters could attack overseas targets with little warning.

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Mosque Massacre Undermines Anti-IS Drive

A sectarian attack at a mosque in Iraq has killed at least 68 Sunni Muslims, plunging efforts to form a united front against jihadists into crisis.

Officials say a suicide bomber blew himself up in the mosque north of Baghdad, with Shia militiamen picking off fleeing worshippers with machine guns.

Attacks on mosques are acutely sensitive and have in the past unleashed a deadly series of revenge killings and counter attacks in Iraq.

PM designate Haider al Abadi is trying to form a more inclusive government

The latest attack, in Diyala province, is seen as a blow to government efforts to secure backing from Sunni groups in its battle against Islamic State (IS) extremists.

Prime Minister designate Haider al Abadi, a moderate Shia, is attempting to form a more inclusive government following the resignation of outgoing PM Nouri al Maliki.

But two influential Sunni politicians - Parliamentary Speaker Salim al Jabouri and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al Mutlak - have now pulled out of talks with the main Shia political alliance after the massacre.

Member of Parliament Nahida al Dayani, who is from Diyala, said about 150 worshippers were at Imam Wais mosque when the militiamen arrived.

Diyala has seen heavy fighting between Iraqi troops and IS. File pic

"Sectarian militias entered and opened fire at worshippers. Most mosques have no security," she told Reuters.

The attack came as thousands of Peshmerga and counter-terrorism soldiers continued to battle Islamic militants around the nearby towns of Jalula and Sadiyah.

Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay said the Peshmerga fighters were desperately in need of weapons and were effectively in "lockdown". 

"Peshmerga frontline positions are regularly hit from far away. There are scorch marks and burning patches everywhere," Ramsay said.

Peshmerga are fighting to gain territory from militants north of Baghdad

The extremist group pushed Kurdish forces out of the town of Jalula earlier this month after heavy fighting and the Peshmerga troops are trying to reclaim territory.

Meanwhile, the US, which is carrying out airstrikes against militants, ramped up its rhetoric over the beheading of journalist James Foley.

In Washington, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said the murder "represents a terrorist attack against our country".

He said the US would not be restricted by the Iraq-Syria border when it considers further action against Islamic State militants.

The US says the killing of James Foley was a "terrorist attack" on America

Elsewhere, in the northern city of Mosul, Islamic State militants stoned a man to death after one of its self-appointed courts sentenced him for adultery, witnesses said.

The stoning was the first known instance of the punishment by Islamic State militants in Iraq since it seized large areas of the country in a June offensive.

Having poured in from Syria across a desert border that it does not recognise, the movement has declared its own caliphate.

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Final Email From James Foley's Killers Revealed

The family of James Foley have released the final email sent by his kidnappers telling them he would be killed - just days before the video of his murder emerged.

In the email, received by the family on August 12, the Islamic State militant group said: "You do not spare our weak, elderly, women or children so we will not spare yours!

"You and your citizens will pay the price of your bombings! The first of which being the blood of the American citizen, James Foley!

"He will be executed as a direct result of your transgressions towards us!"

James Foley resting in a room at the airport of Sirte, Libya in 2011

In the message, IS claimed it had given the US "many chances to negotiate the release of your people via cash transactions as other governments have accepted".

However, Mr Foley's family said this was not true.

They say the first message they received from his captors was in November 2013, more than a year after he went missing in Syria.

In the email they demanded money.

After the militants proved to the family and investigators they were holding the 40-year-old, they made a ransom demand of £80m ($132.5m).

John and Diane Foley, the parents of James Foley

The next time the family heard from the captors was on August 12.

GlobalPost, one of the news organisations Mr Foley worked for, said it chose to publish the message in full "in the interest of transparency and to fully tell Jim's story".

"We believe the text offers insight into the motivations and tactics of the Islamic State."

In the email, the kidnappers explain their wish for US-educated, Pakistani-born scientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui to be released.

James Foley working in Syria in 2012. Pic: Manu Brabo

Dr Siddiqui was found with documents on chemical weapons, dirty bombs and viruses upon her arrest in Afghanistan in 2008. She is serving 86 years in a US jail.

On Thursday, Pope Francis called Mr Foley's parents to express his condolences and assuring them of his prayers, the Vatican said.

As efforts continue to track down Mr Foley's killer, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the threat posed by IS is "beyond anything we have seen".

The group said it beheaded the journalist in retaliation for US airstrikes in Iraq aimed at reversing the sweeping gains made by IS this summer.

US Attorney General Eric Holder said a criminal investigation has been launched into Mr Foley's murder.

Counter-terrorism police in the UK have already begun efforts to identify the black-clad man seen in the video beheading Mr Foley.

Although his face is covered, he speaks with an English, possibly London, accent.

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Russian Aid Convoy Starts Crossing Into Ukraine

Several trucks carrying Russian aid have been allowed to enter eastern Ukraine after being held at a border crossing for a week.

Russia has been is trying to send a 280-lorry relief convoy to help civilians caught up in the fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists.

Ukraine has been reluctant to let the convoy through over fears it is carrying supplies for the rebels, despite Moscow's insistence the goods were simply humanitarian aid.

Ukraine insisted the aid convoy entered under the auspices of the Red Cross

The transit comes as the Ukrainian president said he would tell Russia's Vladimir Putin to rein in pro-Moscow separatists, when the two leaders meet next week.

Petro Poroshenko said he would tell President Putin that Ukraine had "a strong country, a strong army" behind him.

President Poroshenko is due to meet Russia's leader next week

He said: "In order to have solid positions in peace negotiations, we have to be strong, to have the unity of the people, a strong country, a strong army."

"We are capable of defending our sovereignty, our independence and our territorial integrity - we are fighting for the independence of Ukraine. Together we will win for sure."

Mr Poroshenko spoke as government forces, despite taking heavy losses themselves, thrust deeper into rebel-held eastern territory, putting pressure on separatists.

Ukraine said it captured two Russian armoured vehicles

After a faltering start in April, government forces' success has alarmed some Western leaders who believe Mr Putin is being boxed in a corner.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to visit Kiev on Saturday in support for Mr Poroshenko, however diplomatic sources said she will also push Ukraine for a ceasefire to prevent a Putin backlash.

Fierce fighting has continued in the East, with 16 Ukrainian special forces troops killed in fighting on Wednesday night in the town of Ilovaisk, near Donetsk.

Sources said Germany's Angela Merkel would push for a ceasefire

Suspicion still surrounds the motives of the Russian convoy, which left a depot near Moscow more than a week ago, and claimed by opponents to being a 'Trojan horse'.

Ukrainian officials have also claimed they have discovered Russian military vehicles operating inside its borders.

The 280-truck convoy departed from near Moscow more than seven days ago

On Thursday, security spokesman Andriy Lysenko said: "Ukrainian soldiers captured two armoured vehicles of Russia's Pskov Airbourne division in a battle near Luhansk.

"One of the vehicles had a full set of documents, from driver's licences to military documents."

Russia immediately rejected allegations that it had sent vehicles into Ukraine.

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Major Operation To Retake IS-Held Towns In Iraq

Kurdish forces have started a major assault to try to retake the northeast Iraqi towns of Jalula and Sa'dya from Islamic State (IS) militants.

It comes as US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the threat posed by IS extremists, who have seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq, was "beyond anything we've seen".

The group, which beheaded American journalist James Foley in response to US airstrikes in Iraq, was "beyond just a terrorist group", Mr Hagel said.

A Kurdish peshmerga fighter

"They marry ideology, a sophistication of … military prowess," he added.

Sky's Alex Crawford, reporting from the outskirts of Jalula, said the operation was being carried out by the Kurdish military's elite counter-terrorism unit, backed up by peshmerga forces.

James Foley in Libya in 2011

She said the towns, near the Iranian border and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, had been under the control of IS insurgents for more than two months.

The Kurdish forces have already taken back a major checkpoint, which the Sunni militants had controlled.

Alex Crawford said: "What is significant about this assault is that they (the Kurds) are doing this pretty much entirely on their own.

"They've had very little air support. There is no evidence of any outside weaponry, military hardware to back them up."

A rough outline of the caliphate declared by IS militants

Meanwhile, US airstrikes in Syria - where Mr Foley disappeared in November 2012 - have not been ruled out.

When asked about that possibility, Mr Hagel said Washington was "exploring all options".

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, also did not discount attacks on IS fighters in Syria.

Militants vowed to attack US targets in another video clip

"This is an organisation that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated," he said at a briefing.

"To your question, can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organisation which resides in Syria? The answer is no.

"That will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a non-existent border."

The fighter who killed James Foley

IS, which was formerly known as ISIS, declared an Islamic state, or caliphate, covering large parts of the two countries earlier this year.

Michael Scheuer, a former CIA senior officer who ran operations against al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has told Sky News defeating IS will require an "enormous" number of Western troops on the ground which would mean an "enormous bloodbath".

He said: "It's a greatly bigger problem than we've seen before, it's better armed, it's better led and certainly more vicious than al Qaeda was in the initial years."

US President Barack Obama has insisted the scope of the US strikes will remain limited, while Prime Minister David Cameron has said Britain will not fight another war in Iraq.

A criminal investigation has now been opened into Mr Foley's murder, which was recorded by the militants in a video that emerged earlier this week.

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Foley Family Sent Email Threat By IS Kidnappers

A "rage-filled" email was sent to the family of murdered US journalist James Foley days before his death, it has emerged.

The email stated the kidnappers were furious at US airstrikes against Islamic State militants and implied the journalist would die in revenge.

The "vitriolic" threat was revealed by Mr Foley's media employers amid claims the kidnappers had initially requested "multi-million-dollar ransom for his release".

The New York Times made the claim after speaking to a representative of Mr Foley's family and a former hostage held alongside him.

It has been claimed IS demanded a multi-million dollar ransom for Mr Foley

Referring to the email, Philip Balboni, President of the Global Post news website, said the organisation responded by "pleading with them for mercy".

"On Wednesday night last week the Foley family received an email from the kidnappers that was full of rage against the United States bombing and they stated that they would execute Jim.

 "Obviously, we hoped and prayed that that would not be the case.

"We communicated as quickly as we could, with the captors; pleaded with them for mercy.

"The message was vitriolic and filled with rage against the United States. It was deadly serious."

John and Diane Foley said their son in 'now in heaven'

Mr Balboni said the Global Post spent millions of dollars on efforts to bring Mr Foley home, including hiring experts from an international security firm.

Mr Foley's parents have not spoken about attempts to rescue their son, who was held captive for two years before he was beheaded, but in an emotional statement said they knew he was now "in heaven". 

John Foley, standing next to his wife Diane at their home in Rochester, New Hampshire, said: "It's difficult to find solace at this point in time, but Jim is free. We know he's in God's hands and ... we know he's in heaven.

"We're so proud of him. We have to be happy for him. We need the courage and the prayers to continue without him, because he was an inspiration for us and for so many others.

"We miss his courage and his love and his determination. His laugh. His smile."

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Gaza Airstrike Kills Senior Hamas Commanders

Three senior Hamas military commanders have been killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian group said.

It has named the men as Mohammed Abu Shammala, Raed al Attar and Mohammed Barhoum, saying they died along with three other people overnight.

The commanders were all killed in the bombing of a house in the southern town of Rafah, one of 20 airstrikes the Israeli military said it carried out after midnight local time on Wednesday.

Israel's security agency Shin Bet confirmed the deaths of Mr Shamaleh and Mr al Attar in an email to Associated Press, but made no mention of Mr Barhoum.

The aftermath of the airstrike that failed to kill Mohammed Deif

Palestinian health official Ashraf al Kidra said "dozens" of people were still missing, believed to be trapped in the rubble of the four-storey building hit in the Rafah airstrike.

The Hamas deaths came after Israel apparently unsuccessfully targeted Hamas's top military commander, Mohammed Deif, on Tuesday. Instead, his wife and seven-month-old son were killed.

Palestinian officials say more than 2,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since Israel began its latest offensive in response to rocket attacks from Gaza.

Israel says hundreds of the dead were Palestinian militants. Sixty-four Israeli soldiers and three civilians in Israel have been killed.

Smoke billows from Gaza following an airstrike

Egyptian-mediated talks to end the weeks of fierce fighting in Gaza collapsed on Tuesday when violence broke out after 10 days of relative calm.

Israel said the latest airstrikes were in response to a resumption of Hamas rocket fire on Tuesday - adding that only one rocket launch had been registered since midnight, compared to more than 210 over the previous 30 hours.

In a TV address on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed little willingness to return to the negotiating table with Hamas.

"We are determined to continue the campaign with all means and as is needed," he said.

"We will not stop until we guarantee full security and quiet for the residents of the south and all citizens of Israel."

 

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Foley: Secret US Raid Failed To Free Journalist

US special forces were sent to Syria this summer in an attempt to rescue US hostages, including journalist James Foley, but the secret raid failed.

Administration officials said the team found, after a fight with Islamist militants, that the hostages had already been moved.

News of the raid followed the release of a gruesome propaganda video by Islamic State (IS) militants that showed Mr Foley being beheaded.

The rescue mission was authorised after intelligence agencies believed they had identified the location inside Syria where the hostages were being held.

Officials had also become convinced that "these hostages were in danger with each passing day", Lisa Monaco, Mr Obama's senior counterterrorism adviser, said in a statement.

Militants have also threatened to kill Steven Sotloff

"The US government had what we believed was sufficient intelligence, and when the opportunity presented itself, the President authorised the Department of Defense to move aggressively to recover our citizens," Ms Monaco said.

"Unfortunately, that mission was ultimately not successful because the hostages were not present."

Several dozen special operations forces were dropped by aircraft into Syria and engaged in a fight with members of the Sunni militant group.

As they fought their way toward the spot where the hostages were believed to be kept, the US forces realised there were no captives to rescue.

Several militants were killed in the gunfight, administration officials said. No Americans died but an aircraft came under fire and one American sustained a minor injury.

The New York Times said the raid targeted an oil refinery in northern Syria and was carried out by two dozen Delta Force commandos.

The newspaper quoted a Defense Department official as saying missing the hostages may have been "a matter of hours, perhaps a day or two".

News of the beheading of Mr Foley, a 40-year-old American, shocked the public opinion. President Barack Obama and officials around the Western world have expressed revulsion.

James Foley disappeared in Syria in November 2012. Pic: Nicole Tung

The disclosure of the rescue mission marks the first time the US has acknowledged that American military personnel have been on the ground in Syria since a civil war there broke out more than three years ago.

Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said the administration never intended to disclose the mission but was forced to do so because a number of media outlets were preparing to report on it.

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said: "As we have said repeatedly, the United States government is committed to the safety and well-being of its citizens, particularly those suffering in captivity.

"In this case, we put the best of the United States military in harm's way to try and bring our citizens home."

IS, an offshoot of al Qaeda that operates in Syria and Iraq, has warned that another captured American, Steven Sotloff, would also be killed unless the US called off airstrikes in Iraq.

James Foley's younger brother Michael has criticised the US government, saying he thought it could have done more to save Mr Foley.

He said, as a result, it needed to do more to free Mr Sotloff.

The US officials have not specified how many Americans are believed to be held captive.

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Exclusive: US Recruits Iraq Security 'Advisers'

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor, and Pete Norman, Sky News Online

Barack Obama may have ruled out sending "boots on the ground" back to Iraq but in the face of a growing threat from the Islamic State (IS), the Pentagon appears to have hit upon a way to get them back in by the back door.

The US Army's Contracting Command has issued a tender notice for companies capable of deploying security assistance mentors and advisers in Iraq.

These individuals would be required for a 12-month contract, potentially extendable to a total of 36 months.

They are needed as consultants to the US "Office of Security Assistance in Iraq" and must be "cognisant of the goals of ... reducing tensions between Arabs and Kurds, and Sunnis and Shias".

Some 40,000 private security contractors formed a disparate mercenary army of mostly westerners during the American-led occupation of Iraq.

Private security guards may be set to return to Iraq. Pic: Pete Norman

Many had secret contracts to work with the Central Intelligence Agency and alongside US and British special forces to provide intelligence and guard forces.

Now it appears that former special forces operators and other highly skilled intelligence specialists are being recruited to return to Iraq.

Intelligence sources have told Sky News the only viable option to fight back against the spread of the IS is to restart the so-called Awakening programme which, by late 2008, had successfully mobilised Sunni tribesmen against al Qaeda.

The rump of al Qaeda fled to Syria where it became the core of what is now IS.

The new consultants would be required to conduct "force development", "training", "planning and operations" and "intelligence".

An MP5 sub-machinegun used by a security detail in Iraq. Pic: Pete Norman

They would liaise with the Iraqi Ministry of Defence, its Counter Terrorism Service and other branches of government.

The "sources sought" document was published on August 11 by the US Army on a federal website with the intent to canvas private organisations to establish whether they were capable of supplying the services.

Once this is established, the scale and fee would then be set.

The success of the Awakening campaign involved training and fighting militant tribesmen to take on al Qaeda.

Many of their leaders have indicated they would be prepared to do the same again - but would turn against IS only once Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, a Shia, steps down.

He has now indicated he is prepared to stand aside in favour of Haider al Abadi, a fellow Shia with a reputation for reaching out across the sectarian divide.

Private contractors would, inevitably, be drawn from the ranks of retired special operations troops and spies who were so integral to the Awakening campaign.

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British Kurds Ready To Join Fight Against IS

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

Kurdish people living in Britain have told Sky News they are willing to travel to Iraq and join the fight against Islamic State forces.

Bawan Ahmed has lived in Britian for much of his life and goes to school in Liverpool.

The 16-year-old says images of IS militants' brutality have made him so angry that he wants to travel back to his homeland when he turns 18.

"I would fight if it means I die and and save my country, I would go and fight," he said.

"It just angers me to think 'why would they just march into our country and think we would we bow down to their black flag?' But we won't."

He meets other members of the Kurdish community in a cafe in Liverpool. At the same table, 24-year-old Nasr Abdullah shows a photograph of his older brother and describes how he was killed by IS fighters two months ago.

"I'm ready to go now to fight against them," he said.

Tariq Hassan, 47, knows what it is like on the front line. He returned from Iraq last week. He had been visiting family, but the former soldier decided to join the peshmerga forces.

He describes seeing the IS fighters advancing.

"We just try to defend ourselves against the terrorist group.

"They are fighting against humanity and killing men, women and children."

Most of the men and women in the cafe say they would welcome more British involvement.

Fazil Mustafa, who organised a recent rally in Manchester, said the Kurdish people understand the reluctance of Western Governments to send troops into Iraq again.

"As Kurds, we are extremely grateful for the soldiers who fought against the previous regime.

"I know many people lost their lives. We are really grateful for the Americans, for the British, for other coalition groups who went to Iraq against the regime and brought freedom and democracy, especially for the Kurds.

"But the job, the business, is unfinished. A lot more has to be done now."

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IS Beheads US Journalist James Foley In Video

Islamic State militants have released a video that purportedly shows the beheading of a US journalist who went missing two years ago.

The footage appears to show a masked man - speaking in English with an English accent - killing James Foley, who was seized by armed men in Syria in November 2012.

In the five-minute propaganda video, posted on social media sites by Islamic State sources, the man says Mr Foley was being killed because Barack Obama had ordered airstrikes against IS positions in northern Iraq.

The journalist, dressed in an orange jumpsuit like those worn by Guantanamo inmates, is seen kneeling in the desert before he blames the US for his death, in a statement presumably prepared by his abductors.

He then says: "I wish I had more time, I wish I could have the hope of freedom and seeing my family once again, but that ship has sailed." 

He is then beheaded.

Mr Foley in Syria before he was captured. Pic: Nicole Tung

The group also claimed to be holding another American journalist, Steven Sotloff, who appears at the end of the video, and said his life depended on the US President's next move.

A statement issued by Mr Foley's mother, Diane Foley, said: "We have never been prouder of our son, Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people.

"We implore the kidnappers to spare the lives of the remaining hostages. Like Jim, they are innocents. They have no control over American government policy in Iraq, Syria or anywhere in the world.

"We thank Jim for all the joy he gave us. He was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist and person. Please respect our privacy in the days ahead as we mourn and cherish Jim."

On Tuesday, two unnamed US officials said they believe the man in the video - which Sky News has chosen not to show - was Mr Foley.

John and Diane Foley, Mr Foley's parents, helped a public campaign

White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said if the video is verified by the intelligence community, the US would be "appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American journalist".

Mr Foley, 40, was an experienced correspondent who had covered the war in Libya before heading to Syria to follow the revolt against Bashar al Assad for the GlobalPost, AFP and other outlets.

Philip Balboni, GlobalPost chief executive and co-founder, said the firm had been informed that the FBI is evaluating the video to determine whether it was authentic.

"We ask for your prayers for Jim and his family," he said.

According to witnesses, Mr Foley was seized in the northern Syrian province of Idlib on November 22, 2012.

The car he was travelling in was stopped by four militants in a contested battle zone that both Sunni rebel fighters and government forces were trying to control.

His family has not heard from him since, despite a public campaign for information.

Several senior US officials with direct knowledge of the situation told the Associated Press that IS very recently threatened to kill Mr Foley to avenge the American airstrikes over the last two weeks.

The strikes targeted militants advancing on Mount Sinjar, the Mosul Dam and Kurdish capital Irbil.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the video, voiced by an IS fighter with a British accent, appeared to be genuine and was "an appalling example of the brutality of this organisation".

Mr Hammond told Sky News: "This is an evil organisation with an evil ideology."

"I reject any suggestion British foreign policy is providing any excuse for what ISIL is doing," he added.

Mr Hammond said the IS extremists posed a major threat, not only to stability in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East, but also to the UK's domestic security.

The Foreign Secretary also said he did not believe the US would be "cowed" by IS threats to kill US journalist Steven Sotloff, who they claim to be holding.

The release of the video comes a day after IS militants threatened to attack US targets in another video where they warned "we will drown all of you in blood".

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Sky News Gets Exclusive Access To 'IS Militants'

Sky News has gained exclusive access to three suspected Islamic State militants in Iraq.

The trio were captured by Kurdish peshmerga fighters as they battled to take back territory won by the Sunni extremist group.

The three men are being held at a secret location. Each of them claims they do not know each other and they also all deny meeting any IS commanders.

They say they were rebelling against Iraq's former prime minister, Nouri al Maliki.

The three men are being held at a secret location

And the three insist they have not shot or killed anyone and that they were tortured by Iraqi security forces into making confessions.

 AssAsAssisted by US airstrikes, the peshmerga fighters have been managed to wrestle back control of the strategic Mosul Dam from IS fighters.

It comes as the militants posted a video message to Americans, warning: "We will drown all of you in blood".

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Scores Held Amid 'Heavy Gunfire' In Missouri

Police have said they came under "heavy gunfire" and arrested 31 protesters in the latest flare-up of violence in Ferguson, Missouri.

Police fired tear gas and stun grenades as peaceful protests descended once again into chaos after nightfall.

The St Louis town has been beset by unrest since the August 9 shooting death of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black teenager who was killed by a white policeman.

"Not a single bullet was fired by officers despite coming under heavy attack," State Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson told a news conference.

He said bottles and Molotov cocktails were thrown from the crowd and two guns were confiscated from protesters. At least two people were shot.

Michael Brown was shot dead nine days ago

The death of Mr Brown, who was unarmed, has sparked daily protests and nightly clashes with police.

Monday night's protests were the first since Missouri Governor Jay Nixon called in the National Guard to try and restore order to Ferguson, a town of about 21,000 people that is overwhelmingly African-American.

But the National Guard appeared to keep their distance and remained at a police command centre.

Instead, most streets were patrolled by officers in riot gear, supported by an armoured SWAT vehicle and a helicopter.

The protests descended into chaos after nightfall

They repeatedly ordered the crowd to disperse.

Demonstrators no longer faced a midnight-to-5am curfew, but police told protesters that they could not assemble in a single spot and had to keep moving. 

Three journalists - a photographer for the Getty photo agency and two German reporters - were briefly detained and later released.

A crowd that gathered near where Mr Brown was shot dead by a local policeman was smaller than the one that clashed with officers on Sunday.

Rapper Nelly added his voice to the protests

Mr Brown was shot in broad daylight on a residential street by Darren Wilson, a 28-year-old white police officer.

Pathologists hired by Mr Brown's family revealed he had been shot at least six times, including twice in the head.

Different versions of the shooting have emerged, with police sources saying there was a scuffle during which Mr Brown tried to seize the policeman's weapon. Police say the officer was injured.

Witnesses have said the teenager had his hands up and was not resisting when he was shot.

The Washington Post said traces of marijuana were found in his system.

Police shot tear gas to disperse the protesters

A total of three autopsies have been requested - by local authorities, the family and the Justice Department.

Officials have said a grand jury could hear evidence in the case as early as Wednesday.

In Washington, President Barack Obama said the vast majority of protesters in Ferguson were peaceful, but warned that a small minority was undermining justice.

He has said there was no excuse for police to use "excessive force" and urged a "limited" use of the National Guard.

The president has also deployed Attorney General Eric Holder, who is expected in the area on Wednesday for talks with FBI and other officials carrying out an independent federal investigation into Mr Brown's death.

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Iraqi Militants Threaten Revenge Attacks On US

Iraqi militants have threatened to respond to US airstrikes by attacking American targets, posting a video in which they warn: "We will drown all of you in blood".

The message, which was accompanied by photographs of beheadings, came as Barack Obama announced Kurdish peshmerga troops, supported by US jets, had recaptured the strategically important Mosul Dam.

The US president said Islamic State (IS) fighters remained "a threat to Iraq and the entire region" and said Iraqis "must reject them and unite by pushing them out of lands they have occupied".

"They claim to represent Sunni grievances but they slaughter Sunni men, women and children," he said, adding limited military missions would continue.

Mr Obama has authorised limited missions in Iraq

Unlike al Qaeda, IS has, to date, focused on seizing land in Iraq and Syria for its self-proclaimed caliphate, rather than attacking Western targets.

Earlier, the group denied losing control of Mosul Dam, which supplies water and electricity to much of the country.

It had been feared they would cut pipes and cables or blow up the structure, branded the "most dangerous in the world" by the US Army in 2007, causing huge loss of life and extensive damage along the Tigris valley.

Army spokesman Lt Gen Qassim al Moussawi said at least 170 bombs had been dismantled around the site but warned many more remain.

Meanwhile, Sky News has gained exclusive access to suspected IS militants who were captured by Kurdish fighters. The trio are being held in a secret location, claiming they were tortured into making confessions.

And IS militants killed dozens of Kurdish peshmerga fighters and captured 170 of them, a Twitter account that supports the group said.

Both sides had been locked in fierce fighting around Mosul Dam

Iraq's outgoing foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari also said Kurdish officials would take part in negotiations on forming a new government, paving the way for improved ties between Kurds and the central administration.

It came after David Cameron insisted Britain would not be dragged into another war in Iraq to fight what he called "monstrous" jihadists.

He spoke out after it emerged the UK had briefly sent a number of ground troops to Irbil to prepare for a rescue mission to help displaced Yazidi people.

A strongly worded statement followed confusion over Britain's involvement in Iraq after a series of media interviews by senior ministers.

"I want to be absolutely clear to you and to families watching at home. Britain is not going to get involved in another war in Iraq," the Prime Minister said in a televised address.

"We are not going to be putting boots on the ground. We are not going to be sending in the British Army."

Mr Cameron's pledge followed comments by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who said the UK's latest involvement in Iraq would likely last "weeks and months".

Mr Fallon had been addressing British troops in Cyprus, as it was revealed UK soldiers had been back on the ground in Iraq for the first time since 2009.

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Teen Shooting Unrest: National Guard Called In

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has ordered the National Guard to Ferguson amid rising tensions following the shooting death by police of an unarmed black teenager.

Mr Nixon said the National Guard would "help restore peace and order" to the St Louis suburb after days of protests over the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. 

In the latest violence on Sunday night, police fired tear gas at demonstrators as gunfire was heard.

The announcement by Mr Nixon came as a preliminary private autopsy found that Mr Brown was shot at least six times - twice in the head - according to the New York Times.

The post-mortem examination was carried out by Dr Michael Baden, a former New York City chief medical examiner, at the request of Mr Brown's family.

Protesters say Michael Brown was trying to surrender when shot

Mr Baden said one of the bullets entered the top of Mr Brown's skull, suggesting that his head was bent forward when he suffered a fatal injury.

Mr Brown was shot four times in the right arm and all the bullets were fired into his front, he told the New York Times.

Attorney General Eric Holder has ordered a federal medical examiner to perform another autopsy.

As night fell in Ferguson, a peaceful protest quickly deteriorated into further violence - more than a week after Mr Brown's killing on August 9.

Some protesters have defied the curfew

Some protesters carried signs protesting against police brutality. Some had their hands up in the air, while others threw Molotov cocktails at police officers.

Authorities said they were responding to reports of gunfire, looting and vandalism.

The Missouri Highway Patrol also said it used tear gas to disperse "aggressors" who were trying to infiltrate a law enforcement command post, and that armoured vehicles were deployed to ensure public safety.

A man was shot and critically wounded in the area, but not by police, and someone also shot at a police car, authorities said.

The demonstrations have been going on for a week, with most being peaceful

Seven people were arrested for failing to disperse.

Officials announced another five-hour curfew for the second night running which started at midnight local time (6am UK time). But much of the violence started before the curfew.

Authorities said they plan to decide on a day-by-day basis whether to extend the curfew, first imposed on Saturday night by Mr Nixon in an effort to quell the demonstrations.

Calls to demilitarise police have mounted

Mr Nixon meanwhile sharply criticised the town's police for releasing CCTV video which they say shows Mr Brown stealing cigars from a store and shoving an employee.

"I think it had an incendiary effect," he told CBS' Face The Nation on Sunday morning.

He said police "clearly are attempting to besmirch a victim of a shooting".

Minutes after the robbery, Mr Brown had a fatal encounter with an officer who police say stopped the teenager for jaywalking.

Mr Brown was unarmed and it has been claimed he was trying to surrender before he was shot dead by white police officer Darren Wilson, 28.

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Cameron: 'We Are Not Going To War In Iraq'

David Cameron has insisted that Britain will not be getting involved in another war in Iraq.

He spoke out after reports Britain had sent some ground troops to Irbil, to prepare the way for "more than humanitarian aid".

The comments came amid reports on Iraq state TV that Kurdish troops have retaken the strategic Mosul dam from Islamic militants.

The UK is considering arming peshmerga troops fighting IS extremists

Peshmerga fighters have been battling Islamic State fighters, with the aid of US airstrikes, after the dam was seized by the militants 10 days ago.

The development came as Mr Cameron chose to appear on television to assure families that British soldiers would not become involved in another Iraq war.

He said: "I want to be absolutely clear to you and to families watching at home, Britain is not going to get involved in another war in Iraq.

A US airstrike against an IS position near Mosul Dam

"We are not going to be putting boots on the ground. We are not going to be sending in the British Army."

He continued: "Yes, we should use all the assets that we have, our diplomacy, our political relationships, our aid, the military prowess, the expertise that we have to help others - we should use these things as part of a strategy to put pressure on Islamic State and make sure this terrorist organisation is properly addressed and it cannot cause mayhem on our own streets."

David Cameron previously conceded that Britain's role will go beyond humanitarian aid and involve "limited action" to prevent violence spreading to British streets.

Michael Fallon says Britain's involvement could last 'weeks and months'

But he said: "So we are helping the Kurds, we are working with the Iraqi government to make sure it is more representative of the whole country and, of course, we are working with neighbours and allies to put the maximum amount of pressure on IS and make sure it is properly dealt with.

"We have said that if the Kurds, the peshmerga, want to have arms from us, that is something we would consider favourably.

"Up to now they have not been making that request. Really the sort of weapons they have been using have been more eastern bloc variety, and so they have been supplied by others."

Mr Cameron's comments came after his defence secretary Michael Fallon said the UK's Iraq mission would likely last "weeks and months".

It also emerged that British troops have been back on the ground in Iraq for the first time since 2009.

Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion Yorkshire regiment were sent to Irbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region, to prepare the way for a rescue mission to help stranded Yazidi people.

It is understood the rescue operation would involve Chinook helicopters.

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Iraq: Kurdish Forces Fight To Retake Mosul Dam

'Corpses Everywhere' After Jihadist 'Massacre'

Updated: 12:54pm UK, Saturday 16 August 2014

Dead bodies were found "everywhere" when Yazidi fighters arrived at a village where jihadists have been accused of carrying out a massacre, witnesses have said.

Officials believe Islamic State (IS) fighters killed around 80 people, mostly Yazidis, after arriving in the northern Iraq village of Kocho and demanding they abandon their beliefs and convert to Islam.

The militants also kidnapped women from the village in Nineveh province and took them to prisons they control, according to a senior Kurdish official.

Yazidi fighter Mohsen Tawwal told AFP by telephone that he saw a large number of bodies in the village.

"We made it into a part of Kocho village, where residents were under siege, but we were too late," he said.

"There were corpses everywhere. We only managed to get two people out alive. The rest had all been killed."

A man from a neighbouring village, who had been told what happened, added: "The Islamic State had spent five days trying to persuade villagers to convert to Islam and ... a long lecture was delivered about the subject today."

"The men were gathered and shot dead.

"The women and girls were probably taken to Tal Afar because that is where the foreign fighters are."

Senior Iraqi official Hoshyar Zebari said: "We have information from multiple sources, in the region and through intelligence, that (on Friday) afternoon, a convoy of (IS) armed men entered this village. 

"They took their revenge on its inhabitants, who happened to be mostly Yazidis who did not flee their homes.

"They committed a massacre against the people. Around 80 of them have been killed."

Thousands of Yazidis - people from a minority sect with an ancient religion - have been forced to flee their homes by the IS advance.

The extremist group, previously called ISIS, has swept across a large part of northern and central Iraq, taking Mosul and threatening Baghdad and Kurdish capital Irbil.

On Saturday, airstrikes targeted the group around Mosul Dam. It was not immediately clear if they were carried out by the Iraqi air force of the US. 

The IS seized Iraq's largest dam on August 7.

Iraq's human rights minister has said that Islamic State militants have killed at least 500 members of the Yazidi community during their offensive in the north.

Some of the victims, including women and children, were buried alive, Mohammed Shia al Sudani said.

The United Nations Security Council on Friday blacklisted six Islamist militants and threatened sanctions against anyone who helped arm or supply them.

Five members of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, which operates in Syria, and Islamic State spokesman Abu Muhammad al Adnani were included on the British-drafted resolution, which also condemned all aspects of IS's activities and beliefs.

Earlier, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels agreed to arm Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq.

The meeting of foreign ministers from the 28 EU nations was called by EU foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton and came after several European countries, including France and Germany, said they were prepared to supply weapons to the Peshmerga forces.

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