“....The militant who appeared on the Foley video, who called himself John and is believed to be from London, was said to be the main rebel negotiator during talks earlier this year to release 11 Islamic State hostages – who were eventually handed to Turkish officials after ransom demands were met.
The FBI, MI5 and Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command were all on Wednesday night racing to identify the militant who fronted the propaganda video that showed the brutal murder of Foley, the journalist who had been missing in Syria since 2012.
Sources in Syria recognised the man as a point-man for hostage negotiations in Raqqa, where he is said to have held discussions with several families of jailed foreign nationals over the internet.
One former hostage, who was held for a year in Raqqa, told the Guardian the British executioner is intelligent, educated and a devout believer in radical Islamic teachings. The three UK-born militants were referred to as “the Beatles” by fellow hostages because of their nationality, the former captive added.”.........”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/20/isis-militant-islamic-state-james-foley-guards-british
“.........The masked Islamic State militant known as “John” who beheaded an American journalist and threatened the life of another in a horrific video is one of three British-born killers who are referred to as “the Beatles” by their hostages, the Guardian reported.
John is apparently a jihadist executioner and leader in the Syrian city Raqqa, a stronghold for ISIS, known for being “intelligent, educated and a devout believer in radical Islamic teachings,” according to the Guardian. The threesome got their nickname because of their shared nationality with the legendary band..”
http://nypost.com/2014/08/20/jihadi-who-executed-us-journalist-may-have-been-british-national/
Very interesting. Thanks for posting.
Why does Rakka still exist?