Advertisement

Islamic State releases video of British hostage Cantlie

The video is the seventh propaganda message utilizing journalist John Cantlie released by IS.

By Danielle Haynes

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- John Cantlie, a British hostage of the Islamic State, said American forces attempted a failed and costly mission to rescue him and other hostages in July.

The video is the seventh propaganda message utilizing journalist Cantlie released by IS, which is also known by the acronyms ISIS and ISIL.

Advertisement

Like in previous videos, Cantlie appears sitting behind a desk, wearing an orange shirt.

"In this program I will tell you about a failed raid to rescue us and how it feels to be left for dead by your own government," he says.

The 43-year-old said American troops staged an "incredibly complex, risky and expensive" rescue attempt in July, one month before the beheading of American photojournalist James Foley.

It's unclear if the rescue attempt Cantlie speaks of is the same one the Department of Defense revealed details about shortly after Foley's death.

"The raid involved two dozen Delta Force commandos, several Black Hawk helicopters, gunships, Predator drones, F18 Hornet Jets and refuelling aircraft," Cantlie said. "It took weeks of rehearsals and must have cost tens of millions to perform -- but we weren't there.

Advertisement

"The Islamic State, anticipating such a move, just put us into cars and moved us to another prison days beforehand.

"We were left to die. It's the worst feeling in the world being left behind like that," Cantlie added. "I will continue to speak out against this military action ... for as long as the mujahideen allow me to live."

"We are aware of a further video and are analyzing its contents," a British Foreign Office spokesman told The Mirror.

Cantlie's video message regarding an American rescue attempt came one day after U.S. Central Command released five new videos depicting airstrikes on IS targets, including an ammunition bunker and tunnels used by the terror group.

Twenty-four strikes took place Monday through Wednesday in Iraq and Syria, and another 12 took place toward the end of the week, releases from U.S. Central Command said.

Meanwhile, in other IS news, the Yemeni branch of al-Qaida this week rejected the establishment of the IS caliphate by its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

IS was established as a caliphate, an Islamic political-religious leadership, in June by al-Baghdadi, who declared himself the caliph.

Advertisement

Harith bin Ghazi al-Nadhari, a Shariah law official from al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, said the group was "surprised" by the June announcement.

"We do not see the authenticity of the establishment of such a Caliphate, nor what follows it of consequences," al-Nadhari said in a video released Friday.

Latest Headlines