ISIS has executed another one of its hostages, British taxi driver Alan Henning. On Friday afternoon, the terrorist group released a video showing Henning’s death by beheading. UK Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted a statement shortly after the video’s release.
The brutal murder of Alan Henning by ISIL shows just how barbaric these terrorists are. My thoughts are with his wife and their children.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) October 3, 2014Grisly videos of decapitation have become something of a trademark for ISIS. A month and a half ago, the group released a video showing that it had executed American photojournalist James Foley. Not long afterwards, a second video came out, showing the execution of American journalist Steven Sotloff. That was followed two weeks later later by another video showing the execution of British aid worker David Cawthorne Haines.
Henning was captured by ISIS last December after he traveled to Syria as part of a volunteer aid group. The video of his execution featured another captive, former U.S. soldier Peter Kassig, whom ISIS threatened to execute next.
“The United States strongly condemns the brutal murder of United Kingdom citizen Alan Henning by the terrorist group ISIL,” President Obama said in a statement. “Mr. Henning worked to help improve the lives of the Syrian people and his death is a great loss for them, for his family and the people of the United Kingdom. Standing together with our UK friends and allies, we will work to bring the perpetrators of Alan’s murder — as well as the murders of Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff and David Haines — to justice. Standing together with a broad coalition of allies and partners, we will continue taking decisive action to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL.” Kassig’s family released a statement Friday expressing concern for Henning’s family. “We have read about his work and his generous character with great respect and admiration,” the statement read. “We ask everyone around the world to pray for the Henning family, for our son, and for the release of all innocent people being held hostage in the Middle East and around the globe.” The U.N. Security Council also released a statement late Friday condemning “the heinous and cowardly murder of Alan Henning, a volunteer British humanitarian aid worker, by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). This crime is a tragic reminder,” the statement continues, “of the increasing dangers volunteer humanitarian personnel face every day in Syria. It also once again demonstrates the brutality of ISIL, which is responsible for thousands of abuses against the Syrian and Iraqi people.”
Ned Resnikoff is an urban policy analyst, researcher, writer, and editor. His byline has appeared in a variety of publications, including the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Dissent, and The Nation. He writes the newsletter Public Comment, which can be found at publiccomment.blog. Recommended
