After James Foley was brutally beheaded by the militant group Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a Frenchman who was held prisoner along with him claims he knows who the American journalist’s executioner is — a jihadist know as ‘John the Jailer.’
After the militant group ISIS posted a video titled “A Message To America” on YouTube on Aug. 19, Americans watched in horror as James Foley, 40, was savagely executed at the hands of a man believed to be the leader of a gang of three British Islamic State jihadists known as “The Beatles.” With the group reportedly still holding foreigners captive in Syria, an international hunt is on for John the Jailer and his fellow fighters — and one former captive may be able to help identify him.
Didier Francois, a French reporter who was held captive with James for eight months, said on Aug. 21 that he had a “rough idea” of who beheaded the fallen journalist, based on the horrific video the jihadist group posted to YouTube.
“Recognized is a very big word, but I see roughly who it is,” Didier, who works for the radio station Europe 1, told the UK’s Daily Mail.
With an international manhunt underway as of Aug. 20, hopefully Didier will be able to provide some helpful clues to the FBI, MI5 and Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command, who on Aug. 20 were all trying to identify the militant behind James’ execution.
John the Jailer, who is believed to be from London, was reportedly the “lead 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.
In the gruesome execution video that has since been removed from YouTube, James, under duress, blamed America for “signing [his] death certificate” by bombing Iraq. “I call on my friends, family and loved ones to rise up against my real killers — the U.S. government — for what will happen to me is only a result of their complacent criminality,” he said.
Though James’ horrifying death cannot be undone, other hostages are now facing the same fate. At the end of the video, ISIS threatened to kill Time contributor Steven Sotloff next. “The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision,” the ISIS executioner warned.