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THE GRUESOME VIDEO showing American photojournalist James Foley being beheaded has been verified as authentic, the White House has confirmed.
The US National Security Council said the video, which was released last night by Islamic State militants, had been carefully analysed.
The almost five-minute-long video entitled ‘A Message to America’ shows the journalist being beheaded by a man dressed in black who speaks with what appears to be a British accent.
“The US Intelligence Community has analysed the recently released video showing US citizens James Foley and Steven Sotloff,” a spokeswoman for the National Security Council said.
We have reached the judgement that this video is authentic.We will continue to provide updates as they are available.
Journalist Steven Sotloff, who also appears in the video, is threatened but is not hurt in the video. The man who threatens him addresses the US president, saying: “The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision”.
It is not yet known when or where the video was recorded.
Foley was abducted while he was working in Northern Syria in November 2012.
Criticism of the graphic images
There has been widespread criticism of the use of the video and images of Foley, with the New York Post and New York Daily News printing graphic still images from the beheading on its front page today.
Twitter CEO Dick Costolo has said the social network will suspend users who post clips of the video.
YouTube has also been removing the video from its site.
Scotland Yard has confirmed that it is investigating the video and whether or not a British citizen was involved. In a statement, police in London also warned the public in the UK about watching the video.
“We would like to remind the public that viewing, downloading or disseminating extremist matierial within the UK may constitute an offence under Terrorism legislation”, London Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
Foley’s family have urged his kidnappers to spare the lives of remaining hostages.
“We have never been prouder of our son Jim,” his mother Diane wrote in a post on Facebook. “He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people”.
“We thank Jim for all the joy he gave us. He was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist and person”.
Like a big judo team! Oh well loads of golds to come let’s go
Seeing those chefs is making me hungry!
@Jack Hayes: lol, that’s exactly what I was thinking, thought they were providing the catering to the irish squad.
It’s awful, looks like a mix of a karate uniform and something out of the Salvation Army
I was hoping someone would share my thoughts.
I have not been disappointed.
Terrible.
Its nice to see cookery added as a sport. Kitchens can be dangerous places.
Why does the theme from Love Boat pop into my head?
They look like extras in a psychiatric hospital drama and I’d bet they were made in some sweat shop in the Bronks. They’re almost as hideous as Sinead’s wax head.
A great honour.well done and best of luck to all our team at the Olympics
A hood over the head and they would pass for the Klu klux Klan.
tiresome should have gone with something more traditional, nothing Irish about it. A nice tracksuit or a shirt/chinos combination would have been much better. Opportunity missed.
@Raymond Dennehy: Yes. Sino-Spanish textile and design is … “Traditional” and “Irish”.
I think I missed the part where Ireland had the opportunity, freedom and wealth-luxury to develop their own indigenous fashion over the past Millennium of British Occupation and coerced cultural and linguistic assimilation
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
However. Yes. The “4 leaf clover” and “shamrock” is not only an Americanism, but is very much worn-out Americanism at this stage.
Probably we could have done something like non-tartan or Celtic-design embroidered arisaid plaides (worn entirely differently to that of Scots) with Tara brooches with Olympic, County and/or individual symbolism.
…I see nothing wrong with the whites though. White is the anti-Sectarian “Peacemaking” segment of our National Flag. Thus it is a loud statement for Ceasefire and Peace in Palestine and Ukraine.
@Raymond Dennehy: Shirt and chinos as a missed opportunity haha. On you go down to Galvin for men, get yourself a rigout and leave the fashion to the fashionable!
@Raymond Dennehy: Australia, has gear,,next time get the Australia’s to make one
Top Chef?
Reminds me of a Simpsons episode where Homer was on charge of waste control..
Mad how a pro golfer walking with flag of an amateur comp. Mad really
@Robert Doogan: Lad, professional athletes have been allowed to compete at the Olympics since the 80s, although it’s up to each sports federation to make a final call on that. Do you think Rhasidat Adeleke is an amateur ? Her estimated net worth in 2024 is between 2-5 million dollars. And best of luck to her.. Do you want to go through the entire Irish team in terms of who’s proffesional or not .. or is it just Shane you want to have a pop at ?
@Brian: It probably would have been safer for Adeleke if nobody had ever thrown out a very AmeruKKKan “net worth” figure that absolute imbecilic Irish (read: Eastern European+German+Italian Fascists living in Ireland) Racists will interpret as Liquidity. As actual cash rich. As: “next time we see her round Tallaght, let’s beat the crap out of her and rob her Credit cards”.
@Pink Freud: LOL.. and that’s got what to do with my post exactly? .. I mentioned another Irish athlete to highlight a point about professionalism in the Olympics/Irish team.. You’re the one who’s trying to bring race into this.. I see an Irish woman.. What ever you see or want to project is your problem pal.
@Robert Doogan: Time to come into the real world. Where have you been living
@Brian: @Brian: Chill out, Brian. I think athletes should not get paid. It’s not the same as going to actual work is it? Its just like P.E class back at school, although, on a much bigger scale. It’s hardly like going to a double maths or science class. Nightmare!!
Just seen them on the six o’clock news and they look even worse and more ridiculous on television.
It is the worst I have ever seen. All I can say if that is considered fashion forward I will stay in fashion past or present. Just terrible
Let’s hope Ireland matches their uniform with Medals
Absolutely dreadful, no doubt some well connected individual collected a shedful of loot for these monstrosities!
I see nothing wrong with any component targeted in the comments. I think it’s great that she considered so much around symbolism and ethnic identity. But the Americanisms of “4 leaf clover”/”shamrock” is well worn out many years ago. Perhaps she is too long in USA, or is associating with too many plastic paddies, and is far too influenced by yankee mis-perceptions of “Irishness” and has begun losing touch with core Irish symbolism and long lost historic cultural fashions interrupted by Colonial Occupation?
Frankly. One cannot just walk up to a County Heraldrly and simply re-write it.
Doing so, erases it.
It is tantamount to a “cleansing” of the indigenous identity.
Like re-writing the tricolour by exchanging Orange for Purple, Brown for Green, and Black for White. Then lobbing a Marsupial into the centre of it for no apparent reason.
However. These are details that should be seen up close – and nobody has published them **yet** (wtaf lads!?) – and, yennow, they’re a bit of fun, a bit of leeway and “artistic licence”.
Probably, the only component I really have a beef with is the fact that the patches are….patch-y.
I *do* appreciate the artistic representation of “grasslands of Ireland” through “fringing”.
But…
They seem like an after-thought.
Like a grubby fixer-upper of a multitude of mistakes in stitching or template cutting.
They look like they weigh. Like they are rigid and heavy on the arm and irritatingly in the way of free unencumbered upper limb movement.
Or, they also sort of look like a toddler came along and smacked a dose of giant stickers on everyone and everyone is just going along with it ‘for the toddler’.
Perhaps if the patches had introduced the Green?
A bit more green.
Just enough to be distinctly Irish – from a distance…..on a boat….on the Seine
But let’s ask the Athletes what they think of it.
Because what we think, doesn’t really matter.
The Athletes are the ones wearing them.
Norway
Thought the Olympics was a sport competition, not a fascist contest.
@Ciaran O Donoghue: fashion??
I thought I was watching masterchef
Gosh, golly, gee whillikins and wow.
VERY slow news day!
“Medication time”
Give them a tea towel to put on their heads, and they would pass for the management of an Arabian airline.
They’re approaching Liverpool 1995 FA Cup FInal suit level with those things.
SHAME what a shame, no way Lowry represents the Olympic spirit, he cowarder out of Rio because mosquetoes ! He’s like his english plantation ancestors, an opportunists !
The Mongolian one… What’s the big Deel?
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