On September 2, 2014, BBC News reported on the recent comments made by US President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden regarding the beheading of American journalist Steven Sotloff by the Islamic State Militants (ISIS).
Sotloff was first captured by ISIS in Syria in August 2013. In the video of the beheading, which was released by the militant organization, the executioner Jihadi John directly mocks and calls out President Obama and his administration for their decision to attack ISIS in Iraq. It is because of the United States' decision to attack, stated Jihahdi, that Sotloff must "pay the price." Jihahdi also threatened to kill another American hostage if the United States refuses to back off in Iraq.
Unfortunately, Sotloff was not the first American to be killed at the hands of ISIS as a statement. Just two short weeks ago, American journalist James Foley was executed in the same fashion---beheaded on video by ISIS.
Following these troubling events, the United States felt the need to reaffirm that we will not back down from ISIS and, as stated by President Obama, "the US will not stop until the militants are brought to justice." Both Vice President Biden and US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reiterated statements made by President Obama regarding the construction and mission of a US coalition to "degrade and destroy" ISIS.
This use of strong language and direct threats to ISIS by the Obama Administration only means one thing for the Islamic Militants; they have awoken the hornet's net. They have the United States' attention (including the military) whether they like it or not, the US will not back down until it feels the situation with ISIS has sufficiently defused. By killing American citizens and threatening to continue to do so, they have left no other options for the United States but to 'open the gates of hell.'
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