Video shows beheading of British hostage by ISIS

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Friday released a new internet video showing the beheading of British hostage Alan Henning, 47.

According to reports, Henning was a taxi driver who went on a humanitarian mission with a Muslim charity. He was delivering aid in Syria when he was taken captive on Dec. 26.

“Because of our parliament’s decision to attack the Islamic State, I, as a member of the British public, will now pay the price for that decision,” Henning says in the video, kneeling and wearing an orange jumpsuit. 

{mosads}”The blood of David Haines was on your hands, Cameron,” says a masked ISIS fighter referring to British Prime Minister David Cameron and an aid worker previously executed by the group.

The militant, who is wielding a knife, appears to be the same one in previous beheading videos released by ISIS, and speaks with a British accent. 

“Alan Henning will also be slaughtered, but his blood is on the hands of the British parliament,” the fighter adds, pointing the knife at the camera. 

While previous videos did not show the beheadings, this video shows the beginning of the killing. 

It ends with a threat to kill another hostage, Peter Edward Kassig, an American, and delivers a message to President Obama.

“Obama, you have started your aerial bombardment in Sham, which keeps on striking our people,” the ISIS fighter says, referring to Syria.

“So it’s only right we continue to strike the necks of your people,” he adds, holding a hostage identified as Kassig.

ISIS has previously released videos showing the beheadings of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and British aid worker Haines. 

President Obama on Friday said the U.S. “strongly condemns the brutal murder” of Henning.

“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,” said the president in a statement.

“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,” he added, using an alternate name for the group.

Lisa Monaco, the President Obama’s assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism on Friday called the beheading “another very clear example of the brutality of this group and why the president has articulated and is moving out, in a comprehensive way, to degrade and destroy ISIL.” 

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), member of the House Intelligence Committee, said the beheading was “yet another terrible example for their barbarity.” 

“This latest brutal murder is just part of their medieval practices, as they have wrecked havoc across Syria and Iraq — slaughtering religious minorities, selling young women into sex slavery and crucifying their victims,” he said in a statement. 

Schiff has called for the president to seek an authorization from Congress on military action against ISIS. 

The California lawmaker has also introduced a bill that would ban the deployment of ground forces in a “combat role” with the exception of special operations forces or for training, advisory or intelligence roles. Authorization of military force would also expire after 18 months, under Schiff’s proposal. 

On Friday, Schiff hailed Obama’s efforts against ISIS, which include hundreds of coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, and deploying 1,600 U.S. forces to Iraq. 

“President Obama was right to go after this terrorist organization, which must be stopped. This is not America’s cause alone, nor the coalition’s — but the imperative of all humanity to stand up to those who celebrate slaughter and mayhem,” he said. 

This story was updated at 6:20 p.m.