JamesFoley
Free-press groups worry that James Wright Foley’s execution could further deter the media from covering the world’s most dangerous areas. Reuters/Nicole Tung

The parents of James Foley, an American journalist beheaded by Islamic State militants on Tuesday, received an email on Aug. 12 from their son’s captors warning that he would be “executed.”

GlobalPost, the publication that Foley was working for when he was kidnapped on Thanksgiving Day nearly two years ago, has decided to publish the full text of the email in the interest of transparency and with the hope it will offer “insight into the motivations and tactics of the Islamic State.”

(Spelling and grammatical errors have not been corrected; this is the text as it was received.)

HOW LONG WILL THE SHEEP FOLLOW THE BLIND SHEPPARD?

A message to the American government and their sheep like citizens:

We have left you alone since your disgraceful defeat in Iraq. We did not interfere in your country or attack your citizens while they were safe in their homes despite our capability to do so!

As for the scum of your society who are held prisoner by us, THEY DARED TO ENTER THE LION’S DEN AND WHERE EATEN!

You were given many chances to negotiate the release of your people via cash transactions as other governments have accepted,

We have also offered prisoner exchanges to free the Muslims currently in your detention like our sister Dr Afia Sidiqqi, however you proved very quickly to us that this is NOT what you are interested in.

You have no motivation to deal with the Muslims except with the language of force, a language you were given in “Arabic translation” when you attempted to occupy the land of Iraq!

Now you return to bomb the Muslims of Iraq once again, this time resorting to Arial attacks and “proxy armies”, all the while cowardly shying away from a face-to-face confrontation!

Today our swords are unsheathed towards you, GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS ALIKE! AND WE WILL NOT STOP UNTILL WE QUENCH OUR THIRST FOR YOUR BLOOD.

You do not spare our weak, elderly, women or children so we will NOT spare yours!

You and your citizens will pay the price of your bombings!

The first of which being the blood of the American citizen, James Foley!

He will be executed as a DIRECT result of your transgressions towards us!