Intelligence agencies are trying to identify the executioner of American journalist James Foley after he spoke with what appeared to be an English accent.
The Islamic State jihadi, clad all in black with his face covered, addressed the camera during a five-minute video and delivered an anti-American rant in what appeared to be an accent from London or southern England.
It will raise fears about the role of extremists from the UK in Islamic State, which now controls large swathes of Syria and Iraq.
One tweet from an account dedicated to the "upcoming conquest of the Americas" described the man as a "foreign muhaji, British, who climbed the ranks and shook America to its knees." However, it was unclear if the author knew his identity or was simply responding to media reports.
In the video the masked man points a knife at the camera with his left hand and says: "This is James Wright Foley, an American citizen, of your country. As a government, you have been at the forefront of the aggression towards the Islamic State.
"Today, your military air force is attacking us daily in Iraq...any attempt by you, Obama, to deny the Muslims their rights of living in safety under the Islamic Caliphate will result in the bloodshed of your people." » | Nick Allen and Philip Sherwell | Wednesday, August 20, 2014
