Podcasts about steven sotloff

In this episode, Kash and Jan discuss the recent conviction of ISIS member El Shafee Elsheikh for his involvement in the hostage-taking and killings of four American citizens: aid workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller and journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. As senior director of counterterrorism at the National Security Council, Kash played a key role in efforts to extradite El Shafee Elsheikh and fellow ISIS member Alexanda Kotey to the United States. Along the way, Kash developed a close relationship with the families of the victims, some of whom he met with again recently. “It's always tough. It's always emotional because you have to remember, they're here to watch the trial of one of the individuals who beheaded, tortured, abducted, and raped their children,” Kash says. In this episode, Kash offers background on how these extraditions and trials work, pays tribute to the families, and shares what it was like behind the scenes of the raid that led to ISIS leader al-Baghdadi's death.

Saddam Hussein ruled with an iron fist and it kept the Middle East stable, after his deposition, chaos arose in Iraq. As ISIS proclaims their worldwide Caliphate, they begin taking vast swarms of land, the Middle East begins falling apart. The brutal executions of Kayla Mueller, James Foley and Steven Sotloff shows the western world how dire the situation really is. As America and the West ramp up their involvement in the war, Russia and NATO ally Turkey begin getting involved on their own account.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/abriefhistory?fan_landing=true)

In the fall of 2012, Theo Padnos, who grew up in Woodstock, Vermont, was working as a freelance journalist in Turkey. He made a fateful decision to trust two men who promised to arrange safe passage for him into Syria, where he hoped to report on the civil war that began a year earlier. It was a catastrophically bad decision. His supposed helpers turned out to be working with Jabhat al-Nusra, the main affiliate of al-Qaida in Syria. Upon entering Syria, he was beaten and kidnaped. He spent the next two years in secret prisons being tortured by his captors. One of the ways he consoled himself was to write an allegorical novel set in Vermont. During his captivity, other journalists captured in Syria, including James Foley and Steven Sotloff, were executed. Others, like Austin Tice, disappeared. Padnos was lucky: In August 2014, he was released after the government of Qatar paid millions in ransom. Padnos first wrote about his ordeal in 2014 in an article in the New York Times Magazine, and he is the subject of a documentary, Theo Who Lived. He has a new book about his ordeal, Blindfold: A Memoir of Capture, Torture, and Enlightenment. The New York Times says it “lays bare the human condition at its extremes. There is depravity and resilience, rage and revelation, and, ultimately, a triumph of the human spirit.” Padnos sees parallels between the mindset of his al-Qaida captors and the pro-Trump insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol in January. “What if they set up their own little government, what would it be like to live inside it?” Padnos asks of the insurrectionists. He warns that the U.S. "started down the road…to have a similar outcome as Syria is having now.”

James Foley and Steven Sotloff were both executed by ISIS in the summer of 2014. Five years later, the Foley and Sotloff families are running foundations that seek to help other journalists who are heading into harm's way. Brian Stelter speaks with Diane Foley and Art Sotloff about their training programs and other initiatives. The parents share memories of their sons, motivations for their advocacy work, and changes to U.S. hostage policy.

This month on Clerical Conversations on the Crisis, we return to the air after our summer break with a tour de force of solid Catholic commentary on many news stories which have arisen over the Summer of 2014 A.D. across the globe and also in the United States. We begin by dispelling the naturalist concept that has been force-fed down the throats of both Clergy and laity alike that the Clergy have no business commenting on politics, political affairs, or current events that do not touch directly on matters of the faith. All the topics covered in this episode, as His Lordship correctly points out, are topics that must be viewed from the perspective of the Social Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ in order to understand correctly the problems themselves and what we as Catholics are to think about them. The first order of business on this episode is discussing the principles of war, what constitutes a just war, and how modern warfare has morphed into something absolutely horrific. Why is it that the United States of America has been at war since the birth of nearly every single person reading this text and what has been the goal of those perpetual wars? Whose interests are being served? As Our Lady of Fatima said, war is a punishment for sin. Why does it seem that so many Americans are so accepting of endless war and touching the topic of our last episode, what role has State propaganda played in shaping this acceptance and support? How has this policy led us to the horrific tragedies that we have seen over the last few weeks of the beheadings of journalists James Foley Wright and Steven Sotloff at the hands of the Mohammadans? Turning our attention to the United States, the latest news from Ferguson, Missouri is yet another display of the state of affairs in civil society which is becoming less civil by the day. The situation is spiraling completely out of control into civil unrest with lootings, murders, and rampant violence. Once again, in a similar vein of the Boston Marathon incident in 2013, we see the militarized police state on display in the city streets of the United States, wielding military firepower, armored personnel carriers, and the latest in advanced technological weaponry. How is a Catholic supposed to view the disturbing spectacle of this wanton display of State power and how does this bode for the future of this nation? Once again, why have the fires of racial tension continued to be stoked and who is using who in these increasingly-frequent crises that pop up? Lastly, we cover the summer story of the massive illegal immigration problem at the Southern border of the United States and discuss how Catholic principles should have us seeing a lot of different angles regarding this latest development. Join us host Nicholas Wansbutter as he discusses these Summer events of 2014 with His Lordship, Bishop Daniel Dolan and Father Anthony Cekada of St. Gertrude the Great Catholic Church in West Chester, Ohio on this month's episode of Clerical Conversations on the Crisis. Original Air Date: September 6, 2014 Show Run Time: 1 hour 58 minutes Show Guest(s): Bishop Daniel Dolan, Father Anthony Cekada Show Host(s): Nicholas Wansbutter Season 3 Sponsor: Novus Ordo Watch http://novusordowatch.org/ Episode: https://www.truerestoration.org/season-3-clerical-conversations-on-the-crisis-episode-14-the-militarized-police-state-empire-building-endless-war-and-civil-unrest/ Clerical Conversations: https://www.truerestoration.org/category/radio/clerical-conversations-on-the-crisis/ Subscribe: https://www.truerestoration.org/member-signup/ Clerical Conversations℗ is a production of the Restoration Radio Network. Copyright 2014. All Rights are Reserved.

Steven Sotloff was the second American killed by ISIS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Egyptian-born Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy has published a book about being jailed for collaborating with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. The Marriott Cell recounts the story of how he and his Al Jazeera colleagues were branded terrorists and spent more than a year behind bars before he was pardoned by President Abdul Fattah Al Sisi. The case grabbed headlines around the world and marked a key point in Egypt’s changing relationship with press freedom. This week’s African Media spoke to Mohamed Fahmy about his time in a notorious Cairo prison, how he had access to some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists and the message he would send to other journalists currently languishing in Egyptian jails. Can you tell us about your book? It basically includes details of my case and how I spent 438 days incarcerated in Egypt and branded as a terrorist while I was only doing my job as a journalist for Al Jazeera. It was interesting to write because it includes interviews with members of the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS [the Islamic State armed group] fighters and Al Qaeda fighters that I conducted and gathered inside prison. It also includes the battle for freedom - what we did to get out of prison - dealing with the courts, the judges, the lawyers. How this fight was complicated and wasn't just an issue of press freedom but also a geopolitical battle between Egypt and Qatar, the owner of Al Jazeera. I also highlight a lot of the mistakes that the network made as well and what they did that made our situation more difficult. What sort of position did Qatari ownership of Al Jazeera put you in? Qatar definitely kept us in the dark on many issues, for example, how Qatar had signed the Riyadh Agreement while we were working. Basically that means that the Qatari emir had promised countries in the Gulf like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain that he would not use the Al Jazeera platform to attack them. Qatar would not meddle in the internal affairs of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and many of these countries who were not happy with Al Jazeera. That he [the Qatari emir] would not allow Muslim Brotherhood guests to appear on the channel. However, we as journalists were not informed of these details of the Riyadh Agreement and were kept in the dark. This complicated matters for us. Having said that, I also believe that this trial was flawed with many mistakes. I spoke in court many times against the prosecution, I highlighted how they should differentiate between the responsibilities of the journalists and that of the network. Specifically, we found out in court that the network did not have the proper documents and they were not legally operating in Egypt in the first place. We were also kept in the dark about this issue. So I clearly document what both sides have done that led to our incarceration and it’s not acceptable that any journalist should be thrown in prison. Was writing this book a cathartic experience? It was definitely therapeutic in many ways. But I wrote this book specifically because although journalists like yourself and journalists from all over the world did a great job, there was so much context lost in the coverage of the trial. It’s almost understandable because of the rise of ISIS and the case happened when a lot of breaking news was happening. So much of the context of why we ended up in prison in the first place was not presented in the media. I just felt it was my responsibility to clarify a lot of the misconceptions to the millions of people who supported our case. Especially those related to issues of press freedom and how important it is to fight for that noble cause. But also issues related to the responsibilities of networks towards the journalists and towards the protection of journalists and that is something that Al Jazeera completely failed to do. This includes issues related to the protection of citizens, for example, in Canada. I highlight a little bit of what could have been done in a better way and I feel that this book was my way of sharing a lot of these experiences. To be honest with you, many of us spend our lives trying to get close to terrorists and interview them on the frontlines and many of our friends have lost their lives whilst doing so, like James Foley and Steven Sotloff and the list goes on. Here I was, inside the prison, surrounded by the possibility of these long exclusive interviews, being able to speak to many of these terrorists and not worry about my own security because there's bars between us. So I document a lot of these interviews in the book. What was the Scorpion prison like? Scorpion prison is one of the worst prisons in the Middle East and as a journalist and aid worker I've been to many prisons. There is no sunlight, it is filled with cockroaches, mosquitos and you’re sleeping on the floor in the cold weather. The guards are very manipulative and you have a very hard time getting goods in during the family visits. Your family could wait for hours before they get to see you for half an hour. It is extremely tough to be inside Scorpion prison. Many prisoners have lost their lives due to medical negligence, etc. However, our situation got a little better after the international outrage and the three journalists, including myself, were moved to a better prison. We lived together in one very small cell and the only reason we were able to survive was the support of our families, embassies and journalists outside. That kept our morale going and it kept us alive. Before you were moved into a cell with the other journalists, what was your deepest, darkest moment? For any prisoner the darkest moment is to assume that you are going to spend years and years in that dirty, filthy cell surrounded by terrorists. You don't know what is going to happen to you, that feeling of uncertainty, that's the main problem. Your mind can be your most dangerous enemy. Until the final verdict I was still hopeful that things could go our way, but throughout my incarceration, the darkest moment was definitely being sentenced to seven years for a crime I didn't commit. That's the moment I broke down and I started getting really worried for my wellbeing. How did you ensure that you kept your mind focused? How did you occupy your mind, so that you didn't find yourself in that dark place too frequently? I had to balance my physical being, my mental being, my spiritual being in any way possible. Jogging on the spot, finding ways to keep time, although I didn't have a watch, and so on. But when things got better and we were allowed books - it’s very ironic the thinnest book in the stack was called Man's Search for Meaning written by Viktor Frankl. He's a survivor of the Holocaust during the Nazi era in Germany. He speaks of a concept called tragic opportunism, how you can turn human suffering into a human achievement. How do you say yes when you're facing death, pain and injustice - that's exactly what I was going through. This book helped me a lot and I still think about it and I read it again when I was outside. I still believe that trying to rise above this madness of the incarceration and helping others ensures that your imprisonment is not arbitrary. That's what I'm doing now - by writing the book, by hoping it helps others, by speaking about the ordeal - fighting for what we believe in as journalists and human rights defenders. And I hope it does help people who are in similar situations. If you could send a message to other journalists who currently languish in Egyptian jails, for example photojournalist Shawkan, what would you say to them? It’s very easy for someone to give advice when they're sitting in the comfort of their bedroom. In Shawkan's case, I have been speaking about him in the media, lobbying and calling for his release. He's a photojournalist who’s been inside for three years, he's not committed any crimes. I've read his file and I’ve spoken with his family and visited them at home. All I can tell Shawkan is that his incarceration will not be in vain, he's now well-known in the world, in New York, in Europe. Everyone has seen his photos, when he comes out he needs to be stronger than ever because he's more famous than ever. I've sent messages to him in prison, I told him, 'when you come out, you're going to be able to get the job of your dreams and hopefully leave Egypt, go and do whatever you want'. But it is hard because false hope is a prisoner’s worst nightmare and I felt that many times, when people would say, 'you'll be pardoned' or 'you'll be released’. You get so excited but then when it doesn't happen it hits you even more. I hope that Shawkan is included on the next list of people who'll be pardoned.

Please join me, Susan Knowles, as I welcome a special guest for a special show. With everything that is currently happening in the news with beheadings of Christians in Iraq and elsewhere, I wanted to bring you someone who is making a difference right now. He is an amazing young man with an incredible story to share. Please invite ALL of your friends to this show.MATTHEW VANDYKE is an international security analyst, media commentator, public speaker, and founder of Sons of Liberty International, a security firm that provides free military advising and training to communities threatened by terrorism.VanDyke graduated summa cum laude from UMBC with a degree in Political Science, and later received his master's degree in Security Studies from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. He worked in North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia for years as a documentary filmmaker (mostly traveling by motorcycle) and filmed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.In 2011, Matthew VanDyke fought against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi in the Libyan Revolution as an American freedom fighter and soldier in the National Liberation Army.He was wounded and captured by Gaddafi's forces and spent nearly 6 months as a prisoner of war in two of Libya's most notorious prisons, before escaping from prison and returning to combat until the end of the war. His experiences are the subject of the documentary film Point and Shoot, which won the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival Best Documentary Award.VanDyke founded the security firm Sons of Liberty International (SOLI) in 2014 after two of his friends, journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, were beheaded by ISIS. 

An online investigation published by the Sunday Mirror has led to the resignation of Conservative minister, Brooks Newmark, complaints lodged with press regulator IPSO and The Metropolitan Police and an apology issued from Editor-in-Chief Lloyd Embley to the women whose images were used without consent. Alex Wickham, a reporter for the political blog Guido Fawkes, has been revealed to be the freelancer who posed on Twitter as 'Sophie Wittams,' a fictional female Tory activist. Louise Mensch, the journalist and former Tory MP, who served on the Commons Culture Committee, and Simon Sapper, former PCC Commissioner join Steve to examine the public interest arguments behind the probe, the journalistic ethics and the implications for press regulation.Evan Davis's debut as 'lead anchor' at BBC2's Newsnight began with an interview with the Prime Minister. Unlike his predecessor, Jeremy Paxman, who was widely known for his adversarial, sceptical tone, Evan adopted a more relaxed and conversational style. Is a more affable approach likely to draw more spontaneous conversation out of political figures, or will it play in to politician's hands? To discuss the political interview and how to make it work for the presenter, politician and audience Steve hears from Adam Boulton, Sky's former Political Editor and Sian Kevill, a former Editor of Newsnight.The dangers of reporting from Syria have been highlighted by the beheading of freelance journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff as well as the release of a third video this week of British hostage and photojournalist John Cantile by Islamic State militants. Steve hears from the Middle East Correspondent, Ruth Sherlock who has been covering events in Syria for The Telegraph.Producer: Dianne McGregor.

After the murders of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff in Syria, McClatchy reporters Jonathan Landay and Nancy Youssef discuss their personal experiences reporting from the world’s most dangerous regions.

A new video appears to show the execution of Steven Sotloff, the second American killed by a self-professed member of the Islamist terror group ISIS. FOX News' Bret Baier joins Roe & Roeper to discuss this story.

Nog 'n video wat wys hoe 'n tweede Amerikaanse joernalis deur die Islamitiese staat onthoof word, doen die rondte.Terwyl huldeblyke instroom vir Steven Sotloff het die Amerikaanse owerheid bevestig dat die video eg is. Die vraag is nou: Wat kan Amerika doen om sy burgers teen IS te beskerm, en diegene wat reeds gyselaars is, te red?

Today, Nicole deals with the sad news about the execution of journalist Steven Sotloff by ISIS terrorists. Comedian and columnist Dean Obiedallah discusses his Daily Beast piece on what it'll take to stop ISIS. Emptywheel's Marcy Wheeler joins in too. Plus, Susie Madrak discusses America's declining wages and the lack of integrity in politicians in the wake of Bill de Blasio's endorsement of Kathy Hochul for Lt. Gov of NY.

A new video appears to show the execution of Steven Sotloff, the second American killed by a self-professed member of the Islamist terror group ISIS. FOX News' Bret Baier joins Roe & Roeper to discuss this story.