The news that Islamic State (IS) had killed another hard-working, inspirational and beloved aid worker in a slick propaganda film was depressing in its familiarity.
But the film released by IS, also known as ISIS and ISIL, on Thursday morning was markedly different. More than quarter-of-an-hour long, preceded by a long history of the group, and a gruesome film of the killing of Syrian soldiers, it contains no forced statement from American Peter Kassig, it is filmed from a different location, and is tacked on to the film at the end, almost as an afterthought.
The killing of Kassig, and how it was shown to the world, could tell us a lot about the very different situation the terror group is now in, compared to the killing of Alan Henning just six weeks ago.
It could be a game-changer.
Peter Kassig Video
Peter Kassig is never shown alive, and doesn't give a propaganda statement(01 of08)
Unlike in the beheading of other hostages James Foley, David Haines, Alan Henning and Steven Sotloff, Kassig was never seen alive and did not make a statement to the camera.
Indeed, the militant makes a point of saying that Kassig can no longer talk because he is dead. In the segment with Kassig after his execution, the British jihadist declares: “This is Peter Edward Kassig, a US citizen of your country. Peter who fought against the Muslims in Iraq while serving as a soldier under the American army, doesn't have much to say." He then says that his "previous cellmates have already spoken on his behalf".
Michael Downey, a close friend of Kassig's from Beirut told the Telegraph: "I think he refused. He was a man of principle and wouldn't give into intimidation from thugs. He never took the easy route." (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Indeed, the militant makes a point of saying that Kassig can no longer talk because he is dead. In the segment with Kassig after his execution, the British jihadist declares: “This is Peter Edward Kassig, a US citizen of your country. Peter who fought against the Muslims in Iraq while serving as a soldier under the American army, doesn't have much to say." He then says that his "previous cellmates have already spoken on his behalf".
Michael Downey, a close friend of Kassig's from Beirut told the Telegraph: "I think he refused. He was a man of principle and wouldn't give into intimidation from thugs. He never took the easy route." (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The gruesome picture of Kassig's head is only shown for 30 seconds at the end of a 16-minute video(02 of08)
Mitchell Prothero, McClatchy’s Iraq correspondent who was a flatmate of Kassig's in Beirut, said he believed Kassig had ruined their show, and called it “the smallest solace in the world”.
“Clearly something went wrong. Pete was a high-value prize for them. That’s why he went last – he was an American soldier, he’d been a humanitarian worker, and they were saving him for the last,” Prothero told McClatchy. “My belief is that he knew it was up and did something to screw up their video.”
“There’s no way they planned for 14 minutes of them killing Syrian guys and then 30 seconds at the end of them killing Pete,” Prothero added.
The Guardian called it "a nod to the pressure piled on the group by various Sunni Islamists" and pointed out that a leader from the al-Qaeda-aligned Jabhat al-Nusra had said Kassig "had treated him for a battle wound and deserved to be spared". But IS had received similar pleas from conservative Islamist hardliners for British aid worker Alan Henning, who was murdered on camera six weeks ago. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“Clearly something went wrong. Pete was a high-value prize for them. That’s why he went last – he was an American soldier, he’d been a humanitarian worker, and they were saving him for the last,” Prothero told McClatchy. “My belief is that he knew it was up and did something to screw up their video.”
“There’s no way they planned for 14 minutes of them killing Syrian guys and then 30 seconds at the end of them killing Pete,” Prothero added.
The Guardian called it "a nod to the pressure piled on the group by various Sunni Islamists" and pointed out that a leader from the al-Qaeda-aligned Jabhat al-Nusra had said Kassig "had treated him for a battle wound and deserved to be spared". But IS had received similar pleas from conservative Islamist hardliners for British aid worker Alan Henning, who was murdered on camera six weeks ago. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Speculation is rife that Kassig may have been killed in an airstrike, because his body is never shown(03 of08)
On the Facebook group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, run by underground activists in Syria, one of the members claimed Kassig had been accidentally killed in a US airstrike.
A 22-year-old medical student who goes by the pseudonym Abu Ibrahim Raqqawi, told the Mail: 'I think ISIS didn't execute Peter. An ISIS soldier told me this morning that Peter died in an airstrike on 5th November in Tel-Abyad and that is why they didn't show a video of the execution. I think that is why there is a lot of blood on the face and no body - just a head."
British and US intelligence are believed to be looking into such a claim. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A 22-year-old medical student who goes by the pseudonym Abu Ibrahim Raqqawi, told the Mail: 'I think ISIS didn't execute Peter. An ISIS soldier told me this morning that Peter died in an airstrike on 5th November in Tel-Abyad and that is why they didn't show a video of the execution. I think that is why there is a lot of blood on the face and no body - just a head."
British and US intelligence are believed to be looking into such a claim. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
There's no second hostage threatened at the end of the video(04 of08)
The previous four hostages, Kassig included, were threatened with execution on camera, before they were murdered a number of weeks later. There is no such threat at the end of this video, entitled “Although the Disbelievers Dislike It.”
According to the New York Times, Kassig was one of only three hostages left out of an original 23 held by Islamic State, many released after heavy ransom payments. Briton John Cantlie (pictured), a former Sunday Times reporter and photographer, who has fronted numerous propaganda videos for Islamic State, is one of them, and another is said to be a 26-year-old American female aid worker, whose identity is kept under wraps.
Prof Peter Neumann of King’s College Centre for Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence told Telegraph it was significant no future hostage had been threatened, and said it could imply there was no one suitable left to kill. “I don’t think they have decided yet what to do with Cantlie, he must be still quite useful for them," he said. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
According to the New York Times, Kassig was one of only three hostages left out of an original 23 held by Islamic State, many released after heavy ransom payments. Briton John Cantlie (pictured), a former Sunday Times reporter and photographer, who has fronted numerous propaganda videos for Islamic State, is one of them, and another is said to be a 26-year-old American female aid worker, whose identity is kept under wraps.
Prof Peter Neumann of King’s College Centre for Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence told Telegraph it was significant no future hostage had been threatened, and said it could imply there was no one suitable left to kill. “I don’t think they have decided yet what to do with Cantlie, he must be still quite useful for them," he said. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Compared to the scene with the murder of the Syrian soldiers, the scene is poorly lit, and appears to be shot in haste(05 of08)
"It's interesting how the Kassig piece was shot, it could imply something went wrong during the filming of his video, maybe he decided he didn't want to do it the way they wanted," said video analyst and editor of the Bellingcat investigative journalism website Elliot Higgins.
"It seems odd when you consider the format the earlier videos had was very consistent."
"It seems odd when you consider the format the earlier videos had was very consistent."
The video is not filmed in the hills of Raqqa, scene of the other four killings(06 of08)
Where as the previous four killings took place in what is assumed to be the hills around the IS-stronghold of Raqqa, Syria, the Kassig murder seems to be in a different location, as yet unidentified, though Higgins said members of his team were working on finding out where it was.
The hostages and their captors appear to be mobile, John Cantlie was filmed in the Syrian town of Kobane a few weeks ago. Could it be that now 'Jihadi John's' identity is believed to be well-known to the security services, and because of the coalition airstrikes in Syria, that the scene with Kassig's body was filmed on the hop?
The hostages and their captors appear to be mobile, John Cantlie was filmed in the Syrian town of Kobane a few weeks ago. Could it be that now 'Jihadi John's' identity is believed to be well-known to the security services, and because of the coalition airstrikes in Syria, that the scene with Kassig's body was filmed on the hop?
Jihadi John still doesn't show his face - but plenty others do(07 of08)
As the face of the propaganda videos, so-called 'Jihadi John' doesn't seem keen to show his actual face. In fact, according to freed hostages, he never even took of his mask in front of them.
But intelligence services seem to know who he is, and he has been long rumoured to be a former rapper from Maida Vale, Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary.
And 'Jihadi John' is said to have been injured last weekend in an air strike which killed 10 of the most senior members of IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL, and injured its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, The Mail On Sunday reported.
Perhaps he doesn't want to give the security services the satisfaction of showing them they have the right man.
But intelligence services seem to know who he is, and he has been long rumoured to be a former rapper from Maida Vale, Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary.
And 'Jihadi John' is said to have been injured last weekend in an air strike which killed 10 of the most senior members of IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL, and injured its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, The Mail On Sunday reported.
Perhaps he doesn't want to give the security services the satisfaction of showing them they have the right man.
The killing of the Syrian soldiers shows Jihad John is willing to kill on camera(08 of08)
The four other hostages had knives held to their throats, then the camera faded to black and their decapitated bodies were then shown to the camera.
But 'Jihadi John' was never shown at the actual moment of death, prompting rumours that he may not in fact be the killer, and could be just a British-accented 'front man'. But the masked fighter shows no hesitation killing an alleged Syrian soldier with a serrated knife, with the beheading shown in close-up.
If 'Jihadi John' is no longer concerned by killing on camera, but does not kill Kassig, could it lend more weight to the theory that the aid worker was already dead?
But 'Jihadi John' was never shown at the actual moment of death, prompting rumours that he may not in fact be the killer, and could be just a British-accented 'front man'. But the masked fighter shows no hesitation killing an alleged Syrian soldier with a serrated knife, with the beheading shown in close-up.
If 'Jihadi John' is no longer concerned by killing on camera, but does not kill Kassig, could it lend more weight to the theory that the aid worker was already dead?