World enews: ISIS terrorist behind footage of journalist James Foley’s beheading flown to US for trial

A Canadian man who was part of the ISIS media ministry that publicized the beheading of journalist James Foley has been flown to the US to stand trial on a charge of terrorism.

Mohammed Khalifa, 38, narrated two propaganda videos used by the Islamic State to lure people from the West to join the terrorist organisation. The videos were also deployed to urge others to engage in terrorism.

Mr Khalifa was secretly taken to face federal prosecution in Virginia, The New York Times reported. He went to Syria in 2013 and subsequently joined the ranks of the Islamic State and worked for its Ministry of Media.

A criminal complaint unveiled on Saturday revealed that Mr Khalifa has been charged with material terrorism support leading to death.

Mr Khalifa was captured in 2019 by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a militia led by Kurdish fighters with the support of the US.

The militia turned Mr Khalifa over to the FBI earlier this week, after which he was flown to the US. Mr Khalifa was born in Saudi Arabia and seems to be the first foreign fighter to face prosecution in the US under the Biden administration, which took office in January.

Mr Khalifa’s first court appearance is scheduled for early next week. He was the narrator for a 2014 video called Flames of War and his unit published the footage of the beheading of US freelance reporter James Foley and other hostages from the West.

Mr Khalifa “played an important role in the production and dissemination of ISIS propaganda across multiple media platforms targeting Western audiences,” according to prosecutors.

He told The New York Times in 2019 that he had had no hand in the violence committed by ISIS, saying that he “was just the voice”. But he also said he had no regrets stemming from his actions.

Prosecutors and the FBI have said that he was a “prominent figure” in the media ministry that he joined in April 2014, with one FBI agent saying that he was “essential” because he spoke both Arabic and English. The criminal complaint states that Mr Khalifa was in charge of the group’s “English Media Section”.

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