Why ISIS Burned the Jordanian Pilot Instead Of Beheading Him
ISIS shocked the world Tuesday by releasing video of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kassasbeh being set on fire and burned to death inside a cage, a grisly escalation of social media murders-on-video that progressed from grisly beheadings to child executioners. Al-Kassasbeh was to be part of a prisoner exchange that ISIS has been negotiating for weeks, but his killing reportedly took place on January 3, making the Jordanians’ insistence on a proof of life a canny and prescient demand. At a White House event Tuesday afternoon, President Obama reacted to the news with disgust:
I just got word of the video that had been released. I don’t know the details of the confirmations. But should, in fact, this video be authentic, it’s just one more indication of the viciousness and barbarity of this organization. And it, I think, will redouble the vigilance and determination on the part of a global coalition to make sure that they are degraded and ultimately defeated.And it also just indicates the degree to which, whatever ideology they’re operating off of, it’s bankrupt. We’re here to talk about how to make people healthier and make their lives better, and this organization appears only interested in death and destruction.
Late Tuesday evening, the president met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who had already been scheduled to meet with Vice President Joe Biden, but was added to the president’s schedule after news of the pilot’s murder broke. Their conversation was kept mostly private, but shortly thereafter, the king returned to Jordan, where Sajida al-Rishawi and Ziad al-Karbouli, two of the prisoners who had been discussed in the trade for al Kassassbeh, were executed early Wednesday morning by hanging.
As the president and others have noted, the latest iteration of ISIS’ grisly theatrics represents further evidence of their barbarity, but it was more than just a ratcheting up of the cowardly horrors they like to inflict on hostages. Burning to death is a particularly agonizing and horrifying way to die, but it’s also a particularly un-Islamic way to die. The burning of bodies after death…READ MORE
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By: Tommy Christopher
Tommy Christopher is The Daily Banter's White House Correspondent and Political Analyst. He's been a political reporter and liberal commentator since 2007, and has covered the White House since the beginning of the Obama administration, first for PoliticsDaily, and then for Mediaite. Christopher is a frequent guest on a variety of television, radio, and online programs, and was the villain in the documentaries The Audacity of Democracy and Hating Breitbart. He's also That Guy Who Live-Tweeted His Own Heart Attack, and the only person to have ever received public apologies from both Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.
25 responses to Why ISIS Burned the Jordanian Pilot Instead Of Beheading Him
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Mike February 4th, 2015 at 18:27
Am I the only one or Is anyone else suspicious as to how hard ISIS is trying to bait us into a protracted battle. They lost Kobani, 2k air strikes have killed about 5k of them, and it’s like they want more…any ideas why…?
Spirit of America February 4th, 2015 at 18:41
As I said when they first attacked kobani, it was a feint. While a LOT of resources were spent to defend it, they took over over 20 towns/villages in syria and several in iraq.
It was a very good move strategically… it had to be defended cause of its importance, but w/limited resources the coalition couldn’t defend other places.
They have grown in size btw, even w/their casualties.
Mike February 4th, 2015 at 21:21
That’s kind of what I was eluding to…engage America and it expands the volunteer base. With 1.7 billion Muslims they could keep it up for a very long time.
Something else to think about…we brought close to a trillion dollars in hardware over there and just as things were cooling down, ISIS pops up and gets control of about half of it. A bit Orwellian, almost like the MIC planned it that way.
Uuta February 12th, 2015 at 11:02
And don’t forget, Mike (I don’t know if you know this), but claims by the US that they removed/destroyed their weapons in Libya is false (at least not all of them). Many were left laying around to be picked up — and have been.
mea_mark February 4th, 2015 at 20:04
They are trying to outspend their enemies. Dollar for dollar they spend less, quite considerably less. They are using our infatuation with the MIC against us. We need to learn to fight and win without throwing away money, making the owners of the MIC rich.
Uuta February 12th, 2015 at 10:54
I think that they are doing it (baiting) to distract us from their ultimate regional goal, to take the Middle East. They’ve got us (Egypt) surrounded, and are squeezing. The Sinai and Libya openly have IS/Daesh there, and word is out that Palestine (the PA and Gaza) have been infiltrated. If Daesh gets into Egypt, all hell will really break loose in the ME – as in, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
arc99 February 12th, 2015 at 11:11
There is nothing “stupid” about an accurate description of the threat in the region.
Uuta February 12th, 2015 at 11:23
Ahem,,,,,What does “ISIL” stand for? In case you don’t know, it is an acronym for, “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.” Stupid, stupid stupid. AND IS/Daesh asked that foreigners call them “ISIL.” Triply stupid for their ‘enemies’ to do so.
arc99 February 12th, 2015 at 11:43
and since the threat is to the region at large and not just Iraq, there is nothing stupid in using the name that emphasizes that fact, regardless of what the enemy does or does not want.
Uuta February 13th, 2015 at 03:40
And since Daesh has NOT taken the Levant, it is not correct to call Daesh “ISIL.” It would be like a ME country calling Daesh, “ISIUS” (Islamic State of Iraq and the United States). Would that make you happy?
Mike February 4th, 2015 at 19:27
Am I the only one or Is anyone else suspicious as to how hard ISIS is trying to bait us into a protracted battle. They lost Kobani, 2k air strikes have killed about 5k of them, and it’s like they want more…any ideas why…?
Spirit of America February 4th, 2015 at 19:41
As I said when they first attacked kobani, it was a feint. While a LOT of resources were spent to defend it, they took over over 20 towns/villages in syria and several in iraq.
It was a very good move strategically… it had to be defended cause of its importance, but w/limited resources the coalition couldn’t defend other places.
They have grown in size btw, even w/their casualties.
Mike February 4th, 2015 at 22:21
That’s kind of what I was eluding to…engage America and it expands the volunteer base. With 1.7 billion Muslims they could keep it up for a very long time.
Something else to think about…we brought close to a trillion dollars in hardware over there and just as things were cooling down, ISIS pops up and gets control of about half of it. A bit Orwellian, almost like the MIC planned it that way.
Uuta February 12th, 2015 at 12:02
And don’t forget, Mike (I don’t know if you know this), but claims by the US that they removed/destroyed their weapons in Libya is false (at least not all of them). Many were left laying around to be picked up — and have been.
mea_mark February 4th, 2015 at 21:04
They are trying to outspend their enemies. Dollar for dollar they spend less, quite considerably less. They are using our infatuation with the MIC against us. We need to learn to fight and win without throwing away money, making the owners of the MIC rich.
Uuta February 12th, 2015 at 11:54
I think that they are doing it (baiting) to distract us from their ultimate regional goal, to take the Middle East. Or at least the Levant (ISIL) as Obama stupidly calls them (talk about catering to the “enemy”), as if offering all countries in the “Levant” up to IS/Daesh. Idiot or traitor — I don’t know which. Maybe both.
IS/Daesh has got us (Egypt) surrounded, and is squeezing. The Sinai and Libya openly have IS/Daesh there, and word is out that Palestine (the PA and Gaza) have been infiltrated by Daesh. If Daesh gets into Egypt, all hell will really break loose in the ME – as in, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” And none of us want to see THAT happen.
arc99 February 12th, 2015 at 12:11
There is nothing “stupid” about an accurate description of the threat in the region.
Uuta February 12th, 2015 at 12:23
Ahem,,,,,What does “ISIL” stand for? In case you don’t know, it is an acronym for, “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.” Stupid, stupid stupid. AND IS/Daesh asked that foreigners call them “ISIL.” Triply stupid for their ‘enemies’ to do so.
arc99 February 12th, 2015 at 12:43
and since the threat is to the region at large and not just Iraq, there is nothing stupid in using the name that emphasizes that fact, regardless of what the enemy does or does not want.
Uuta February 13th, 2015 at 04:40
And since Daesh has NOT taken the Levant, it is not correct to call Daesh “ISIL.” It would be like a ME country calling Daesh, “ISIUS” (Islamic State of Iraq and the United States). Would that make you happy?
edmeyer_able February 5th, 2015 at 06:32
So is fox news complicit in recruiting new members of daesh by linking the video of the pilots death on their web page?
WelderChick February 6th, 2015 at 16:07
Why did you delete your comments? We weren’t as bad as you’ve been told, were we? Now I’ve suffered the same thing as Dr. Thomas. Why do you cling to a position that is so afraid of discourse that it makes sure people with differing views are excluded? Or one where you feel the need to delete your comments for fear of people seeing that you posted there? Very sad indeed.
von Wer February 12th, 2015 at 11:17
George W Bush is complicit with Creating ISIS
edmeyer_able February 5th, 2015 at 07:32
So is fox news complicit in recruiting new members of daesh by linking the video of the pilots death on their web page?
von Wer February 12th, 2015 at 12:17
George W Bush is complicit with Creating ISIS