A Catholic, a Jew – now we know who's next

It's hard these days to keep up with news events, almost impossible to stay ahead of them.

I had this commentary written and ready to send to WND for posting – when I took one last look at the Internet and everything changed. Rewriting was necessary.

The headline was just as shocking and grisly as the others. The murderous ISIS followed through on threats to behead 44-year-old British aid worker David Haines. He'd been their prisoner since he was kidnapped in Syria in March 2013. He'd been in that country just three days when he was taken.

The scenario was the same as the murders of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff – the captives, in orange prisoner jumpsuits, kneeling in the desert, a black-garbed ISIS murderer holding a knife standing behind.

The American captives were forced to denounce American terrorism strategies and the president.

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The British victim, did the same but blamed the British Prime Minister and his government and what was called their "evil alliance with America."

It was all professionally videotaped and edited and ended with the beginning of the decapitation and then a bloody body with the victim's head placed on his back.

It's disgusting, vile and yes, as Prime Minister David Cameron said, "pure evil."

And it's frightening, too. If you don't understand that, there's something wrong with you, which in itself, is frightening.

With all the attention given to the two Americans beheaded, there's one aspect of the murders that's been ignored by media.

Or maybe they just didn't notice.

Well, I noticed and it was clear from the beginning.

I've no doubt the two journalists were targeted and murdered, with the killings videotaped, because they were of the media, because they were Americans and because of their religion.

James Foley was a devout Roman Catholic. That's the same religion ISIS targets in every country it invades. It's part of its deliberate sacrilegious destruction of anything Christian – things and humans.

They defile religious icons and sacramentals in churches and then destroy the buildings. They do the same to monasteries and convents, killing priests and nuns in the most horrendous ways, after first raping and defiling them.

This destruction affects all Christian denominations, not just Catholics, but because that part of the world was the birthplace of Christianity, the militant Islamists are determined to get rid of all evidence of their existence.

Where was the response from American Catholics – both lay and clergy? Did they speak with one gigantic voice to condemn this attack on their brethren and their Church?

No, and of course, what little comment there was, was virtually ignored by mainstream media.

As usual.

ISIS hates Christians and the West – so decapitating an American on camera is a deliberate "in your face" to Barack Obama, asking, "What are you going to do about it?"

It knows the answer: Nothing, to speak of.

But ISIS also hates Jews, and so it's no coincidence to me that the second journalist executed was Steven J. Sotloff.

An American, a journalist and a Jew.

Oh, I know, there was yammer in our media, that Sotloff made efforts to hide the fact of his religion and that ISIS didn't know.

Anyone who believes that is more naïve than can be imagined.

ISIS may be made up of terrorists and throwbacks to the 6^th century, but they're not stupid.

Let's face it, his name isn't exactly Irish.

So he was another sacrificial lamb in this battle of wills – militant Islam versus the great Satan, personified by Barack Obama.

If you doubt it, what did the executioner say on the second video?

"I'm back, Obama, and I'm back because of your arrogant foreign policy toward the Islamic State …"

To call the U.S. president "Obama" is a smack-in-the-face insult and puts the blame for the upcoming execution of Steven Sotloff on Barack Obama.

That Sotloff also was Jewish is another smack on the West and also on Israel.

ISIS got a Catholic and then got a Jew, who's next?

Well, it appeared from their hints that the next victim would be another prisoner, David Haines, identified as a British aid worker who years ago worked with the RAF.

And that's exactly what they did last Saturday. For ISIS, it was a smack against the U.K., a smack against Western civilization and a smack against Europe's growing anger about the cultural invasion of its countries by militant Islamists.

At the time I originally wrote this, I speculated as to the reaction of U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron if Mr. Haines were killed.

I wrote that if they did "an Obama," they'd say some generic blather, do nothing and avoid going to the funeral or sending high-ranking officials.

That's the Obama habit – for the funerals of both journalists and for the funeral of Gen. Harold Greene, who was murdered in Afghanistan.

He appears indifferent to these deaths because acknowledging them might mean he'll have to do something about it.

In fact, after the second beheading of an American citizen, Jen Psaki, the State Department deputy spokesman, was asked "if the beheadings are acts of war."

Her response?

"I don't think it's a useful exercise to go back and forth about new terms. … What is important is what we're doing about it."

And what is that?

According to Psaki, "creating an international coalition to address the threat."

That, of course, is what Obama is doing, after his speech last week.

Wow, I'll bet that had ISIS quaking in its boots as it continued plans for the next bloody murder of an innocent and then did it.

David Cameron called the murder "pure evil," and he returned immediately to 10 Downing Street.

That's more than Obama did. He played golf.

Col. Richard Kemp, who directed British forces in Afghanistan, said, "Now is the time for retribution."

Good! I hope he does it with a vengeance.

Vengeance. Retribution. Two words never to cross Obama's lips.

Unfortunately, if the president of the United States continues his tactics, he'll make certain that ISIS wins.

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