John Cantlie reporting from the site of a ruined IS media kiosk in Mosul,Iraq
British journalist John Cantlie appears in a newly released 3 minute 36 second video from the Islamic State, A’maq Agency reporting from the city of Mosul in Iraq. Cantlie was captured in Syria in November 2012 on a reporting assignment along with American journalist James Foley who was later beheaded in a gruesome video in August 2014.
Stills from the video which appeared on Twitter
Cantlie highlights that the US are using their 30 million dollar F18s and 100, 000 dollar missile systems not to target tanks, truck or even the mujahideen but Islamic State media kiosks. He points out that these 50 dollar structures are there to distribute information on IS to the public and are situated in the centre of busy residential and business areas putting civilians at risk. The video shows Cantlie on the site of a demolished kiosk where he mocks that with all the might of US weaponry, this is all they manage to target. He states, “and you know what’s really just amazing, given the amount of money that America is spending on this war, that it would go to the effort of destroying a small shack like this, in the middle of Mosul.” See video, below,
https://archive.org/details/1knt19032016
Cantlie has appeared in a number of IS videos and publications and last appeared in Dabiq publication 12, see link,
“John Cantlie writes from Islamic State, Paradigm Shift part II Dabiq”
Posted by Free John Cantlie showing John prior to his capture by IS
Posted by Miruna Armiono “I pray for his safe release. Everyday.”
In the most recent recent video Cantlie is dressed in black and appears pale and gaunt compared to the last time he appeared on camera. It is unclear whether IS are prepared to open channels of communication to discuss his release. Supporters continue to post daily, sharing their memories of the journalist, posting photographs, petitions to the British government and drawings featuring Cantlie.
A former captive of IS said, “I am optimistic that the lectures the captors have asked him to deliver will be a way for him to pay for his life since his government does not let him go in another way”. He described John as a “good guy” and hoped they would understand that he is “a good journalist, just doing his job and also very sincere”
Links
“John Cantlie writes from the Islamic State… what messages should we take from his article”
“In the interests of free speech, John Cantlie writes from the Islamic State”
“John Cantlie: Paradigm shift written from Islamic State, Dabiq publication”
Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad. She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.
Carol Anne Grayson (Radical Sister) blog 