The United States hasn’t yet confirmed the authenticity of a video purporting to show the murder of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasaesbeh, held captive since December 2014 by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) since his F-16 fighter jet crashed in Syria.
The video shows the pilot, wearing the typical orange prisoner jumpsuit, being burned alive in a cage, according to the SITE Intel Group, a Maryland-based analysis firm. A trail of gasoline is seen being poured in a trail leading up to the cage, and then set alight. The video is entitled “Healing the Believers Chests.”
Within an hour after media announced the video was uploaded to the Internet, U.S. President Barack Obama issued a somewhat restrained, almost subdued statement condemning the group for the murder.
“Should the authenticity of this video be confirmed, its just one more indication of the viciousness and barbarity of this organization,” Obama said.
Shortly after, White House spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said in a statement, using another acronym for the terrorist group, “The United States strongly condemns ISIL’s actions and we call for the immediate release of all those held captive by ISIL. We stand in solidarity with the Government of Jordan and the Jordanian people.”