The murder of a journalist

The beheading of James Foley, an American journalist, shows the risks that brave war correspondents face. It is another powerful argument—one that hits close to home—of why the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) must be stopped.

Wars are not just a matter of strategic decisions made around a boardroom table, but of the human suffering and deaths that those decisions cause. That is usually the story behind an article from the front lines, whether in Ukraine, Gaza or Syria—the latter the conflict that Foley was covering. Without this type of journalists, it would be impossible to figure out the real impact and consequences of an armed conflict beyond what the military, politicians and parties involved say.

In the past two years, 33 journalists were killed in Syria, reporting the tragedy of a war in which 177,000 people have died in three years.

Foley, who was kidnapped by ISIS two years ago, paid with his life for being a war correspondent and an American. Tragically, Foley’s murderers have threatened to kill one of his American colleagues, Steven Sotloff, unless the U.S. stops bombing ISIS’ positions. Unfortunately for Sotloff, this blackmail won’t succeed.

The war that ISIS began in Syria and Iraq goes beyond the limits of horror, with massacres and beheadings of those who refuse to follow its extreme interpretation—even for al-Qaida—of Islamism.

Because of serious geopolitical, economic and humanitarian aspects, ISIS must be stopped. U.S. airstrikes combined with attacks from Kurds and Iraqis are yielding results. That is why ISIS has chosen this moment to pressure the White House to stop the strikes in return for the lives of Americans.

The U.S. cannot give in to this blackmail. Neither should it accept the fact that some of its Arab allies are financing ISIS because of their differences with the Syrian regime or fear of growing Iranian influence on the region.

Likewise, the threat of ISIS, which goes beyond borders, must increase European support to taking action against extremists and their Islamic state. So far, beheadings are a normal part of the behavior of ISIS. Hopefully, Foley’s beheading will at least make a difference.