The White House says intelligence officials are working to determine whether a video by Islamic State militants that purports to show the execution of American journalist James Foley is authentic.
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The video's appearance comes amid a campaign of U.S. airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq.
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White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden says if the video is deemed genuine by the intelligence community, the U.S. would be "appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American journalist."
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Foley was captured once covering the uprising in Libya so he knew the risks when he went to Syria in 2012 to cover the escalating violence there. It didn't matter. He was a journalist at heart, once saying he'd cover local news if it meant doing the job he loved.
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The 40-year-old from Rochester, New Hampshire, was snatched again in Syria in November 2012. His parents, John and Diane Foley, became advocates for him. They held regular prayer vigils and worked with diplomats to get information about him.
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Foley grew up in New Hampshire and studied history at Marquette University. He was a teacher before switching careers to journalism. (AP)
