The
experts believe the 16-minute long video would have cost ISIS
approximately $200,000 to produce, such was the sophistication of the
editing equipment required and the quality of the multiple HD cameras
needed to produce such a slick and professional piece of propaganda.
Despite
the money spent, basic continuity errors have crept into the film -
including militants and prisoners standing in a different order in
apparently successive scenes.
The
frame-by-frame analysis also revealed several moments where ISIS
militants are seen in the background of the clip standing around and
talking - apparently killing time before being called to take part in
group filming.
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Belgian: Although friends and
neighbours say this man is Abdelmajid Gharmaoui - a 28-year-old
notorious Belgian Muslim extremist from the town of Vilvoorde - his
identity has not been formally confirmed
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Mystery: In fact the mayor of
Vilvorde, the town where Gharmaoui lived before travelling to Syria in
2012, said Gharmaoui 'is not at all in the video', adding that claims to
the contrary are 'completely wrong'
Mystery still surrounds identity of killers
Other
than the killer known only as Jihadi John, all of the ISIS militants
who appear in the murder video are seen with their faces uncovered,
making no attempt whatsoever to conceal their identity.
Despite
this, only one of the terrorists featured has been formally identified
- 22-year-old Frenchman Maxime Hauchard, who friends described as a
mild-mannered former Catholic who used to sell scooter parts in Normandy
until his conversion to Islam at the age of 17.
Although
the names of a second Frenchman, Michael Dos Santos, and Belgian
national Abdelmajid Gharmaoui have been put forward as other suspected
executioners, official confirmation has not been given by either
government.
In
fact the mayor of Vilvorde, the town where Gharmaoui lived before
travelling to Syria in 2012, said Gharmaoui 'is not at all in the
video', adding that claims to the contrary are 'completely wrong'.
'We
don't recognise anyone from Vilvoorde in it,' Hans Bonte said. 'I can
be sure 99 per cent that no-one from Vilvoorde is in it,' he added.
Another
name put forward as a suspect was Cardiff medical student turned
Islamic State militant Nasser Muthana, 20. However video experts ruled
that although the man in the clip resembles Muthana, there are subtle
facial differences that suggest they are not the same person.
Meanwhile
Kurdish sources familiar with the movement of ISIS militants in Syria
and Iraq also identified one of the men as a Filipino national.
Since
the release of the footage, analysts from Britain, France, Germany, the
U.S., the Middle East, Asia, Australia and New Zealand have been poring
over the footage to try and put names to faces.
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Unconfirmed: Although the name of a
second Frenchman, Michael Dos Santos, have been put forward for this
Islamic State executioner, official confirmation has not been given by
the French government
Callous:
Kurdish sources familiar with the movement of ISIS militants in Syria
and Iraq identified this unnamed killer from the latest ISIS beheading
video as a Filipino national
Was Jihadi John played by a body double?
Within
minutes of the Syrian soldier murder video being released, experts
began questioning whether the 'Jihadi John' who appears in the footage
is the same person as the militant who savagely cut off the head of
American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British aid
workers David Haines and Alan Henning.
These
questions were largely raised by reports that the militant had been
seriously injured or perhaps even killed by an American airstrike only
days before the footage was shot.
Viewers
pointed to the fact the militant looked slightly shorter than in other
beheading videos, and appeared to have put on weight - leaving him with a
slight paunch that was not previously visible.
However
TRAC and Quilliam's research has suggested another clue backing up the
claims that more than one person may be 'playing' the role of Jihadi
John .
In
one split-second scene, the experts have identified a second man
wearing Jihadi John's distinctive black mask and matching uniform
standing in the background of a sequence in which ISIS' executioner in
chief is also clearly pictured.
One
theory is that, with the terror group's leadership the prime target for
American-led coalition drone and airstrikes, several men may be
pretending to be the militant in the hope of creating a few moments of
confusion that could help save the real Jihadi John's life.
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In the sickening video a group of Syrian soldiers are marched to their execution site by Islamic State militants
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Where the murders took place: The
location of the killings has been confirmed as a desert road in northern
Dabiq that was previously identified in this image from activist group
Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently
Location of video identified as desert road in northern Dabiq
The
Syrian soldier murder video titled 'Though the Unbelievers Despise It'
was released through official Islamic State media tagged with a note
claiming the video was shot in the town of Dabiq.
Now
the exact location has been confirmed as the same stretch of desert
running parallel to a road in the north of the town that had previously
been identified as the location by anti-ISIS activist group Raqqa is
Being Slaughtered Silently.
The
resistance group produced a map to show the location in the northern
suburbs of the small but highly symbolic Syrian town of Dabiq, north of
Aleppo.
The
terror group's de facto capital is Raqqa, where previous filmed murders
featuring the militant known as 'Jihadi John' are understood to have
been filmed.
HOW
USING DABIQ AS LOCATION FOR SICKENING EXECUTION VIDEO EVOKES 1,300
APOCALYPTIC PROPHECY THAT IS FUELLING ISIS FANATICS' BELIEF IN
APOCALYPTIC BATTLE BETWEEN A MUSLIM ARMY AND AN 'INFIDEL HORDE'
The
ISIS video featuring the brutal filmed murder of Syrian soldiers was
shot in Dabiq - an area of increasing symbolic importance to Islamic
State terrorists.
As
well as naming their English-language propaganda magazine after the
small desert village, a 1,300 year old prophecy predicting Dabiq as the
location of an apocalyptic battle between Muslims and an 'infidel horde'
is understood to be fueling the warped imaginations of the fanatics.
The
town, which is in Aleppo province, was captured from the Free Syrian
Army in August and prompted streams of highly romanticized propaganda in
which ISIS militants identified it as the first step towards ushering
in the Apocalypse.
A key feature of this prophecy involves attracting the 'infidel horde' into Dabiq for a huge ground battle.
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ISIS has even named its official magazine, which reinforces its extremist views, 'Dabiq' (two editions above)
It
is notable that in the latest sickening video, the militant known as
Jihadi John is now urging Britain and America to send their troops to
fight in Syria, rather than to leave the Islamic State alone as he had
done in previous videos.
'Here
we are - burying the first American crusader in Dabiq... Eagerly
waiting for the remainder of your armies to arrive,' he says.
The
1,300-year-old hadith, which is a report of the deeds, teachings and
sayings of the Prophet Mohammed, refers to the 'horde' flying 80 banners
as they take on a Muslim army in the Syrian town of Dabiq.
It warns of a 'malahim' - the equivalent to Armageddon in Christian teachings – in which the Muslims ultimately prevail.
ISIS
supporters on social media have started comparing recent developments
in Syria to the prophecy amid warnings the 'malahim' is coming.
Islamic
State fighters are said to have drawn on the prophecy even more so
since conquering Dabiq in August and the town's name has become a byword
for the struggle against the West.
The terrorist group has even named its official magazine 'Dabiq', in which it pushes its extremist views and reports victories.
Supporters
appear to be convinced of the prophecy's validity, with one writing on
Twitter: 'Dabiq will happen for certain... The U.S. and its allies will
descend on Syria once they see that the air campaign has failed. That is
a promise by God and his Messenger.'
Another,
from Tunisia, wrote. 'The lions of Islam have raised the banner of the
Caliphate in Dabiq. Now they await the arrival of the Crusader army.'
Shadi Hamid, a fellow at the Brookings Institute, said the hadith is heavily relied upon by ISIS because it 'raises morale'.
He said: 'It is fair to assume that the vast majority of (ISIS) fighters believe in this type of talk.'
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