A man who aided the Islamic State by narrating recruitment videos has been sentenced to life in prison in the United States.
Saudi-born Mohammed Khalifa has been described by the US Department of Justice as a “figurehead” of the terror group’s English-language media unit.
Prosecutors said the unit produced videos such as those showing the beheadings of British aid workers and journalists, including Britons Alan Henning and David Haines and American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.
According to a statement from the US Department of Justice, Khalifa, who grew up in Toronto and left Canada in 2013, narrated and translated some 15 videos created and distributed by IS.
He continues: “The productions narrated by Khalifa include two of ISIS’s most influential and exceptionally violent propaganda videos, Flames of War: Fighting Has Just Begun and Flames of War II: Until the Last Hour.
fire fighting
“The videos feature glamorous depictions of ISIS and its fighters as well as scenes of violence, including depictions of executed unarmed prisoners, footage of ISIS attacks and battles, and depictions of Islamic State Attacks in the United States.
Khalifa, 38, was captured in January 2019 by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, following a firefight in Syria where he was throwing grenades.
He was transferred to FBI custody in October last year and pleaded guilty in December to providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death, the department said.
