Mountain Media, LLC
  • West Virginia News
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • Mountain Messenger
      • Pocahontas Times
      • Parsons Advocate
      • Pendleton Times
      • Clay County Free Press
      • Calhoun Chronicle
      • Shinnston News
    • By County
      • Greenbrier County
      • Clay County
      • Harrison County
      • Calhoun County
      • Pocahontas County
      • Pendleton County
      • Tucker County
  • Virginia Media, INC
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • The Enterprise
      • Fincastle Herald
      • Henry County Enterprise
      • News Messenger
      • News Journal
      • Vinton Messenger
      • New Castle Record
      • Salem Times Register
    • By County/City
      • Botetourt County
      • Henry County
      • Radford
      • Christiansburg/Blacksburg
      • Patrick County
      • Vinton
      • Roanoke
      • Salem
      • Craig County
  • National News
  • About Us
  • Submit Content
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
  • My account
Subscribe For $2.50/Month
No Result
View All Result
MM, LLC
  • West Virginia News
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • Mountain Messenger
      • Pocahontas Times
      • Parsons Advocate
      • Pendleton Times
      • Clay County Free Press
      • Calhoun Chronicle
      • Shinnston News
    • By County
      • Greenbrier County
      • Clay County
      • Harrison County
      • Calhoun County
      • Pocahontas County
      • Pendleton County
      • Tucker County
  • Virginia Media, INC
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • The Enterprise
      • Fincastle Herald
      • Henry County Enterprise
      • News Messenger
      • News Journal
      • Vinton Messenger
      • New Castle Record
      • Salem Times Register
    • By County/City
      • Botetourt County
      • Henry County
      • Radford
      • Christiansburg/Blacksburg
      • Patrick County
      • Vinton
      • Roanoke
      • Salem
      • Craig County
  • National News
  • About Us
  • Submit Content
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
  • My account
No Result
View All Result
Mountain Media, LLC
  • Virginia News
  • West Virginia News
  • National News
  • Login
  • My account
  • Subscribe
Home Local VA State News

US judge gives life term to Canadian ISIS propagandist

July 31, 2022
in VA State News
Reading Time: 2 mins read
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A Canadian citizen who led propaganda efforts for the Islamic State group and personally executed two Syrian soldiers in widely circulated videos was sentenced to life in prison Friday by a U.S. judge.

Prosecutors sought the life sentence for Mohammed Khalifa, 39, a Saudi-born Canadian who held prominent roles for the Islamic State group from 2013 until his capture in 2019.

In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors said Khalifa played a key role in the group’s successful efforts to recruit tens of thousands of foreign fighters to defend its self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

In two notorious propaganda videos titled “Flames of War,” Khalifa can be seen shooting Syrian soldiers in the back of the head after they dug their own graves. He also narrated the videos.

Khalifa’s defense attorneys had sought a term of just 20 years at Friday’s sentencing hearing in Alexandria, Virginia. They argued that he was less culpable than two British-born Islamic State members — Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, nicknamed the “Beatles” by their captives — who personally beat and tortured Western hostages. Both Kotey and Elsheikh were convicted in Alexandria — one has received a life sentence and the other is expected to get life when he is formally sentenced next month.

They also argued that it’s wrong for the U.S. to impose such a severe sentence against a Canadian who was not convicted of directly killing or harming any Americans and could have just as easily been extradited to Canada.

Khalifa pleaded guilty last year to terrorism charges. In a letter to U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis written ahead of Friday’s sentencing hearing in Alexandria, Virginia, Khalifa said he felt compelled to help the Syrian people in their revolt against dictator Bashar al-Assad, but that he made a mistake by opting to become a fighter as opposed to joining an aid organization.

“As I followed the events in Syria, I became disgusted with myself for sitting by and not doing something,” he wrote.

According to an FBI affidavit, Khalifa told FBI agents he expected to be sent to an IS training camp when he joined the organization in late 2013. Instead, he was recruited to join the organization’s media department because of his English language skills and spent nearly five years as a leader in their propaganda unit.

Khalifa told agents he was captured in January 2019 when he defied an IS order to flee from advancing forces. Instead, he said, he launched a solo attack of sorts on Syrian Defense Forces, surrendering after his AK-47 rifle jammed.

ShareTweetShare

Related Posts

Feds ask probation for ex-police officer who stormed Capitol

August 10, 2022

A former Virginia police officer who pleaded guilty to storming the U.S. Capitol with another off-duty officer deserves to avoid a prison...

Renaming Army bases that honor Confederates would cost $21M

August 10, 2022

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Renaming nine U.S. Army posts that honor Confederate officers would cost a total of $21 million...

Commanders’ Rivera fires defensive line coach Sam Mills III

August 10, 2022

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera has fired defensive line coach Sam Mills III and promoted Jeff...

Axios Media purchased by Cox Enterprises

August 9, 2022

NEW YORK (AP) — It's an old and new media marriage: Axios Media, the digital news site known for its...

More storms forecasted for flood-ravaged eastern Kentucky

August 9, 2022

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The National Weather Service extended a flood watch through Sunday evening for areas of eastern Kentucky ravaged by high...

Learning from failures: How Biden scored win on climate plan

August 9, 2022

WASHINGTON (AP) — Over the last year, Joe Biden has been throwing pieces of his domestic agenda overboard in an...

  • Login
  • My account
  • Subscribe
  • Classifieds
Call us: +1 234 JEG THEME

© 2021 Mountain Media, LLC

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
  • West Virginia News
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • Mountain Messenger
      • Pocahontas Times
      • Parsons Advocate
      • Pendleton Times
      • Clay County Free Press
      • Calhoun Chronicle
      • Shinnston News
    • By County
      • Greenbrier County
      • Clay County
      • Harrison County
      • Calhoun County
      • Pocahontas County
      • Pendleton County
      • Tucker County
  • Virginia Media, INC
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • The Enterprise
      • Fincastle Herald
      • Henry County Enterprise
      • News Messenger
      • News Journal
      • Vinton Messenger
      • New Castle Record
      • Salem Times Register
    • By County/City
      • Botetourt County
      • Henry County
      • Radford
      • Christiansburg/Blacksburg
      • Patrick County
      • Vinton
      • Roanoke
      • Salem
      • Craig County
  • National News
  • About Us
  • Submit Content
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
  • My account

© 2021 Mountain Media, LLC

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
  • Sign in
  • New account

Forgot your password?

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Back to login

Session expired

Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.

>

Add Mountain Media, LLC to your Homescreen

Add