ISIS Killings-Former Captive explains why US Journalists read forced speeches on the brink of death

Before they were decapitated by Islamist militants, U.S. journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley both stared at the camera and condemned America. Many have wondered why they did it considering they knew they won't be spared anyway.Some said they will rather die fighting than give up and read speeches prepared by the islamists.

One Australian Warren Rodwell, a 56-year-old Brisbane man who spent 472 days held captive by Filipino militant group Abu Sayyaf, an al-Qaeda militant group has opened up on what it feels like .He said

Whatever someone wants, you give it to them,' You just do what you're told.'
'Nothing really has meaning to you anymore. Someone tells you "say this" and you say it.You just imagine whoever is watching it is smart enough to realise you haven't really got your heart in it.Once you lose hope you lose heart.'

Psychologists said Mr Foley and Mr Sotloff would have lost all sense of normality while in isolation. 

Dr Chris Lennings, a forensic psychologist with more than 30 years experience, said: 

'It's unimaginable to me, the amount of psychological pressure that would have been placed on them... particularly given the softening up process that would have taken place.' There would have been beatings, threats, sensory deprivation, all sorts of things would have been done to remove any sense of normality, any standard parameters by which they can judge their behaviour. These people are being placed in an intolerable situation,'. 'They're just entirely dependent on what their captors decide to do.'

 Terrorism expert Professor Greg Barton,said the execution videos were a recruitment tool.

'The primary purpose of these videos is to bolster their efforts at recruiting fighters in western democracies,Around 5000 fighters from Europe, the U.K., the U.S. and Australia have joined the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.These latest videos show the West appearing weak and Islamist fighters looking strong to encourage vulnerable potential Western recruits to join the Islamic State cause. One of IS's major aims is this idea of restoring the dignity to Muslims and the Muslim community.Making themselves look strong and making the West look weak feeds into that propaganda.

James Foley who was first killed said

I call on my friends, family and loved ones to rise up against my real killers, the US government.For what will happen to me is only a result of their complacency and criminality.My message to my beloved parents: save me some dignity and don’t accept any meagre compensation for my death, from the same people who effectively hit the last nail in my coffin with a recent aerial campaign in Iraq.'I call on my brother John, who is a member of the US Air Force, think about what you are doing, think about lives you destroy including those of your own family.I call on you John, think about who made the decision to bomb Iraq recently and kill those people, whoever they may have been. 

Steve Joel who was the latest to be killed said..

I am Steven Joel Sotloff. I’m sure you know exactly who I am by now and why I am appearing before you. And now this is the time for my message:
'Obama, your foreign policy of intervention in Iraq was supposed to be the preservation of American lives and interests, so why is that I am paying the price of your interference with my life? Am I not an American citizen? We’ve spent billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars and we’ve lost thousands of our troops in our previous fighting against the Islamic State, so what are the people’s interests in reigniting war?
'From what little I know about foreign policy, I remember a time when you could not win an election without promising to bring our troops back from Iraq and Afghanistan and to close down Guantanamo. Here you are now, Obama, nearing the end of your term, and having achieved none of the above and deceivingly marching us the American people in the blazing fire.

Culled from Mailonline..