http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/4932e8c1-dc91-4972-ac83-e63215218b72-460x276-300x180.jpeg

A video purporting to show the murder of British aid worker David Haines was released by Islamic State militants on Saturday. It bears noticeable similarities to the videos released in recent weeks, depicting the beheadings of US journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley.

Location

The David Haines video appears to have been recorded on an arid and deserted hill, very similar to the landscape in the Sotloff and Foley videos. Elliot Higgins, a British weapons expert and founder of online journalism site Bellingcat, claims to have pinpointed the site of James Foley’s killing to the hills south of Raqqa, in Syria. Raqqa has been under Isis control for more than a year. The Haines video is devoid of any specific geographical markers, but Higgins seems inclined to think the murder happened in “the hill around Raqqa”.

Timeline

It is not yet clear when the video was filmed. Haine’s hair appears to have grown since his appearance at the end of the Sotloff beheading video, so his may have been recorded at a later date. Sotloff’s hair had grown since his initial appearance in the James Foley video.

In his voiceover, the killer in the Haines video references the US campaign of air strikes in Iraq, specifically noting the bombing of the Haditha dam in Anbar province. The US carried out at least nine air strikes over the weekend of 5 September. The video could possibly have been filmed since then but the voiceover could have been added in later.

The Haines video was released 10 days after the Sotloff video. Sotloff’s in turn was released 15 days after Foley’s, which could be an indication of shorter times between beheadings.

Killing

Throughout the video, Haines appears kneeling, next to his killer. Much like Sotloff and Foley before him, Haines is pictured wearing an orange jumpsuit. In contrast, the killer is wearing a black outfit identical to that worn by the killer in both the Sotloff and Foley videos. Only his eyes and hands are visible. He is also holding a hand knife, similar to the one seen in the other videos.

When Haines addresses the camera, he is wearing a lavalier microphone, similar to the ones worn by Sotloff and Foley. The microphone can no longer be seen in the latter half of the video.

Haines’s killer speaks with a marked British accent, sounding very similar to the militant in the Sotloff and Foley videos. Haines’s killer is shown to be left-handed, as were the killers in both previous videos.

All three videos begin with the hostages making speeches to the camera. Haines addressed David Cameron, whereas Sotloff and Foley both addressed Obama and criticised US action against Isis.

As with Sotloff and Foley, the video begins to show Haines being beheading before moving away. It then shows the body and head on the ground.

Production/edits

All three videos are structured very similarly. Though roughly edited, the Haines video begins with a clip of David Cameron speaking about the UK decision to arm the Kurds to fight Isis. Both the Sotloff and Foley videos began with footage of Obama.

All three videos have similar production: Arabic subtitles are used throughout, title cards have similar font and the various components are edited together in a similar fashion.

At the end of the Haines video, a fourth hostage, a Briton, appears kneeling and being threatened by the killer. Haines appeared at the end of the Sotloff video and Sotloff was paraded at the end of the Foley video.