(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Militants from Islamic State (IS) have released a fourth propaganda video showing the abducted British journalist John Cantlie delivering a message under duress.
In the 6 minute 53 second video, posted online by the group's Al Furqan media outlet yesterday, Cantlie, who has been held prisoner for almost two years, said Islamic State was "dug in for the fight".
Wearing an orange jumpsuit, Cantlie, 43 warned "what that means is that anyone hoping for a nice neat surgical operation without getting their hands dirty is in for a horrible surprise once it gets underway".
The freelance photojournalist, who has worked for various newspapers including the Sunday Times, added that the violent beheading videos released by IS "were a win win" for the militant group. "If these executions force public outcry or a policy change, that is a huge victory. And If they only goad our governments into dropping more bombs and spending millions more dollars, making our countries weaker in the process, that is a victory too."
Cantlie said on the video - introduced with the title "Lend Me Your Ears" - that it was conceivable IS foreign fighters could return to their home countries and carry out attacks.
A graphic circulating last week suggested there would be eight instalments of Cantlie's "programmes", including the introduction first released on September 18. The series appears to be a polemic against western intervention against IS € what the videos have previously described as "Gulf War III".
Delivering scripted lines, Cantlie previously said: "Not since Vietnam have we witnessed such a potential mess in the making."
Last week Cantlie's father, Paul, who recently had throat surgery, made an emotional plea to IS to release his son.
"This is not how I would imagine spending my 81st year," he said from his hospital bed. Paul Cantlie added that his family had tried to contact IS "to deliver an important message regarding John" but have had no response from the fundamentalist group which now controls large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.
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