Steven Joel Sotloff (May 11, 1983 – September 2, 2014) was an American journalist. He is best known for his work for Time. He also worked for The National Interest, Media Line, and Foreign Policy. He has appeared on CNN and Fox News. He has traveled to Syria, Egypt, Turkey, Libya, and Bahrain.
Sotloff was born and raised in Miami, Florida. His father is Arthur Sotloff. His mother is Shirley Pulwer. He studied at universities in Florida and New Hampshire.
Kidnapping
On August 4, 2013, Sotloff was kidnapped in Aleppo, Syria near the Turkey border. He is currently being held captive by ISIS Islamic militants in eastern Syria. On August 19, 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant released a video titled "A Message to America", showing the beheading of fellow journalist James Foley. At the end of the video, ISIS threatened U.S. president Barack Obama, telling him that "his next move" will decide the fate of Sotloff.
However, only days after this threat was released, the U.S. stepped up airstrikes against ISIS. The U.S. fired 14 missiles at various ISIS Humvees near the Mosul Dam.
Beheading
On September 2, 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant released a video of the beheading of a man they identified as Sotloff.
Related pages
James Foley (photojournalist)