Reply #21: Do I believe...?

[metasphere]

that terrorists have kidnapped people and are threatening to cut their heads off (and have done so in the recent past), and they are doing this out of some barbaric worldview that it is just and consistent with Islamic teaching?

Yes.

The story isnt "coming out of the White House", I see it on BBC, CNN and read about it in the Washington Post. I also saw it on the Al Jazeera website, which I believe is where it was first reported.

Could I be wrong, and could it all be an elaborate fake? Yes, obviously I am not on the scene, have no first hand knowledge. But it just seems so completely implausible on so many levels to think that the whole story is contrived, or that it represents a sinister conspiracy between the US govt and terrorists.

I don't support the repression of any ideas, but I can give my opinion about their merits. If you want to believe in a conspiracy theory about these kidnappings, it is your right. But unless you can present stronger evidence than you have done so far, we can agree to disagree.