Is this man an American? Chilling Islamic State executioner appears on slick 'Flames of War' execution video

American intelligence officials are alarmed by the appearance of an Islamic State jihadist who apparently speaks perfect English with an American accent. The video underscores concern that Americans could be participating in atrocities under the banner of the Islamic State.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - An Islamic State recruitment video features a narrator who apparently speaks fluent English with an American accent. It is unclear who the man is, and if he is in fact and American. The video, called "Flames of War" features the jihadist overseeing the execution of Syrian soldiers as he narrates the video.

In the video, the jihadist explains that men behind him working with shovels are digging their graves. He adds that this will be the fate of every "kafir," meaning "non-believer," they capture. The slickly-produced video then features several scenes showing Islamic State fighters destroying several pieces of modern hardware including U.S.-made equipment left in Iraq.

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At the end of the video, the prisoners are knelt in a row before the graves they dug, while a line of terrorists stands behind the victims, each man with a pistol aimed at the head of a captive. In dramatic fashion, all the victims are shot in the head simultaneously, falling dead into the pit.

Authorities want to identify the man who is speaking in the video, however he is masked and it is unclear if he is an American or an Arab who speaks fluent English. He could be someone who studied in the United States. He switches perfectly between Arabic and English.

Authorities believe the message is aimed at a western audience. The video is in English and features someone who sounds like an American. The subtext is the suggestion that the Islamic State has sympathizers even in the United States who are capable of blending into the fabric of American society, but ready and willing to tear that fabric when the moment comes.

In essence, the aim of the video is to terrorize the United States.

While some may be gravely concerned with the video and the possibility of Americans fighting for the Islamic State, or more importantly, staging terrorist attacks in the US on behalf of the Islamic State, it also hints at a fatal weakness.

Terrorists operate asymmetrically, staging pinpoint attacks, often against unarmed civilians because they can do no better. In a proper fight against regular American troops, these same men will fare badly. They may be motivated and hardened, but they lack the training, equipment and technology that multiplies forces and makes them truly deadly on a large scale.

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The only advantage the Islamic State presently enjoys is the reluctance of the Obama administration to commit ground forces to the fight. If that decision is reversed, the Islamic State would crumble much faster.

For now, intelligence officials are carefully analyzing the video, looking at the voice of the narrator and any clues as to his identity and origin.

The future for the Islamic State is bleak, despite their success in running amok in Syria and Iraq. In desperation however, we can expect them to become increasingly violent and dramatic in their messages and measures.

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