Video shows beheading of Shiite man

A video surfaced today showing what was claimed to be a confession and beheading of an Shiite Muslim, presumably Iraqi, who served the US army by “assassinating Sunni leaders”.

The video’s authenticity could not be verified, but it was posted in the name of Ansar al-Sunna Army, on a website where such militant content is often released.

It showed a man, who identified himself as Al-Sayed Alaa al-Malki, kneeling in front of two masked gunmen.

His face bruised and dark circles beneath his eyes, the bearded, heavyset man spoke in a shaky voice of ties to a Shiite militia and to a former US military commander in Iraq.

Then, he was shown held down on his back, his face covered with a white sheet and his head being cut off.

Afterward, the sheet was removed to again show the man’s face.

In the video, the man, whose accent was Iraqi, said he was a follower of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. He said he “had close relationship with the Sadr army … and relations with political leaders such as the (Lieutenant General Ricardo) Sanchez”.

Sanchez was replaced as head of US and coalition forces in Iraq on July 1.