ISIS terrorists released a video Tuesday that claims to show the beheading of American journalist Steven Sotloff — apparently at the hands of the same fiend who executed James Foley two weeks ago.
The killer — dubbed “John the Beatle” — taunts on the new video, “I’m back, Obama” before sawing off his victim’s head with a large knife.
In the gruesome footage, titled “A second message to America,’’ Sotloff can be seen kneeling in orange garb in front of his black-masked executioner after news footage of President Obama talking tough about the Syrian terror group.
Sotloff, with his hands tied behind his back, stoically tells the camera that he is “paying the price’’ for US intervention in Syria.
“Obama, your foreign policy of intervention in Iraq was supposed to be for the preservation of American lives and interests. So why is it that I am having to pay the price of your interference with my life? Am I not an American citizen?” the Florida man says.
His ISIS killer then says in a British accent, “I’m back, Obama, and I’m back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State.
“Just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people.”
As Sotloff struggles and tries to stand, his killer starts to slit his throat.
The camera cuts out to black, then footage shows what appears to be Sotloff’s severed head placed on his stomach.
The terror thugs said a British captive, David Cawthorne Haines, would be next.
Footage of Haines, believed to be a security worker for humanitarian-aid groups, was shown in the same kneeling position as Foley and Sotloff before their executions.
The killer, apparently referring to Britain, warns “governments that enter this evil alliance of America . . . to back off and leave our people alone.”
Sotloff’s anguished mother, Shirley, pleaded for mercy from her son’s captors in a heartbreaking video released last week.
“My son Steven is in your hands,” Shirley Sotloff said.
Sotloff’s grief-stricken father declined comment to The Post after the beheading video surfaced Tuesday.
“We’re too upset. The only thing I have to say is that they’re heartbroken,” a friend said of the family.
A family spokesman added, “The family knows of this horrific tragedy and is grieving privately.”
Foley’s family, still reeling from his death, said in a statement on Facebook, “We pray for the soul of Steve Sotloff and for his family and friends.”
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was in the middle of a daily briefing with reporters in DC when news surfaced about the new video, which lasted just under 3 minutes.
Earnest said authorities were working to confirm whether the video was real.
“The United States has dedicated significant time and resources in an attempt to rescue Mr. Sotloff,’’ he said. The video “is something that will be analyzed very carefully by the U.S. government and our intelligence officials to determine its authenticity.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Sotloff and Mr. Sotloff’s family,” Earnest added.
Sotloff — who freelanced for TIME magazine as well as Foreign Policy and the Christian Science Monitor — was abducted in Syria in August 2013.
He was captured near Aleppo after entering the country from Turkey.
He was last seen in the grisly video of Foley’s execution — when the terrorist killers threatened that he would be next.
“The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision,” Foley’s ISIS killer hissed at the time.
In the video released Tuesday, Sotloff recites an apparently coerced, anti-American speech, as did Foley, before his death.
“I am Stephen Joel Sotloff, I’m sure you know exactly who I am by now, and why I am appearing before you. And now it is time for my message,’’ Sotloff says.
“You have spent billions of US taxpayers dollars, and we have lost thousands of our troops in our previous fighting against the Islamic State. So where is the American interest in reigniting this war?” he adds, addressing Obama.
“From what little I know about foreign policy, I remember a time where you couldn’t win an election without promising to bring our troops back home from Iraq and Afghanistan and to close down Guantanamo.
“Here you are now Obama, nearing the end of your term and having achieved none of the above and deceivingly marching us, the American people into a blazing fire,” Sotloff says.
His murderer says the freelance journalist’s death is retribution for recent US airstrikes on ISIS strongholds, such as around the Mosul Dam and Amirli.
At the start of the video, footage is aired of Obama saying,”The United States of America will continue to do what we must do to protect our people. We will be vigilant and we will be relentless.
“When people harm Americans anywhere, we will do what’s necessary to see that justice is done. And we will act against [ISIS] standing alongside others.”
The masked killer responds, “You, Obama, have but to gain from your actions but another American citizen.”
But US officials said Tuesday they are undeterred in their battle against the terrorists.
“As long as they continue to pose a threat to the [dam], we’re going to continue to hit ’em, and we are,” said Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby.
“This is not an organization that we haven’t been watching,” Kirby said.
Still, “the speed with which they took control of the north in Iraq definitely got a lot of people’s attention. Nobody expected that four divisions of the Iraqi army would fold the way they did.”
As for Sotloff, TIME editor Nancy Gibbs said in a statement: “Steven was a valued contributor to TIME and other news organisations, and he gave his life so readers would have access to information from some of the most dangerous places in the world. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”
Additional reporting by Marisa Schultz in Washington