U.S. charges IS members behind deaths of Americans, Japanese in Syria

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday that it has charged two alleged Islamic State militant fighters with terrorism offenses relating to the hostage-taking and killings of four Americans, as well as nationals of Britain and Japan, in Syria.Former British citizens Alexanda Kotey, 36, and El Shafee Elsheikh, 32, have been leading participants in an Islamic State hostage-taking cell dubbed "The Beatles" -- a name their captives gave them because of their British accents and their history together in Britain -- from 2012 to 2015, according to the indictment.The victims of …READ FULL ARTICLE