Career
The reason given by the kidnappers, the Army of Ansar First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Sunna, was that he was employed by the United States Army. On October 22, 2004, a video was posted on the website of the Army of Ansar First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Sunna, apparently showed the beheading of Kanaan. Kanaan was shown in a picture surrounded by the three hooded gunmen with a banner of the Army of Ansar First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Sunna in the background.
They accused him of being an American spy recruited in Mosul.
In the video the man makes a statement:
"My name is Seif Adnan Kanaan. I work at Mosul airport.
My second job is to supply beverages to the United States army," the victim said, surrounded by three hooded gunmen. One of the gunmen then reads a statement saying that "the mujahedeen (Islamic fighters) in Mosul were able to capture.. a crusader spy recruited by United States forces to spy and inform on the mujahedeen in Mosul."
"We tell people like him: the door of repentance is open.
Announce your repentance and live in peace among your kin," the gunman said.
He then warned that "The mujahedeen will catch those who persist in working with United States forces, and settle for nothing less than beheading them."
The man was beheaded after "confessing to all the actions he carried out." The group also posted the statement on its website, accompanied by pictures of the beheading. The video showed the man who read the statement later beheading the victim with a knife. He placed the head on the back of the victim, who lay in a pool of blood.
The man had been killed "to serve as a lesson for others," the murderer said.
