Smoke raises behind an Islamic State flag after Iraqi security forces and Shiite fighters took control of Saadiya in Diyala province from Islamist State militants, November 24, 2014.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s decision to send troops to Iraq has received mixed reactions from experts. While some believe that it will help the security of the country, some think that it is unlikely to make Iraqi army stronger. Smoke raises behind an Islamic State flag after Iraqi security forces and Shiite fighters took control of Saadiya in Diyala province from Islamist State militants, November 24, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer REUTERS/Stringer

Majority of Americans believe the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militants will attack the United States in the future. In a newspoll, most of the respondents felt the terrorist group should be captured by U.S. forces and detain the militants in Guantanamo Bay rather than a U.S. federal prison.

In a Fox News poll, 81 percent of American voters expect ISIS to launch an attack on American soil in the future while 48 percent believe the scenario is "very likely." Despite U.S. President Barack Obama's interest to close the detention centre in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, majority of the poll voters want the facility to remain open so ISIS prisoners can stay there.

The poll also revealed that more voters disapprove the way Mr Obama is handling the growing threat of ISIS. Respondents want to put ISIS as the second priority of the president and the U.S. economy as his topmost concern.

Meanwhile, ISIS militants are reportedly trying to ask for $1 million for the return of the remains of James Foley, the 40-year-old U.S. journalist who was beheaded by the group in August. He was the first among several beheadings of hostages from Western countries. Middlemen with links to ISIS told Buzzfeed that the extremist group wants to obtain cash in exchange for Foley's body.

According to the report, ISIS would provide the party interested on Foley's remains with a DNA sample for analysis. The morbid exchange would be allegedly carried out across the Turkish border. A former Syrian rebel fighter was approached by one of ISIS' leaders who wanted him to handle a deal for the body of Foley. The former rebel told Buzzfeed that the DNA sample will not be given without the money.

Since Foley's execution, ISIS has released more beheading videos of other Western hostages including U.S.-born journalist Steven Sotloff, UK aid worker Alan Henning and U.S. aid worker Peter Kassig. Previous reports were unclear about the exact number of Western hostages still in ISIS captivity.

The release of beheading videos has prompted Yemen's Al Qaeda to denounce the "barbaric" acts. Al-Arabiya reported that a senior military commander of the group in Yemen responded to questions posted on social media on the issue of whether Al Qaeda was copying the tactics of their alleged rival group, ISIS.

Nasr bin al-Ansi called the beheadings of ISIS as "very barbaric" and condemned the filming of executions in the name of Islam and Jihad is a "big mistake", the AP Press quoted. The media interview was reportedly done before the U.S. raid in a failed attempt to rescue a hostage from Al Qaeda in Yemen.

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