Piers Morgan’s column on the burning to death of Jordanian pilot Mu’ath aql-Kaseasbeth by Isis was never going to be an easy read.

But the Daily Mail’s US editor received a surprising amount of support for his candid explanation as to why he is “glad” he watched the gruesome video released by the Islamic militants overnight.

“I wanted to watch it,” he writes. “To see for myself whether it really was, as many claimed, the ‘sickest video ever made’. But I hesitated.”

“I don’t ‘need’ to see a man burned alive,” he reasons. “Nobody ‘needs’ to see such an abomination.

Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasaesbeh (MUHAMMAD HAMED/Reuters)

“It’s diabolical enough that it happened at all. Why compound the misery of that man’s life ending by acting as some kind of complicit voyeur? Then I pressed click anyway. I watched those murderous bastards light up a trail of petrol into a small cage, I watched as Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasabeh caught fire, and I watched as he screamed in horror and burned to death. But I’m actually glad I watched it.”

Like many news reports on the murder, Morgan didn’t stop short of reviewing the production values of the execution footage, calling it “professionally-crafted” and “movie-quality” before he launched into a further account of why he’s so pleased he took the time to tune in.

“Glad I know they have no limits, no humanity, no semblance of any kind of soul,” he continues.

“Glad I saw the undisguised joy in their evil little faces as they perpetrated such a despicable act on a fellow human being.

“Glad they repeatedly switched the camera shot from blow-torch to their victim’s face so we can be under no illusion what utter sadists they are.”

Piers Morgan in quotes Show all 20 1 /20 Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “I want to interview the most important people in the world and have everyone in America the next day going, 'Did you see that?'” On Piers Morgan Live, which was recently axed. Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “Most of the men that sue in Hollywood are all about 5' 2“. They wake up every day, know they're tiny and feel very angry about it, so they go out and sue people.” Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “It was pretty compelling to watch, pretty weird, and it made me gag a few times.” – in his role as Britain’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “I'm guilt-ridden about introducing her to Paul McCartney. It was a moment of Cupid madness which cost Sir Paul $50 million, so the least I can do is ban her from the show.” - On banning Heather Mills from Piers Morgan Tonight Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “Bill O'Reilly is like a comfortable pair of shimmeringly angry slippers, but you know every night what you're going to get.” – On Bill O’Reilly Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “Why do we want someone like Ruth Kelly controlling our children? She's the scariest woman I've ever seen in politics.” - On the British Education Secretary in 2005 Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “You're an unbeleivably stupid man, aren't you?” Interviewing gun-rights activist Larry Pratt Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “There is a type of snobbish, pompous journalist who thinks that the only news that has any validity is war, famine, pestilence or politics. I don't come from that school.” Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “To all the ignorant, bigoted transgender community members continuing to abuse me re @janetmock - I'm bored of you now, go away. Thanks.” - On interviewing transgender activist Janet Mock Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “I have kind of an edge in me, which will be a little bit different for that time slot but probably necessary to combat the O'Reillys and so on who are making all the noise.” Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "Everyone's worst ever Christmas sweater > Team USA uniforms. #RalphLauren #Sochi #OpeningCeremony" - Tweeting ahead of Sochi Olympics... And wondering why he's not that popular in the US. Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "To reiterate, I have never hacked a phone, told anyone to hack a phone, nor to my knowledge published any story obtained from the hacking of a phone." - Defending himself against fresh phone-hacking allegations. Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "Anything to do with my kids really is the only thing that gets to me. It's the most difficult thing about the job, unquestionably. It's been the most difficult thing to sacrifice." - On not realising he was the editor of The Mirror once and how hypocritical this therefore sounds. Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "I wonder if poor old Jeremy Clarkson's little hissy fit today is connected to Top Gear's disintegrating ratings & rumours it may be axed?" - Embarrassing in hindsight, during a Twitter spat with Jeremy Clarkson. Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "I never realised how endlessly entertaining Twitter would turn out to be. Oh, the joy when I realised you could tweet Manchester United stars personally, ridiculing them for everything from their dodgy haircuts to offensive swimwear. And even more delicious when they began firing back like enraged Rambos on acid." - On his social media addiction. Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "I do blame people. Where were all the people making money out of her when it mattered? Really, where were they? You know, it's just not good enough and they're all going to make millions out of it now she's dead. You know, the album Back to Black is number one… but people let her down." - On passing the blame on from the pressures of the tabloid press for Amy Winehouse's death. Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “Absolutely nobody in the entire United States of America has even a modicum of interest in who I am, but I’m determined to change that." - On what he tried - and failed - to do in the US. Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "I fear I am now a victim of 'cisphobia'." - Piers Morgan combats being called 'transphobic' after sensationalised Janet Mock interview... By being massively transphobic. Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "@GaryLinekar_ Did you ever actually tackle anyone?" - To which Linekar replied, "Nope never hacked anyone". Piers Morgan in quotes Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "If I wanted a lesson on physical appearance I'd go to @evalongoria not Shrek's ugly brother" - Arguing with Rio Ferdinand on Twitter. Again.

“And as with the Nazis, the world must now come together to rout and destroy them,” he adds.

He finishes his piece by describing the terrorist network as “glorified school bullies”.

“They survive and thrive purely through fear and threats. Sometimes the only way to deal with a school bully is to thump him on the nose.”

Said thump, however, “must come from Muslims; those hundreds of millions of Muslims who’ve had enough of seeing Islam’s name and reputation being desecrated in this way.”

“And the thump has to be hard enough militarily, financially and politically to ensure ISIS is cornered and isolated like a diseased rat wherever it tries to operate.”

He ends by calling on Muslims in any doubt over their stand against Isis to watch the video of Lieutenant al-Kasabeh being burned alive, too.

“He could be YOU,” he concludes. “This is YOUR war.”