Was Steven Sotloff Working With Al-Qaeda In Syria And Did He Get Himself Kidnapped On Purpose?

In the below conversation between Steven Sotloff and Matthew VanDyke, VanDyke refers to his kickstarter campaign to raise money for him to join the fight with Al-Qaeda.  Steven Sotloff, speaks of smuggling an Al-Qaeda fighter into Syria. 

And below is the conversation where Steven Sotloff and VanDyke discuss getting kidnapped to improve contacts with Jihadists. (Jabha = Al-Qaeda in Syria)