|
 The black-clad militant brandishing a knife and speaking with an
English accent was shown in videos released by Islamic State (IS)
apparently decapitating hostages including Americans, Britons and
Syrians.
"When there are people anywhere in the world who commit appalling
and heinous crimes against British citizens, we will do everything
we can with the police, with the security services, with all that we
have at our disposal to find these people and put them out of
action," Cameron said.
Cameron refused to comment on the identification of "Jihadi John" as
26-year-old British militant Mohammed Emwazi, but said that people
should get behind the security services, which he praised as
impressive and dedicated to defending Britain.
Emwazi was known to the security services, which had tried to
recruit him, according to prisoners' group Cage. The case has
sparked debate about whether the security services let him slip
through their grasp to join IS in Syria.
Dressed entirely in black, a balaclava covering all but his eyes and
the bridge of his nose and a holster under his left arm, Jihadi John
became a menacing symbol of Islamic State brutality and one of the
world's most wanted men.
 He used videos to threaten the West, admonish its Arab allies and
taunt President Barack Obama and Cameron before petrified hostages
cowering in orange jump suits.
Emwazi's name was first disclosed by the Washington Post. Two U.S.
government sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told Reuters
that investigators believed Jihadi John was Emwazi.
The Sun and The Daily Mail newspapers published a picture showing a
schoolboy Emwazi smiling and sitting cross-legged on the grass at
the front of the photograph from the St Mary Magdalene Church of
England primary school in Maida Vale, West London.
A picture of him as a student was later broadcast by Sky News,
showing a young man with a moustache and goatee beard, wearing a cap
with a logo resembling the P from the Pittsburgh Pirates U.S. Major
League Baseball team.
BRITISH KILLER
Born in Kuwait, Emwazi came to Britain aged 6 and graduated with a
computer programming degree from the University of Westminster
before coming to the attention of Britain's main domestic
intelligence service, MI5, according to an account given by Asim
Qureshi, research director of Cage, a group that campaigns for those
detained on terrorism charges.
Emwazi, a fluent Arabic speaker, said MI5 had tried to recruit him
and then prevented him from traveling abroad, forcing him to leave
the country without telling his family, Qureshi told a news
conference in London.
In a meeting with reporters, Qureshi cast Emwazi as a kind and
thoughtful young man who faced harassment from MI5, which apparently
suspected he wanted to join the Somali Islamist militant group al
Shabaab.
[to top of second column] |
That account prompted criticism of MI5. But there was little
patience with the narrative of Emwazi's life presented by Qureshi,
who called him a "beautiful man".
"Cage maintain the enemy is the security services, is the state,"
Professor Anthony Glees, Director of the Centre for Security and
Intelligence Studies, told Reuters.
"The truth could not be more different. Intelligence services are on
the whole non-interventionist."
Cameron's spokeswoman said it was "completely reprehensible" to seek
to shift the blame from a killer to those seeking to keep British
citizens safe.
The daughter of David Haines, a Scottish aid worker who was beheaded
by Islamic State in September, told ITV news there should be more
security at airports.
Bethany Haines also said she would not rest until Emwazi received a
"bullet between his eyes".
The family of Steven Sotloff, a U.S. journalist beheaded in August,
said they had faith his killer would be brought to justice.
"There's going to be no closure until these people are brought to
justice," family spokesman Barak Barfi told Sky News.
MI5 does not publicly comment on the identity of militants or their
backgrounds while an investigation is still ongoing.
"Jihadi John" fronted Islamic State videos that showed either the
killing or bodies of victims including U.S. citizens James Foley,
Steven Sotloff and Peter Kassig, Britons David Haines and Alan
Henning, Japanese Kenji Goto and over 20 Syrian soldiers.
(Additional reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein, Kate Holton and Kylie
MacLellan; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Peter
Millership, Giles Elgood and Philippa Fletcher)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
