Johnson accuses group of 'an apology for terror' in Jihadi John case
Boris Johnson has accused an advocacy group in the UK of being apologists for terrorism after it said the Londoner believed to be Islamic State executioner Jihadi John had previously been harassed by the British security services.
The Conservative London mayor said today it was “incredible” that Cage could “stand up and pretend that somehow it was the fault of the security forces” that Mohammed Emwazi became radicalised.
Reports yesterday unmasked Kuwait-born Emwazi as the Islamic State (IS) frontman seen posing in several barbaric videos of hostages being murdered.
But his former confidant Asim Qureshi, research director of Cage, claimed “beautiful young man” Emwazi was interrogated by MI5 and subjected to security agency harassment before becoming a now-infamous militant.
Mr Johnson said: “I have to say I felt very strongly, having watched that broadcast, that it was incredible that people could stand up and pretend that somehow it was the fault of the security forces for trying to apprehend and impede these guys and that that could somehow cause them to be radicalised.
“I think that is beyond satire and amounts to nothing less than an apology for terror. I hope they will be rethinking their position.
“Obviously people talk about putting a bullet between the eyes of terrorists and I think everyone can understand their feelings and see why families of victims would respond in that way.”
Security services are facing mounting questions over claims that British graduate Emwazi was known to MI5.
At a press conference in London yesterday, Mr Qureshi described him as “extremely kind” and “extremely gentle”. But family members of his victims, including US journalist Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines, later called for him to be brought to justice.
Mr Haines’ daughter Bethany told ITV victims’ families would feel closure only “once there’s a bullet between his (Emwazi’s) eyes”.
Mr Johnson today added: “It’s absolutely shocking to see that somebody can be effectively nursed in the bosom of the British state, going to schools in London, going to universities in our city and yet come up with this absolutely hideously distorted view of the world.
“And I think it is very very important that we recognise this ideology needs to be tackled head on, it is a hideous cult.
“I was quite disappointed to listen to some of the people speaking who knew this guy and seeming as it were to exculpate what he had done and effectively blame the security services for trying to impede him and saying that it somehow causes his radicalisation.
“I think that’s absolutely mad, parodic satire. These people need to be tackled head on and their ideology need to be tackled head on by those who are most expert at exploding the nonsense they are talking about.”
Kuwaiti-born Emwazi is believed to have travelled to Syria in 2013, according to Cage.
The organisation said his family was in “utter shock” and unable to accept that Emwazi could be Jihadi John.
It is believed he later joined IS, which has taken control of large swathes of the conflict-torn country, as well as territory in neighbouring Iraq.
