Syrian Kurds capture two British IS militants - U.S. officials

By Mark Hosenball

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two British Islamic State militants known for their role in the torture and killings of Western hostages were captured by Syrian Kurdish fighters, two U.S. officials said on Thursday.

 

The men were the last of a group of four militants known as the "Beatles," for their English accents, to remain at large.

 

The two, whose capture was first reported by the New York Times, were identified as Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh.

 

A separate U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had captured the two in early January in eastern Syria. The official said U.S. forces in the area had been given access to the militants.

 

A U.S.-led coalition has pushed Islamic State out of most of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria, but its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, who proclaimed the self-styled caliphate in 2014, remains at large.

 

The U.S. State Department sanctioned Kotey in January 2017, saying he was a guard for the "Beatles" and "likely engaged in the group’s executions and exceptionally cruel torture methods, including electronic shock and waterboarding."

 

Kotey had also acted as a recruiter and was responsible for recruiting several British nationals to join the militant group, the State Department said.

 

In March 2017, the State Department sanctioned Elsheikh, saying he was "said to have earned a reputation for waterboarding, mock executions, and crucifixions while serving as an ISIS jailer."

 

The most notorious of the four was Mohammed Emwazi, known as "Jihadi John," an executioner of hostages made famous by Islamic State videos of beheadings.

 

A U.S.-British missile strike believed to have killed Emwazi, a British citizen of Arab origin, was months in preparation but came together at lightning speed in 2015 in the Syrian town of Raqqa, according to U.S. officials.

 

Emwazi became the public face of Islamic State and a symbol of its brutality after appearing in videos showing the murders of U.S. journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley, U.S. aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto and other hostages.

 

(Reporting by Mark Hosenball. Additional reporting by Idrees Ali.; Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by Mary Milliken and James Dalgleish)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-09

So, I wonder if the British gov't will try to intervene on their behalf and assure they are well treated?

 

52 minutes ago, Credo said:

So, I wonder if the British gov't will try to intervene on their behalf and assure they are well treated?

 

I believe they were already stripped of British nationality. Off to Guantanamo me thinks!

I am increasingly impressed with the Kurds. We should help them create a corridor to the Med. A nice thank you to Erdogan for supporting ISIS ?

They'll probably be sent back to the UK, given free council houses and counseling to make them better persons!!!   Whilst loyal British subjects have to sleep on the streets.

Did Kurds sing "You Can't do That" or "Get Back" to them? And they reply with "Help!" or "Run for your Life"? I guess these Brit turds now do have something to get hung about...

please please post a video of you chopping their **** heads off

57 minutes ago, Grouse said:

I am increasingly impressed with the Kurds. We should help them create a corridor to the Med. A nice thank you to Erdogan for supporting ISIS ?

Who is "we"? And whoever "we" is, while they're at it, why don't they bring democracy to the middle east, too?

If the other one the caught is anything to go by ,its 7 years in prison . should just be a bullet in the head .

1 hour ago, ilostmypassword said:

Who is "we"? And whoever "we" is, while they're at it, why don't they bring democracy to the middle east, too?

The people who enabled ISIS to be defeated (largely) with their blood. In otherwords, The West.

 

As for democracy, give the Middle East another 5 centuries and then we should attempt.

Edited February 9, 20188 yr by Grouse

5 hours ago, Credo said:

So, I wonder if the British gov't will try to intervene on their behalf and assure they are well treated?

 

I would presume so, given what a PC bunch they are. Care more about terrorists than their own ex servicemen and old people.

I hope those 2 rot in Guantanamo till they die.

3 hours ago, bert bloggs said:

If the other one the caught is anything to go by ,its 7 years in prison . should just be a bullet in the head .

That guy was jailed by the Turks and when finished his time will be extradited to UK to face further charges. Would assume will serve a very lengthy jail time in the UK

4 hours ago, Grouse said:

I am increasingly impressed with the Kurds. We should help them create a corridor to the Med. A nice thank you to Erdogan for supporting ISIS ?

 

A "corridor to the Med" would require conquering a bit of northern Syria, and almost certainly war with Turkey as well. Syrian Kurdish aspirations currently focus on some sort of autonomy or even less than that - and even this is difficult to achieve.

Only Paul and Ringo left now.

26 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I would presume so, given what a PC bunch they are. Care more about terrorists than their own ex servicemen and old people.

I hope those 2 rot in Guantanamo till they die.

Yeah OK, HMG is so PC. HMG doesn't take out terrorists by use of drones, SAS etc - LOL

Edited February 9, 20188 yr by simple1

I hope the Kurds intervue these I S, guys with their techniques that get lots of info out of them.

I have zero sympathy for any IS member, no matter where they were born, and wished the

lot of them were dead and gone. 

Geezer

1 minute ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

I hope the Kurds intervue these I S, guys with their techniques that get lots of info out of them.

I have zero sympathy for any IS member, no matter where they were born, and wished the

lot of them were dead and gone. 

Geezer

They've been handed over to US forces. Trump wanted to re-introduce use of torture, but rejected by Secretary of Defense Mattis.

Now that they're behind bars, can we maybe change their nickname to the Yardbirds?

Edited February 9, 20188 yr by Gecko123

Am I the only one that objects to the media calling these terrorists "The Beatles"?  They are not some love-able rogues with moptop haircuts wowing young prepubescent girls and whipping them into a frenzy of adoration. It just seems like there is an attempt to make them appear cute or friendly. I can think of far better/more suitable nicknames for these 4.

5 hours ago, simple1 said:

That guy was jailed by the Turks and when finished his time will be extradited to UK to face further charges. Would assume will serve a very lengthy jail time in the UK

Yes in a nice prison cell all his religous and dietry needs seen to ,while radicalizing others and watching tv ,playing on his x box and living on my taxes . i think my first suggestion was better .

3 hours ago, simple1 said:

That guy was jailed by the Turks and when finished his time will be extradited to UK to face further charges. Would assume will serve a very lengthy jail time in the UK

According to post #3 they were stripped of British nationality. If so, why would they be sent to Britain?

16 minutes ago, stevenl said:

According to post #3 they were stripped of British nationality. If so, why would they be sent to Britain?

I can find no mention of any of them being stripped of UK citizenship. However, a UK media report did state the guy in a Turkish jail will be extradited to UK upon completion of sentence. Another member posted saying life in a UK Cat A prison would be great for these types, I seriously doubt that claim

9 hours ago, Grouse said:

I am increasingly impressed with the Kurds. We should help them create a corridor to the Med. A nice thank you to Erdogan for supporting ISIS ?

Cut the ties with Turkey ASAP....actually NOW.....what is being waited ?  Erdogan supports terrorism !

2 hours ago, simple1 said:

I can find no mention of any of them being stripped of UK citizenship. However, a UK media report did state the guy in a Turkish jail will be extradited to UK upon completion of sentence. Another member posted saying life in a UK Cat A prison would be great for these types, I seriously doubt that claim

Not officially confirmed by the H O but a lot of UK press running with the story that they have been stripped of U K Citizenship and will almost certainly end up in Guantanamo if not already there as they were lifted over a mth ago .. Its not clear if the one already in a Turkish jail has had the same removal of citizenship exercised upon him but will almost certainly face further enquires as and when he gets out of Turkey .. 

8 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

Now that they're behind bars, can we maybe change their nickname to the Yardbirds?

The Damned may be more in keeping ..

16 hours ago, bert bloggs said:

If the other one the caught is anything to go by ,its 7 years in prison . should just be a bullet in the head .

The families of the victims, of these scum, are calling for them to be put on trial. 

Four guys with Brit accents so they call them Beatles?  Pretty damned simple minded. 

Next time I see five Brit guys together I'll ask which one is Dave Clark.

 

 

 

Edited February 9, 20188 yr by bendejo

Hand them over to the Iraqis. They will get a speedy military trial and the resulting sentence will be carried out post haste. 

8 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Not officially confirmed by the H O but a lot of UK press running with the story that they have been stripped of U K Citizenship and will almost certainly end up in Guantanamo if not already there as they were lifted over a mth ago .. Its not clear if the one already in a Turkish jail has had the same removal of citizenship exercised upon him but will almost certainly face further enquires as and when he gets out of Turkey .. <snip>

The two captured have now had their UK citizenship removed. However, no mention of the guy in Turkey. The article below claims the two are now stateless, which I assume will mean they will be indefinitely held in detention wherever they are held by a Western ally nation.

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/two-isis-beatles-are-stripped-of-british-citizenship-7q8f633ks

1 hour ago, simple1 said:

The two captured have now had their UK citizenship removed. However, no mention of the guy in Turkey. The article below claims the two are now stateless, which I assume will mean they will be indefinitely held in detention wherever they are held by a Western ally nation.

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/two-isis-beatles-are-stripped-of-british-citizenship-7q8f633ks

Oh yes where ever they end up it will be for a lifetime .. Which is still too good for them and more than they deserve .. 

Edited February 9, 20188 yr by Justgrazing
Sp