British ISIS members in Syria must be killed in almost all cases: Minister

Rory Stewart said converts to the terror group believed in an “extremely hateful doctrine”, saying militants can expect to be killed given the threat they pose to British security.

Hundreds of British citizens are known to have travelled to Syria to fight with terrorist groups during the course of the six-year conflict.

Brett McGurk, a top US envoy for the so-called coalition fighting ISIS has said his mission is to ensure every foreign ISIS militants in Syria dies in Syria.

The minister said they were “very difficult moral issues”, adding: “These are people who have essentially moved away from any kind of allegiance towards the British Government.

“They are absolutely dedicated, as members of the ISIS, towards the creation of a caliphate, they believe in an extremely hateful doctrine which involves killing themselves, killing others and trying to use violence and brutality to create an eighth century, or seventh century, state.

“So I’m afraid we have to be serious about the fact these people are a serious danger to us, and unfortunately the only way of dealing with them will be, in almost every case, to kill them.”

Stewart, a former diplomat, went on to say: “These are people who are executing people in the back of their heads, who have held women and children hostage, who are torturing and murdering, trying by violence to impose their will.

“Our response has to be, when somebody does that, I’m afraid, to deal with that.”

Stewart also said British authorities had made it “very clear” that people should not be volunteering with militia groups to fight ISIS.

“If you wish to serve your country and you wish to fight terrorism, then please apply to join the military or join the police or join our intelligence services. We’ll train you, we’ll work with you to do it in a legal and controlled fashion,” he said.




/257