Whose responsibility is the child in that ISIS propaganda video?
The British government is investigating the origins of two possible British nationals involved in a recent Islamic State propaganda video.
The British government is investigating the origins of two possible British nationals involved in a recent Islamic State propaganda video.
London's聽mayor聽says聽a聽small聽child聽shown聽threatening聽non-Muslims聽in a grisly聽Islamic聽State聽video聽should聽be聽taken聽from his聽parents聽if the聽family聽ever聽returns聽to聽Britain.
The boy, thought to be 4 or 5, was identified by a man who told聽Britain's聽Channel 4 News that he is his grandfather. The man, whose daughter converted to聽Islam聽and moved to Syria with her聽family, said the boy doesn't know what he is doing and is being used for propaganda purposes.
The Associated Press isn't naming the grandfather to avoid identifying the聽child, who is seen on the聽video wearing camouflage and聽saying: "Go kill the kuffar (non-believer) over there!"
London聽Mayor聽Boris Johnson said Tuesday that that boy聽should聽be placed in foster care.
"This聽child聽is a victim of聽child聽abuse and he is, as I understand it, a British national," Johnson said. "I think we have a duty of care."
British intelligence officials wouldn't comment on what they call a live anti-terrorism investigation.
Helen Bower, spokeswoman for Prime Minister David Cameron, said an initial assessment has been completed, but that officials won't comment on the identities of the people involved "at any stage of the process."
The聽video, posted Sunday, features a masked man who speaks with a British accent before he and four masked colleagues use pistols to kill five purported spies at close range. The masked man appears to have stepped into the role formerly played by British citizen Mohammed Emwazi, who was killed by a drone strike in November after taking part in a series of beheading聽videos聽that earned him the nickname "Jihadi John."
British news media have said the man might be a British citizen who was born a Hindu and converted to聽Islam. That man was arrested in聽Britain聽in 2014 for suspected links to banned extremist groups, but fled to Syria after he was freed on bail. People who know him, including his sister, couldn't聽say聽for sure whether he is the man in the聽video.
Home Secretary Theresa May has agreed to brief Parliament later Tuesday to explain how the man was able to leave聽Britain聽for Syria despite having been arrested for terrorism-related offenses.
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