LONDON, United Kingdom – The British government has demanded the addition of four of its own citizens to the UN's list of Jihadis facing international sanctions. This is the first time the UK has asked for its own passport holders to have their assets frozen and be prevented from travelling, according to the BBC.
The UN sanction regime was first introduced to curb the expansion of the Islamic State, and the British government is known to be lobbying for more of its nationals to be added to the list. It is rare for a country to call for its own citizens to be targeted this way and demonstrates a hardening of attitudes in London.
Estimates of the number of British citizens fighting for the Islamic State range from around 500 to 1500, but experts accept the numbers are growing. The four placed on the UN's updated list are already well known for their involvement with the war in Syria and Iraq. The alleged terrorists are:
Aqsa Mahmood, 21, who has been accused of recruiting three London schoolgirls to join the Islamic State - something her parents have denied. Nasser Muthana, 21, who stands accused of appearing in videos showing beheadings, although his father said it was not him.
Sally-Anne Jones, 46 - reportedly a former rock musician - has been dubbed the "punk jihadi" by the tabloid newspapers and is accused of recruiting for the group. Omar Hussain, 28, a former supermarket security guard, has appeared in a propaganda video and was interviewed on Newsnight.
The media is widely reporting that a fifth name was submitted by the British as part of David Cameron's visit to the United Nations in New York. That name was rejected by the UN at this stage but may be added at a later date. This will depend on the UK offering credible evidence that the individual is a threat to global security.
Attempts to freeze assets of British jihadis was described by a UK diplomat as a way of attempting to win “hearts and minds” after Cameron ordered the killing of two British terrorists without the approval of Parliament.
As previously reported on Townhall, a Royal Air Force drone killed the British born terrorists just days after the Islamic State threatened to kill HM The Queen.
The Prime Minister, David Cameron, admitted he had ordered the strike in a statement on the first day back after Parliamentary summer holidays, and claimed the country had acted in “self-defense”. Mr Cameron authorized the unprecedented “precision” strike to kill the men on 21st August 2015.
This was just days after the Victory in Japan Day celebrations, which the Islamic State had said it would blow up. The event was attended by The Queen, Prince Charles and the Prime Minister despite the threat to their lives.
Since the attacks the British government has privately told journalists that it has a 'hit list' of British terrorists it intends to kill. Top of the list is Mohammed Emwazi, the Kuwaiti welfare claimant whose family cost the British taxpayer millions in free housing before he left London to join the Jihad.
The killing of British nationals without trial has proved overwhelmingly popular in the UK, but has attracted criticisms from the liberal left.
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