Donald Trump’s terror chief has demanded the UK takes back Shamima Begum and other members of the Islamic State held in Syrian prison camps.
Sebastian Gorka said that any nation that wishes to be a “serious ally” to the US should honour its “commitment” to the international fight against Isis by taking back its citizens.
He said this “doubly” applies to Britain, and by doing so, the UK would solidify the strong ties between the two countries under the Trump’s incoming second term in the Oval Office.
As many as 20 British women, 40 children and 10 men are thought to be currently detained in prison camps in northeastern Syria, charities working in the region have claimed.
Shamima Begum travelled to Syria from London in February 2015GettyBegum, a 25-year old woman originally from London, was one of those who left for Syria, joining the Islamic terror group in 2015.
She has been held in the US-backed Syrian Democratic Force Roj detention camp in north-eastern Syria for the past five years.
Begum’s British citizenship was revoked on national security grounds following a lengthy legal battle.
When asked if the UK should be forced to accept Isis members back, Gorka told The Times: “Any nation which wishes to be seen to be a serious ally and friend of the most powerful nation in the world should act in a fashion that reflects that serious commitment”
“That is doubly so for the UK which has a very special place in President Trump’s heart and we would all wish to see the ‘special relationship’ fully re-established.”
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Sebastian Gorka said that any nation that wishes to be a ‘serious ally’ to the US should honour its ‘commitment’ to the international fight against ISIS by taking back citizens currently in limbo in northeast Syria
Reuters
Tasnime Akunjee, the lawyer representing the Begum family, warned that if the Roj camp closed, Begum would be in danger of being “bled out” into the northern Syrian desert.
He said that this situation would strengthen the legal argument against the Government’s decision to deprive her of citizenship.
The SDF’s control of northern Syria has faced mounting pressure as Turkey backed the new Syrian rebel force, which could lead to the closure of camps and prisons.
Born and raised in Tower Hamlets, Begum married an Isis fighter after travelling to Syria and had three children, all of whom died young.
The intervention is the latest signal that the incoming Trump administration is taking a more robust approach towards its allies
Reuters
The previous Government stripped her of British citizenship, arguing that she posed a threat to national security if she returned home.
In 2021, Joe Biden said that the UK had a “moral responsibility” to repatriate Isis members from northern Syria. However, there was no implications that failure to do so would damage the special relationship.
The intervention is the latest signal that the incoming Trump administration is taking a more robust approach towards its allies.
The President-elect has also threatened to impose global tariffs on imports, which would damage struggling European economies.