#mohammed emwazi

[radioluminescentoblivion]

“Over the years, right-wing extremism has flooded the world in both subtle and direct ways, though by far the fastest growing and concerning are ones in places like here in the west, countries that are supposed to be opposed to these dangerous actions, yet have people partake in them anyway. It seems that people are willing to fight terrorism unless it's at their front door because it's easier to fight an enemy with a similar idea in another country rather than at home: be it because they don't want to point out the obvious, they're scared of being "too political" , pushing themselves away from dangerous friends or family members, or they're in agreeance to these similar ideologies. Whatever the case, people are hesitant to point out terrorism as terrorism; it's either "lone wolf" "stochastic terrorism" or even mental health to try and downplay the severity of the situation and justify the acts in question. It doesn't also help that people who share the views to the likes of the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and the likes also hold positions in power as well, making it more difficult to combat them. The point of this post isn't to create a false equivalency but to point out terrorism and sociopolitical extremism, where ever that may be—big or small.”

-Dave Spaceman January 21st 2023

This was a politcal draw I did back in January, to bring light how extremism left to its own devices will fester to something worse, and unfortunately, since I’ve made this post, the piece becomes more and more relevant over time. 

As a matter of fact, I implore anyone who sees this post to reblog it whenever a right winger pushes for or acts on terrorism, just to remind everyone that the piece above may one day become a reality if we don’t do something about it.

[techramonic]

The Game of Common Interests: The Symbiotic Relationship of Terrorism and The Media

Mass media and terrorism have developed an interdependent relationship. The media is the terrorist’s breath of fresh air, and it is the lifeblood and sustenance of terrorism, where the media often capitalizes on the public's confusion, intrigue, and paranoia following terrorist attacks by producing sensationalized news that captures widespread attention. This dynamic, however, plays into the hands of terrorists, who exploit the extensive coverage to spread the agency of their extremist agendas and beliefs, particularly targeting and influencing vulnerable audiences, such as the youth. Professor Taha Najem of Naif Arab University had described this relationship as “symbiotic”.

In Najem's own words:

"As for the extremists, they precisely calculate the scope, location, and timing of their attacks to generate ample media attention,—or in other words, to generate advertisements for their messages on a global scale. The broader and more prolonged the media coverage of terrorism turns out to be, the greater the terrorists' feelings of accomplishment, influence, and power." (Najem, 2017).

Bruce Hoffman, the Director of the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University said:

"Only by spreading the terror and outrage to a much larger audience can the terrorists gain the maximum leverage potential."

Najem argues that the relationship between the two can be understood through the media's tendency to capitalize on horrific tragedies. It often uses these as newsworthy scoops that not only provide information but also serve as marketing opportunities and profitable publicity. In some instances, the media may unintentionally promote terrorist operations by offering excessive coverage, which is driven by their own incessant need for fame, power, money, and influence. This aligns with the perpetrator's likeness, where some stage attacks often with the sole purpose of gaining publicity and creating propaganda rather than resolving political demands.

Researchers have established that media coverage is pivotal to the success of terrorist attacks, with the scope and intensity of coverage often being more important to terrorist groups than the quality of the reporting. However, this perspective can also be overly simplistic, as it overlooks the complex relationship between media coverage and public reaction. It also fails to consider that not all terrorists prioritize publicity over their other tactical or political aims. Additionally, the complex interplay between the media and terrorism cannot be fully understood without considering the role of the state. 

Not only does this occur in mass media, but also creating trends within specific online communities. From this, we can see how there is a benefit in both parties: terrorists gain the publicity they desire, while the media profits from the heightened public interest, increasing the influx of coverage because of the heightened value. Furthermore, many individuals drawn into terrorism have been influenced by channels, websites, magazines, and other forms of media that promote bombings and suicide missions, highlighting the powerful role media can play in the recruitment and radicalization process. With this, here are some ways in which the media benefits terrorism, and vice-versa. Allowing media prevalence through marketability and terrorism through radicalization. 

World Trade Center Bombing, 2001.

On September 11, 19 terrorists from al-Qaeda hijacked and attacked the World Trade center, following four coordinated bombing-suicide attacks against the U.S. There were 2,996 deaths and approximately 6,000 injured. Over the past two decades after the attack, mainstream media audiences have witnessed a significant shift in how news was presented: the rise of dramatic and emotional storytelling, or what can be termed as "public drama."

This approach has increasingly dominated the media landscape, being a central focus on various platforms: lead stories on news programs, main broadcast discussions, and bold headlines on newspapers. This had become a prominent framework for delivering news, particularly in television, due to its entertainment-like qualities. By simplifying complex stories into easily-digestible and compelling narratives with vivid images, the audience is more engaged. News organizations and media professionals favor this dramatic approach because of the direct and cost-effective production. 

The 9/11 attack is a prime example of this trend. When news broke of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center, broadcasters were initially unprepared for the unfolding catastrophe and the dramatic and chaotic nature of the events presented challenges in conveying the news. With initial coverage featuring footage of billowing flames and smoke from the collapsed towers, the explosion of the Pentagon, and the emergency response—all were easily committed into the viewer's memories. These images captured the raw scale of the disaster and its immediate aftermath. The people were confused, afraid, and intrigued—then they became invested. Thus, the sensationalization of news was adapted.

Oklahoma City Bombing, 1995.

On April 19th, just the second anniversary of the end of the Waco siege, domestic terrorists Terry Nichols and Timothy McVeigh detonated a nitrate-fuel oil bomb in the Alfred P. Murrah Building, claiming 168 lives and injuring  680 others.

Timothy McVeigh was one of America’s most notorious domestic terrorists, and with his involvement with the crime, he was then sentenced to death by lethal injection. In June 2001, the Federal Bureau of Prisons was responsible for the execution of McVeigh.  Linda Smith and John Roberts, in their journal article, delve into one significant instance where media demands placed a heavy burden on the Federal Agency. During this time of McVeigh's execution, the Bureau faced a difficult dilemma: balancing the need to facilitate media coverage of the execution while ensuring the safety and security of the maximum-security penitentiary where it was conducted.

This situation highlights a broader paradox faced by many federal agencies. They are tasked with providing information to the media while simultaneously navigating ethical, budgetary, and legal constraints that limit their engagement in traditional public relations activities, such as advertising and lobbying, common in the private sector. Public affairs officers are legally obligated to release non-sensitive information, yet they must carefully avoid disclosing material exempt under the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act, as individual officers can be held criminally liable for such breaches. This tension between transparency and security underscores the complex challenges these agencies must navigate in their public communications.

Boston Marathon Bombing, 2013 and INSPIRE MAGAZINE.

On April 15th, exactly on America's Patriot's Day, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar (Jahar) Tsarnaev detonated two pressure cooker bombs at 2:49 p.m., just a few of hours after the winner completed the Boston Marathon, totaling to 6 deaths and 281 injuries.

Jahar had a fascination with fireworks and explosives, while Tamerlan exhibited early signs of radicalization.  Although there were no proper links of the two to terrorist groups, Jahar had revealed that the two obtained plans from Inspire, specifically its first issue revealing a step-by-step recipe on creating pressure cooker bombs or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Inspire is an English online magazine published by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), infamously known as the group that perpetrated the 9/11 and PAL 434 attacks. The magazine is one of the many ways AQAP spreads its online agenda. Both international and domestic extremists have been motivated by radical interpretations of Islam and, in some cases, used its bomb-making instructions in their attempts to carry out attacks. 

The insurgence of the 'Jihadi John Slideshow Trend'

During the period of 2014, youtube videos uploaded by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) started surfacing on the internet. This was characterized by a series of masked militants criticizing the American or British government and then tying in the statements by the gruesome beheadings of hostages, ransoms, and soldiers.

Terrorists had often used their media presence as a driving force to influence the youth into affiliating themselves with terrorist ties. One of these was Jihadi John, unveiled as British militant and Kuwaiti-born Mohamed Emwazi. In these videos, Emwazi is often seen looming over the camera holding a knife and standing next to a kneeled hostage. He ends every video by beheading his victims. One of his most famous videos was the beheading of American Journalist James Foley.

Around June 2010, Emwazi was detained and in the middle of 2020, the insurgence of the “Jihadi John Slideshow” trend had reached tiktok. While the origins of this trend still remains obscure, this has left a lasting impact on the youth. Often, the demographic consisted of teens, specifically young males, who romanticized and glorified the acts of violence portrayed by Emwazi and the aesthetic of militaristic weaponry. Many had credited this behavior to “edgy” standards and humor, however, this idealism was proven to be more unironic than it seemed. Eventually, in the proceeding years, the trend had died out, however, it had came back a few times during period intervals of 2022 to 2023.

This trend had also harmfully villainized harmless ideologies, distorting these ideas to the point where it is repulsing for the public’s perception. An example of this is the concept of Jihad, where it is essentially the Islamic philosophy of struggling to defend the religion and attaining peace within the community  and outside of it. It promotes the unity and solidarity of individuals where militaristic action is only done as a last resort of intervention. Often, Jihadi groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS have spread distorted and extremist versions of this ideology, creating a brand new concept of utilizing violent militaristic resistance to protect Islam. With this dangerous approach, muslim communities are stigmatized, discriminated against, and stereotyped. This is especially harmful because it is a large problem that affects the community in various ways, especially when terrorists rebrand concepts initially striving to attain peace as acts of hatred and war, tainting a beautiful religion with images of violence.

Conclusion

Circling back to Prof. Najem’s analysis, without the media’s attention and focus, terrorists are unable to achieve any of the following four objectives: (1) recognition of the group name or ideology, (2) ability to communicate with supporters, (3) communicate with members of the local government, (4) and depict itself as a legitimate political alternative to the current governments. To conclude this essay, the relationship between mass media and terrorism is a complex and interdependent one, where the intricacies of both entities should be carefully observed and analyzed to unravel the deeper connections between the two.

While some researchers argue that media coverage is essential for the success of terrorist attacks, this view is sometimes overly simplistic and does not fully capture the intricate relationship between media portrayal and public reaction. Additionally, not all terrorist groups prioritize publicity over their other objectives. The symbiotic relationship between the media and terrorism is further complicated by the role of the state, which must balance transparency with security.

Several case studies, including the Oklahoma City Bombing, the Boston Marathon Bombing, and the rise of figures like Jihadi John, highlight the ways in which media coverage can both shape and be shaped by terrorist actions. These examples demonstrate how terrorist groups leverage media to spread their message and recruit new members, while the media, in turn, benefits from the increased attention and revenue generated by such coverage.

Ultimately, this relationship underscores the powerful role that the media plays in both perpetuating and combating terrorism. The challenge lies in finding a balance between reporting news and preventing the unintentional promotion of extremist ideologies.

[beardedmrbean]

A teenage Muslim convert who became radicalised online during lockdown was 24 hours away from carrying out a terrorist attack when he was arrested, police have revealed.

Matthew King, 19, carried out reconnaissance on a police station and an army barracks in east London and researched buying knives and a sword on the internet.

After covertly taking photographs of police officers standing outside a magistrates court, King posted a message on Snapchat which read: “Target acquired.”

Commander Dom Murphy from Scotland Yard’s SO15 counter terrorism command said he believed King had been as little as 24 hours away from launching a low sophistication terrorist attack when he was arrested on May 18 last year at his home in Wickford, Essex.

Earlier this year, King admitted one count of preparing a terrorist act and at a hearing at London’s Old Bailey on Friday was sentenced to life with a minimum term of six years.

King, who lived with his mother and two sisters, had a troubled childhood. He was expelled from school and referred to a special educational unit in Basildon.

He converted to Islam after spending hours online while isolated during the Covid lockdown.

His mother said it initially helped him have some focus, but he quickly became more extreme in his views, questioning how his sisters dressed and calling them “slags”.

King soon became obsessed with Islamic State and began researching notorious terrorists including Mohammed Emwazi aka Jihadi John and Salman Abedi, the Manchester Arena suicide bomber.

In December 2021, King registered with an online knife supplier and made inquiries about purchasing a sword.

He also bought military-style equipment including special ops glasses, a balaclava and technical combat gloves.

In online conversations with a Muslim girlfriend, King discussed wanting to travel to Syria to become a martyr and spoke of how he dreamed of torturing and killing British and US soldiers.

‘Kill all non-Muslims’

He also changed his WhatsApp status to: “Kill all non-Muslims wherever you see them.”

King, who had been attending a mosque in Chelmsford, Essex, was asked to leave after posting messages on social media praising jihad.

His behaviour became so concerning that the police received numerous reports from members of the public including calls to the anti-terror hotline.

In April 2022, he carried out internet searches for Usman Khan and Karim Butt who were responsible for separate terror attacks in London in 2017.

At an Eid event in Southend he spoke about the importance of jihad and picked up a water pistol and squirted a community support officer.

With help from MI5, counter terror police mounted a covert surveillance operation on King and observed him carrying out hostile reconnaissance on police stations in Stratford, east London.

On May 17, King was spotted scoping out the 7th Battalion The Rifles barracks in West Ham and the following day, fearing he was just hours from launching an attack, counter-terror police raided his home and arrested him.

Commander Murphy praised the actions of those who had reported King and said lives had probably been saved.

He said: “I know public confidence is a real challenge for the Met at the moment but this is a story about people being saved from a terrorist attack by members of the public.

“If it had not been for the public reports our investigation would have been all the more challenging. It’s thanks to that support from the public that we were able to keep the public safe.”

When King was arrested he told officers: “I don’t believe in the UK law, the only law I believe in is the law of Allah.”

Mr Murphy said while he had pleaded guilty to the offences, King had shown no remorse since his arrest and had not changed his mindset.

Ends

[indizombie]

US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces say they have captured 700 foreign fighters from more than 40 nations, including the UK. The SDF has not said how many are British - or former British nationals - but it is believed to be fewer than a dozen. El Shafee Elsheikh and ��Alexanda Kotey, who were captured in January, are believed to be part of an IS cell which became known as "the Beatles' by their hostages because of their UK accents. The two men were associated with another Briton, Mohammed Emwazi - also known as "Jihadi John". He was seen in a number of high profile IS execution videos that showed the beheading of Western hostages, including US and British citizens. Emwazi was killed in a US drone strike in Raqqa, Syria, in 2015.

Jonathan Beale, 'UK urged to take back Islamic State 'foreign fighters'', BBC

[hummingzone]

Islamic State ‘Beatle’ pleads guilty

Islamic State ‘Beatle’ pleads guilty

Alexanda Kotey, a member of the notorious Islamic State kidnapping cell dubbed the “Beatles,” pleaded guilty Thursday in a US court to charges of conspiring to murder four American hostages. Alexanda Kotey, a member of the notorious Islamic State kidnapping cell dubbed the “Beatles,” pleaded guilty Thursday in a US court to charges of conspiring to murder four American hostages. – ‘Physical and…

[buddylistsocial]

British Gave U.S. Evidence Against ISIS ‘Beatles,’ Clearing Way for Trial

British Gave U.S. Evidence Against ISIS ‘Beatles,’ Clearing Way for Trial

WASHINGTON — The British government has transferred evidence to the United States against two notorious Islamic State detainees from Britain accused of playing a role in the torture and beheadings of Western hostages, apparently clearing the way for putting them on trial.

The transfer followed a ruling by the United Kingdom High Court on Tuesday rejecting a new legal challenge to the British…

[kiggundu]

*{Docu-Movie}* Unmasking Jihadi John: Anatomy of a Terrorist 2020 Documentary 7.1 IMDb.com {395 Users} Synopsis... The inside story of Mohammed Emwazi's journey from being an ordinary London boy to becoming terrorist 'Jihadi John', and the intelligence operatives' attempts to catch him. 1080p Blu-Ray now available (at Kampala, Uganda) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUueN7UIFxn/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mia-soufi2018]

THE 9 ARTICLES MEGHAN MARKLE SAYS PROVE DAILY MAIL'S AGENDA AGAINST HER

BY JACK ROYSTON ON 4/29/20 AT 1:15 PM EDT

Meghan Markle claims nine articles published by Daily Mail Group titles prove a malicious campaign against her. Here we look at the claims, and the publisher's response.

Legal papers in Meghan Markle's court case against the Mail on Sunday give the most detailed account yet of how she sees the stories written about her.

The Duchess of Sussex is suing the newspaper for breaching her privacy by publishing a letter she sent her father about the breakdown in their relationship

However, she also opened up a flank against the publisher's other brands, including the Daily Mail and Mail Online, using a list of stories she claims were malicious.

Her legal team claims those articles were part of an "obvious agenda of publishing intrusive or offensive stories about [Meghan] intended to portray her in a false and damaging light."

The tabloid's legal team hit back at the claim, describing her interpretation of the articles as "extreme."

Here we look at all nine stories and what the two sides have to say about them.

1. "Harry's girl is (almost) straight outta Compton: Gang-scarred home of her mother revealed – so will he be dropping by for tea." Mail Online: November 20, 2016.

Just three weeks after Harry and Meghan's relationship was first revealed, Mail Online ran a background piece about Crenshaw, the neighborhood in Los Angeles where Meghan's mother Doria Ragland was said to be living at the time.

The article described the area as "gang-scarred," drew attention to high crime rates and described homes there as "tatty."

A court filing by Meghan's lawyers reads: "The statement that [Meghan] lived or grew up in Compton (or anywhere near to it) is false.

"The fact that the [Daily Mail Group] chose to stereotype this entire community as being 'plagued by crime and riddled with street gangs' and thereby suggest (in the first few days of her relationship being revealed) that [Meghan] came from a crime-ridden neighbourhood is completely untrue as well as intended to be divisive.

"[Meghan] will also refer to the fact that the article cites her aunt as living in "gang-afflicted Inglewood" in order to bolster this negative and damaging impression of where this (black) side of her family is said to come from.

"In fact, Ava Burrow (said to be "the actress' aunt") is not her Aunt or any blood relation at all, a fact which if correctly stated would have undermined the narrative which the Defendant was intended to convey."

The Mail on Sunday's lawyers say in legal documents: "The article does not criticise [Meghan] in any way.

"It is alleged that the article was 'intended to be divisive,' but not said how or why this is alleged and therefore it is impossible for the [Mail on Sunday] or the journalists concerned to respond to this serious allegation in any meaningful way.

"Looking at the article as a whole it is impossible to understand how it could be said to be 'intrusive or offensive,' or 'intended to portray her in a false and damaging light,' or part of any 'agenda,' and [the initial filings detailing Meghan's case] throw no light on that issue."

The Hubb Community Kitchen

2. "Kitchen supported by Meghan's cookbook is housed inside mosque 'which has links to 19 terror suspects including Jihadi John." MailOnline: November 24, 2018.

Mail Online wrote an article about the Hubb Community Kitchen visited by the duchess and based in the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre.

The story claimed the mosque was linked to 19 terrorists including the infamous Mohammed Emwazi, better known as "Jihadi John."

He is thought to have been involved in the murder of western hostages including journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid worker Peter Kassig.

Meghan's legal team wrote: "The connection made between the Hubb Community Kitchen (in which [Meghan] worked with those effected by the Grenfell tragedy as part of a cookbook project which became a New York Times best-selling book) and the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre (supposedly 'linked to 19 Islamic extremists') is at best a highly tenuous and deliberately inflammatory one.

"The characterisation of these victims as being linked to terrorism in the same way as [Meghan] is said to be supporting or endorsing jihadi terrorists through her participation in a cookbook for victims of Grenfell, is as false as it is offensive."

The Mail Group court filing does not make specific reference to this story, but in court barrister Antony White QC described Meghan's interpretation as "extreme."

He said: "Again, an extreme meaning, and we would say an untenable one, to put on that article."

Samantha the Panther

3. "How Meghan Markle's Australian aide Samantha 'the Panther' Cohen rose from a Brisbane home to Buckingham Palace – before becoming the second aide to walk out on the 'difficult Duchess'." MailOnline: December 10, 2018.

Journalists for Daily Mail Australia and Mail Online covered the departure of Samantha Cohen, private secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

They linked the move to claims Meghan was difficult to work for, citing several other employees who had left, and referring to her as the "difficult duchess."

Meghan's lawyers argue in paperwork: "The suggestion that Samantha Cohen (who was private secretary for both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex) walked out on [Meghan] or that she did so because [Meghan] was "difficult" to work for (a word used six times in this article) is untrue, as well as damaging.

"Ms Cohen, who was a highly respected and dedicated member of Her Majesty the Queen's staff for sixteen years, personally chose to come out of retirement in order to work for [Meghan].

"Far from walking out on her, Ms Cohen even extended the original year which she had intended to work for as she wanted to carry on helping the Duke and Duchess with their office.

"Further, [Meghan's] "personal assistant" was in fact assistant to both the duke and duchess, and, contrary to what the Defendant stated in the article, she did not 'quit'."

Avocados

4. "How Meghan's favourite avocado snack – beloved of all millennials – is fuelling human rights abuses, drought and murder." Daily Mail: January 22, 2019.

The Daily Mail ran a piece last year about claims avocados are fuelling "water shortages, human rights abuses, illegal deforestation, ecosystem destruction and general environmental devastation."

The introduced the story by detailing Meghan's passion for the fruit and describing how she once served avocado on toast to a friend, Daniel Martin.

The article says: "The campaigning duchess may be passionate when it comes to racial equality and female empowerment, but for someone who wants to save the planet, she's committed something of a faux pas with avocados.

"For all their health benefits and tastiness, the fact is that rampant avocado production in the Third World has been linked with water shortages, human rights abuses, illegal deforestation, ecosystem destruction and general environmental devastation."

Meghan's team wrote: "The connection made between the fact that [Meghan] likes eating avocado and made avocado on toast for a friend who visited her with human rights abuses, murder and environmental devastation is another highly tenuous and deliberately inflammatory one.

"The suggestion that by liking avocados she is fuelling or supporting these extreme occurrences, and therefore is disingenuous about her 'campaigning for racial equality and female empowerment,' is again as absurd as it is offensive."

The Mail Group lawyers give a specific response to this allegation in their court filing.

It reads: "The article [about Meghan's] "favourite snack" is a piece about the environmental effect of avocado production.

"The article opens with a commendation of the Claimant, stating that she has 'rightly been praised for making the fusty old Royal Family socially and ethically aware' and goes on to comment mildly that the Claimant's fondness for the fruit is 'something of a faux pas'.

"Similar points can be made about all the articles relied on."

Baby Shower

5. "Doria Ragland spotted alone in LA while daughter Meghan Markle parties with famous friends at her $300k baby shower." Mail Online: February 20, 2019.

Mail Online ran photos of Meghan's mum Doria Ragland "heading out to run errands" while Meghan was having her baby shower.

The story carried the intro: "Meghan Markle was feted by her newfound celebrity pals and recent co-stars on Wednesday at a posh baby shower held at The Mark in New York City, while across the country her mother was seen walking alone in Los Angeles."

Meghan's legal case reads: "The suggestion that [Meghan] deliberately left out her mother from her baby shower and ditched her in favour of her famous friends is untrue and offensive to her.

"[Meghan's] mother was of course invited, and [Meghan] also offered to buy her airline tickets.

"However, her mother was unable to attend due to work commitments. It was also untrue and offensive to suggest, as the article does, that "not a single guest had known Markle, 37, for more than a decade".

"In fact, the true position was that the baby shower (which actually cost a tiny fraction of the $300k falsely stated in the article) was organised and hosted by one of her best friends from university; the fifteen guests who attended the shower were close friends and included long-term friendships some of which had existed for over 20 years."

Frogmore Cottage

6. "Luxury on tap! Meghan Markle and Prince Harry splash out up to £5,000 on a hand made copper bath for Frogmore Cottage." Mail on Sunday: June 30, 2019.

7. "Meghan and Harry (or rather, the public purse) has splashed out £5,000 on this top-of-the -range copper bath – but is it money down the drain." Daily Mail: July 5, 2019.

8. "Meghan and Harry forked out 500k on soundproofing Frogmore Cottage." Daily Mail: June 30, 2019.

9. "They could've moved next door! Fury as it emerges Harry and Meghan spent £2.4million of YOUR cash on Frogmore Cottage to escape rift with Kate and William' – and final bill could hit £3m." Mail Online: June 25, 2019.

Court documents list four articles published about Prince Harry and Meghan's home, Frogmore Cottage, which was refurbished using £2.4 million ($2.9 million) from the Sovereign Grant.

Each year, the U.K. government pays the royal family a chunk of the profits from the Crown Estate, which is owned by the reigning monarch.

The Crown Estate belongs to the office, not to the Queen personally.

She cannot buy or sell it and does not own its income.

The remaining profits go towards government funds and all money it generates is widely regarded in Britain as public money.

situated on the Frogmore Estate, itself part of Home Park, Windsor, in Berkshire.GETTY

Meghan's lawyers say in filings: "[Meghan] will also refer to the numerous articles (as exemplified below) which the [Daily Mail Group] chose to publish about the 'renovation' of Frogmore Cottage, [Meghan's] official residence, in which it stated that [Meghan] had:

"(a) 'Splashed out £5,000' on a copper bathtub (which does not exist and is completely untrue).

"(b) 'Forked out £500k' on soundproofing to block out the noise of planes (which does not exist and is completely untrue).

"(c) Variously installed a 'yoga studio' (which does not exist and is completely untrue); an 'orangery' (which does not exist and is completely untrue), a 'tennis court' (which does not exist and is completely untrue) and a 'guest wing' for her mother to stay in when she visited (which does not exist and is completely untrue).

"The clear intention was to portray [Meghan] in a damaging light by suggesting that she had indulged in this series of absurdly lavish renovations, which were in fact false (as the [Mail] was informed at the time) and entirely made up.

"Furthermore, the Defendant sought to portray these renovations as being done at "the taxpayer's expense", costing "£2.4m of YOUR cash".

"This was also false and misleading."

The Defense

The Mail on Sunday's barristers argued all nine articles should be struck out of the case, arguing the allegation "looks like a defamation complaint," rather than an action for privacy.

White noted none were written by Caroline Graham, the journalist behind the story about Meghan's letter to her father.

They were, he said, written by 14 different journalists and no two were written by the same person.

White's court filings note: "None of those articles is alleged by Meghan to have been published unlawfully and therefore none of them gives rise to an award of damages."

He adds: "Even if it could be said that the additional articles were part of a sustainable case in support of damages, this part of [Meghan's] case should be excluded on case management grounds in order to keep this case within proper bounds.

"As it currently stands, this case will already involve a potentially lengthy investigation of the truth or falsity of various aspects of the Articles sued on."

[creepingsharia]

British ISIS jihadis linked to torturing, beheading 4 Americans in U.S. to face trial

Two of the 'ISIS Beatles' involved in the torture and execution of American hostages are en route to Washington D.C. to finally face charges

Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh are currently being transferred from US Custody in Iraq to mainland USA 

They are expected to make their first court appearance in Alexandria, Virginia, this afternoon as the Department of Justice announced charges

The pair are accused of playing a role in the executions of two dozen hostages, including four Americans 

They have claimed in the past they only ever tortured the hostages and didn't kill them 

British authorities have handed over evidence that will help the American prosecution of the pair 

AG Bill Barr has also agreed not to impose a death sentence on either man with the agreement of their victims's families 

They are half of a group of four British terrorists known as the ISIS Beatles  

Two ISIS fighters known as one half of the 'Beatles' terror group are on their way to the US to face charges for murdering American hostages in Syria and Iraq.

Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh are expected to make their first federal court appearance this afternoon in Alexandria, Virginia, an official from the Department of Justice told the Associated Press. 

The pair are both British but renounced their citizenship when they joined ISIS in Syria in 2014. 

They are accused by the State Department of murdering two dozen hostages including Americans James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller, and at least eight other hostages from different countries, including the UK. 

Foley and Sotloff were journalists working in the region and Kassig and Mueller were aid workers.  

The accused claim they took part in torturing them and extracting information but that they did not take part in their executions. 

In interviews while in detention, the two men admitted that they helped collect email addresses from Mueller that could be used to send out ransom demands. She was killed in 2015 after 18 months in ISIS captivity. 

The State Department, however, has said that Elsheikh and Kotey played a much more active role and it 2017, declared the pair specially designated global terrorists.

Specifically, the agency said Elsheikh 'was said to have earned a reputation for waterboarding, mock executions, and crucifixions while serving as an ISIS jailer'.

Kotey, according to the State Department, acted as an Islamic State recruiter and 'likely engaged in the group´s executions and exceptionally cruel torture methods, including electronic shock and waterboarding'.

The expected court appearance Wednesday is a milestone in a years-long effort by US authorities to bring to justice members of a militant group known for beheadings and barbaric treatment of American aid workers, journalists and other hostages in Syria. 

James Foley and Steven Sotloff were both working as journalists in Syria when they were captured and killed by Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh

The two men admitted that they helped collect email addresses from Kayla Mueller (pictured left) that could be used to send out ransom demands. She was killed in 2015 after 18 months in ISIS captivity. Peter Kassig (pictured right) was also killed

Their arrival in the U.S. to face charges sets the stage for arguably the most sensational terrorism prosecution since the 2014 case against the suspected ringleader of a deadly attack on the diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. 

Elsheikh and Kotey have been held in US military custody in Iraq since October 2019, but the families of their American victims have long pleaded for them to be brought onto US soil to stand trial.

Mohamed Emwazi, aka Jihadi John, was the most prolific of the Beatles. He was killed in a US drone strike in 2016

British authorities were reluctant. 

They agreed to hand over evidence to the US that would help with a prosecution which was delivered two weeks ago. 

AG Bill Barr has also agreed not to impose a death sentence on either man with the agreement of their victims's families, who said they rather learn the truth of what happened to their loved ones through a trial. 

Neither of the men has been charged yet but charges may include conspiracy to commit murder, hostage-taking resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death and homicide, according to Justice Department sources cited by The Washington Post on Tuesday.

Their trial is expected to take place in the federal court in Alexandria, Virginia.   

The most prominent member of the ISIS Beatles was Mohammed Emwazi, the hooded executioner known as Jihadi John who was filmed slicing the necks of some of the victims in sickening videos that terrified the world in 2014 when ISIS spread them. 

He was killed in a US drone strike in 2016. The fourth member is Aine Davis. He is being held in a Turkish prison on terror charges. 

-------------------------------

DOJ Press Release

DOJ Indictment (PDF)

[saynaija]

The Britons Killed After Joining Islamic State By US Drone

The Britons Killed After Joining Islamic State By US Drone

The Britons Killed After Joining Islamic State By US Drone

The Britons Killed After Joining Islamic State By US Drone

Sally Jones, the British terror recruiter dubbed the White Widow, has reportedly been killed in a US drone strike.

The London-born convert is thought to be the latest in an ignoble line of infamous Britons – including her husband – to die after joining the Islamic State of Iraq…

[techramonic]

The insurgency of terrorism glorification on tiktok is quite disturbing to me. I've previously seen slideshows of jihadi john (mohammed emwazi) circulating again and I think that's crazy. This dude is a literal ISIS war criminal who beheaded christians on video for the public. Then again, terrorist groups are known to spread their agency online by making violence look appealing, even commercializing it.

But are we forgetting that these groups are the reason why many people in muslim communities suffer prejudice? They perpetuate stereotypes through rebranding concepts initially made for peace and re-introducing them as acts of hate, especially toward demographics like Americans who don't quite have the care to research about communities like islam.

Even those who aren't muslim but came from pre-dominantly muslim populated countries are also affected. jeez, I was even flat-out called a "terrorist" because I come from the UAE. During 6th grade, I couldn't count how many times my classmates would joke about terrorism, war, and bombings right in front of my face. It's always the "Allahuakbar!" shit. Do you even know what that means? That's a declaration of faith and thanksgiving, so tell me why you're saying it based on the context of violence?

I'm not even muslim, but at least I have the decency to be information literate and respect people. With your putrid substandard accent and lack of understanding beyond the context of mere violence because you do not have any care on researching about a community just because it does not concern you, your selfish agencies, and childish fun—better to just shut your mouth and never talk again.

Dude, even Jihad. That's the philosophy of struggling to defend Islam and achieve peace. The last resort is militaristic action, which is to PROTECT THEMSELVES. It's not about war. I hate how some see people like us who are from the Middle East, or are arab, or are muslim and immidiately relate us to war. We are not harbringers of destruction. That is merely a small fraction of a population that should not be confused as something that encapsulates and represents us as a whole. We're just like anyone else. We are normal people.

I hate how these terrorists destroy such a beautiful religion and the culture that comes with it and reason out by saying they're doing it to defend their beliefs. Really? Nah man, that's a distorted morbid reflection of your own ideologies at this point.

[scrumptiouslyunabashedtypho-blog]

This Is The UK Activist Group That Helped Identify "Jihadi John"

This Is The UK Activist Group That Helped Identify “Jihadi John”

Cage UK, founded by a man once held at Guantanamo Bay, said it was in touch with the ISIS fighter between 2009 and 2012 after he complained of harassment from the British authorities.

On Thursday, Mohammed Emwazi, a 26-year-old from northwest London, was identified as “Jihadi John,”an ISIS militant who has become the masked face of the group’s gruesome beheading…

[beardedmrbean]

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Defense lawyers for a British national facing trial later this month for helping the Islamic State group torture and behead American hostages are seeking to block testimony from a Kurdish girl held as a slave by the group.

The girl, identified only as Jane Doe in court documents, was abducted at age 15 from Kurdistan in August 2014 and held by the Islamic State. She spent several weeks in captivity with American Kayla Mueller, whose death at the hands of the Islamic State will be a key issue at trial.

The defendant, El Shafee Elsheikh, is charged with playing a key role in Mueller's abduction, ransom and eventual death, along with three other Americans: journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid worker Peter Kassig.

In court papers filed late Tuesday, Elsheikh's lawyers say Jane Doe was told after her abduction to forget about her family because she would be “selected for marriage” by an ISIS fighter.

Doe escaped, but she was caught the next morning and beaten with sticks, belts and hoses. It was then that she was taken to a prison, where Mueller was also held, according to the defense memo.

After a month, Doe, Mueller, and two other girls were taken into captivity by a senior ISIS leader named Abu Sayyaf, where they were locked in a bedroom other than when they were cleaning or gardening.

Doe escaped the home in October 2014 and made her way back into Kurdish custody. Information she provided helped U.S. fighters launch a raid in May 2015 that killed Abu Sayyaf and other ISIS fighters, according to the memo.

Mueller, who was killed in February 2015, was raped by the Islamic State’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, during her time in captivity, according to the indictment.

Inside the house, U.S. fighters recovered ISIS documents justifying slavery and guidelines for how it should be implemented.

Elsheikh's lawyers are seeking to keep the slavery documents from being introduced at trial, and want to severely limit Doe's testimony, restricting it only to her time in captivity with Mueller.

The evidence “is unduly inflammatory and would only cause undue prejudice against Mr. Elsheikh, confuse the issues, and mislead the jury by imputing the actions of others to Mr. Elsheikh,” defense lawyers Nina Ginsberg, Edward MacMahon and Jessica Carmichael wrote.

While Doe's testimony may not central to the case against Elsheikh, it provides a glimpse into some of the emotionally powerful evidence jurors will confront if the case indeed goes to trial at the end of the month.

Elsheikh is one of four British nationals who joined the Islamic State, dubbed “the Beatles” by their captives because of their accents. Elsheikh and a co-defendant, Alexenda Kotey, were captured in Syria in 2018 and brought to Virginia in 2020 to stand trial in federal court.

Kotey pleaded guilty last year and is awaiting sentencing. A third Beatle, Mohammed Emwazi, also known as “Jihadi John,” was killed in a 2015 drone strike. The fourth member was sentenced to prison in Turkey.

Federal prosecutors will respond to the defense memo about Jane Doe at a later date. So far, though, prosecutors have been successful in turning aside defense efforts to restrict evidence at trial. The presiding judge, T.S. Ellis III, ruled earlier this year that prosecutors can use incriminating statements Elsheikh made in interrogations and in media interviews. Defense lawyers argued unsuccessfully that the statements were coerced.

As for the slavery documents, defense lawyers argue that it would be unfair to ascribe them to Elsheikh because he did not write them. But in a 2018 interview with journalist Jenan Moussa after he was captured, Elsheikh said slavery was justified under Islamic law.

"Islamic texts have spoken about slavery and rights of a slave. There is a whole jurisprudence about slavery and the rights of slaves and the rights of slave owners,” he said in an interview.

[reviewbeats]

Released Emails Show Slow Radicalization Of "Jihadi John"

Released Emails Show Slow Radicalization Of “Jihadi John”

The ISIS militant, identified as Mohammed Emwazi, wrote of his increasing frustration with security officials years before he became the infamous masked executioner.

Mohammed Emwazi, the London man named as the masked executionerwho has beheaded multiple hostages in ISIS videos, wrote of feeling “oppressed” by security officials in newly released emails.

[espanolnews]

Los rehenes liberados pudieron dar a la policía británica información clave que identificaba a una banda de secuestradores del Estado Islámico apodada "The Beatles" que los había retenido y torturado, reveló Scotland Yard.Los oficiales revelaron avances clave que les permitieron identificar a los yihadistas y llevar a dos de ellos a juicio en estados unidos. Incluía detalles vitales de rehenes liberados que ayudaron a la policía a identificar a los hombres en una marcha con un grupo vinculado al grupo radical al-Muhajiroun, así como el uso de software de reconocimiento de voz.El grupo fue apodado "The Beatles" por sus rehenes debido a su acento británico.piedra mohamed, conocido como Jihadi Johnapareció por primera vez en un video publicado por IS en 2014, que muestra a un hombre enmascarado con acento británico disparando a un prisionero. La policía pudo localizar cintas de entrevistas policiales con Emwazi en 2012 cuando fue interrogado sobre una serie de robos de bicicletas y comparar eso con su voz en la ejecución.Un experto analista forense de voz concluyó que había una "muy alta probabilidad" de que la persona en el video fuera Emwazi. Imagen: Mohammed Emwazi se hizo conocido como Jihadi John Cómo los oficiales construyeron su casoLuego, los oficiales comenzaron a reducir el grupo de otros miembros potenciales del grupo, lo que finalmente los llevó a identificar Alexandra Kotey y El Shafee Elsheikhambos del oeste de Londres. El comandante Richard Smith, jefe del Comando Antiterrorista de Scotland Yard, dijo que la policía siguió un "rastro de migas de pan muy pequeñas" y construir el caso fue "como armar piezas muy pequeñas de un rompecabezas".Una información surgió de los rehenes con los que hablaron, que era "bastante corriente" para el rehén, pero resultó muy importante para la policía.Era el recuerdo de una conversación en la que uno de los captores mencionó que había sido arrestado en una marcha de la Liga de Defensa Inglesa (EDL) en Londres.Basándose en ese fragmento de conversación, el equipo de investigación pudo volver atrás e identificar una marcha de EDL en particular que tuvo lugar en la capital el 11 de septiembre de 2011.Fue una contramanifestación contra una marcha de musulmanes contra las cruzadas para conmemorar el 10º aniversario de 9/11que comenzó en la embajada de Estados Unidos en Grosvenor Square.Hubo una serie de puntos críticos en el centro de Londres y alrededor de las 6 p.m., se llamó a la policía al pub Tyburn en Marble Arch, donde se produjo un apuñalamiento y se arrestó a varios hombres bajo sospecha de participación.Los registros mostraron que dos de esos individuos eran Kotey y Elsheikh."Ambos hombres finalmente fueron liberados sin cargos por ese delito, pero la información fue invaluable para ayudarnos a identificarlos como los hombres que los rehenes nos habían descrito", dijo el comandante Smith.Lee mas:Los 'Beatles' del EI advierten de más ataques en Europa en una entrevista con Sky NewsLa madre de James Foley pide que los 'Beatles' del EI no sean enviados a GuantánamoEl hermano del trabajador humanitario británico asesinado le dice al asesino del 'Beatle' del Estado Islámico: 'Te perdono' Imagen: El Shafee Elsheikh con Alexanda Kotey Fotos de pistolas y cabezas decapitadasEl comando antiterrorista aprovechó para revisar datos de los teléfonos de Kotey y Elsheikh, que habían sido incautados en el momento de la detención, y mostraron varios mensajes entre ellos.También encontraron el número de Elsheikh guardado en el teléfono de Emwazi, que se había descargado cuando lo interrogaron sobre los robos de bicicletas.Otra evidencia crucial que vincula a Elsheikh directamente con la actividad terrorista en Siria se produjo después de que los oficiales revisaran la evidencia en un caso no relacionado.En 2014, el hermano de Elsheikh, Khalid, fue arrestado por la Operación Tridente, la unidad antipandillas de la Policía Metropolitana, y se encontró una pistola en su domicilio.

Su teléfono móvil fue incautado y se encontró que contenía imágenes perturbadoras que los llevaron a contactar al comando antiterrorista, quien realizó un examen más completo.La policía descubrió una serie de mensajes de Telegram entre Elsheikh y su hermano, que mostraban que Elsheikh estaba en Siria.Uno mostraba a Elsheikh con ropa de combate y sosteniendo un arma de fuego. Otro mostraba una imagen gráfica de cabezas decapitadas, con comentarios de Elsheikh.Tras la detención de Kotey y Elsheikh en Siria, los agentes volvieron a analizar los datos utilizando un software de interrogación digital, que había mejorado en los años intermedios, y se descubrió más material.Esto incluía un mensaje de voz identificado por alguien que creían que era Elsheikh, que se envió a su hermano.Luego, los oficiales localizaron una cinta de una entrevista policial con Elsheikh de 2009 y los expertos en voz pudieron comparar las dos grabaciones y concluir que había "una gran probabilidad" de que Elsheikh fuera la persona en la nota de voz. Imagen: Elsheikh fue a juicio en los Estados Unidos acusado de tomar rehenes y conspirar para asesinar a periodistas y trabajadores humanitarios. El año pasado, la policía británica recibió autorización del fiscal general para 139 cargos contra Kotey y Elsheikh, por cargos que incluyen secuestro y asesinato, pero ya estaban en Estados Unidos.La pareja fue despojada de su ciudadanía británica luego de su captura por las Fuerzas Democráticas Sirias respaldadas por Occidente en 2018 y enviada a los EE. UU. para ser procesada.Elsheikh, de 33 años, enfrenta sentencia el viernes. Kotey, 38, fue encarcelado de por vida en Virginia en abril después de admitir secuestro, conspiración para asesinar y brindar apoyo material al terrorismo.Un hombre sospechoso de ser el cuarto miembro de la célula terrorista de los Beatles fue acusado de delitos de terrorismo luego de ser deportado a Inglaterra por las autoridades turcas la semana pasada.Aine Lesley Junior Davisde 38 años, también del oeste de Londres, fue arrestado el 10 de agosto después de llegar al aeropuerto de Luton en un vuelo desde Turquía.

[snbc]

David Haines brother: I look forward to staring terrorists in the eye

David Haines brother: I look forward to staring terrorists in the eye

The so-called Islamic State cell was said to be made up of ringleader Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John, Aine Davis, El Shafee Elsheikh and Kotey, and was responsible for the brutal killings of a number of Western captives, believed to include Britons Alan Henning and Mr Haines.