'Jihadi John' part of network linked to failed London bombers - court papers

Islamist militant Mohammed Emwazi, identified as ‘Jihadi John’, was a member of a network in contact with one of the men convicted of trying to bomb the British capital’s underground railway in 2005, according to the government. Reports show that Emwazi, a symbol for Islamic State barbarity, was known to Britain’s security services as early as 2011 and that they believed he was part of a group involved in procuring funds and equipment “for terrorism-related purposes” in Somalia. Emwazi is perhaps the most chilling exemplar of the radicalization trend that is gaining pace not just in Britain but also in France, Belgium, Denmark and other countries in western Europe.

The fact that he appears like a relatively ordinary young British resident is disquieting. But the de-mystification of this individual reduces the propaganda effect for Islamic State. He’s just a murderer now.

John Gearson, professor of national security studies at King’s College London

As “Jihadi John,” he was a terrifying figure, his identity concealed by a black mask, his threatening tone backed up by his oversize, serrated knife. Now, unmasked, he is revealed as one more furious young Londoner, in this case a well-educated, middle-class 20-something who turned against his adopted country after he moved to Britain from Kuwait as a boy. Also, now that authorities know who he is, there is little doubt he will become the target of a drone attack if the U.S. or Britain learn his precise whereabouts. The pressure on him could make him less valuable to Islamic State militants — perhaps even a liability.

World Jihadi John