White House ‘frustrated’ by attempt to dictate on trial of the Isil ‘Beatles’
THE White House has been angered for months by the UK Government’s original insistence that two “Beatles” jihadist suspects must face prosecution in America – but not be executed.
A senior figure tapped into discussions told The Daily Telegraph earlier this year that there was opposition to the UK’S attempt to dictate terms to Donald Trump’s administration.
At least one leading Republican senator has directly complained about Britain’s stance to Theresa May herself, challenging the Prime Minister over her opposition to Guantánamo Bay.
A “sensitive” UK briefing document circulated to key civil servants and ministers seen by this newspaper also refers to “frustration” from the Trump administration.
It raises the question of whether Britain has agreed not to seek death penalty assurances over Alexanda Kotey and Shafee El-sheikh because of pressure from the United States. Last night a spokesman for the White House’s National Security Council said that Mr Trump was committed to using “all available tools to defeat terrorism”. He is a known supporter of Guantánamo.
However, Ben Wallace, the security minister, rebutted suggestions from MPS that Britain had caved to pressure from America as he answered questions in the House of Commons yesterday.
America’s position on jihadists who fled to Syria and Iraq to fight for Isil and have since been captured is that they should be returned to their home country to stand trial.
Britain wants Kotey and El-sheikh, who are suspected of being part of the brutal “Beatles” terror cell and are currently in detention in northern Syria, to be sent to America for trial.
However, for months the UK was insisting that the two suspected jihadists do not face the death penalty or be sent to Guantánamo. Both were UK citizens but have since had that status revoked.
A UK Government briefing marked “official sensitive”, which was circulated internally explaining its decision not to seek death penalty assurances, also referenced concerns from the Trump administration.
One line in the briefing, seen by this newspaper, read: “Senior members of the US administration have expressed frustration, including to Congress and the families of the US victims, about [Her Majesty’s Government’s] perceived unwillingness to pursue a prosecution, while at the same time seeking to dictate terms to the US about a possible prosecution there.”
A spokesman for the White House’s National Security Council said: “President Trump is committed to using all available tools to defeat terrorism and protect the United States homeland and its interests abroad.
“Decisions regarding the disposition of captured terrorists will be made on a case-by-case basis.”
A spokesman for the Department of Justice declined to comment, other than to say: “We value our partnership with the UK on issues of national security.”