Minister defends his view that British IS fighters should die

A minister who said the only way of dealing with British Islamic State (IS) fighters in Syria was to kill most of them has defended the comments.

Rory Stewart, a Foreign Office minister, said converts to the terrorist group believed in an “extremely hateful doctrine” and fighters could expect to be killed, given the threat they pose to British security.

However, the international development minister later insisted he believed combatants should be dealt with “in accordance with the law” and would face the British legal system if they returned to the UK.

Mr Stewart said he made the comments about most being wiped out because a recruit of Is–alsoknownasisisordaesh – “usually fights to the death”.

“Clearly combatants should be treated in accordance with law,” Mr Stewart said. “My point was simply that Isis is a death-cult, which usually fights to the death.”

Downing Street backed the minister, insisting his comments were “consistent” with the UK government’s “determination to fight and defeat Daesh terrorists regardless of their nationality”.

Hundreds of British citizens are known to have travelled to Syria to fight with Islamist groups across the six-year conflict. Brett Mcgurk, a top US envoy for the coalition fighting IS, has said his mission is to ensure every foreign IS fighter in Syria dies in Syria.

Mr Stewart was asked about the comments on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Pienaar’s Politics. He described them as “very difficult moral issues”, adding: “These are people who have essentially moved away from any kind of allegiance towards the British government.

“They are absolutely dedicated, as members of the Islamic State, towards the creation of a caliphate. They believe in an extremely hateful doctrine, which involves killing themselves, killing others and trying to use violence and brutality to create an eighth century, or seventh century, state.

“So I’m afraid we have to be serious about the fact these people are a serious danger to us and unfortunately the only way of dealing with them will be, in almost every case, to kill them.”

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “In relation to people who have taken the decision to go and fight for Daesh in Syria or Iraq, as the Defence Secretary said, you have made yourself a legitimate target.”