ISIS ‘Beatles’ must face the music for monstrous crimes

Finally, the time for justice has come. After six years of inflicting the most barbaric savagery on the battlefields of Syria, two alleged members of the British ISIS “Beatles” are set to be tried for their roles in Islamic State.

El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Amon Kotey were captured in January by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish militia working with the United States.

Now, according to new reports, as the pair are held in custody, they could be sent to Guantanamo Bay before facing the death penalty.

The Trump administration is weighing up proposals to send 600 captured Islamic State fighters to an Iraqi prison after other countries refused to take them.

Kotey, 34, and 30-year-old Elsheikh have reportedly been stripped of their British citizenship allowing a waiver request by the White House to UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid for them to be turned over to US custody.

The men are accused of forcing the world to witness the beheading of Britons Alan Henning and David Haines as well as three Americans after producing Hollywood-style videos of their murders.

Now after their capture, Elsheikh and Kotey, like cornered rats, insist their legal rights are respected wherever they’re brought to trial.

Their hypocrisy is shocking after they are alleged to have acted as judge and jury deciding who lived and died. Their plea of innocence comes at odds to those who managed to survive their captivity.

Never should we forget the words of Spanish hostage Javier Espinosa upon his release.

He recalled how the pair had allegedly been particularly sadistic.

It is claimed they used captives as “toys” to keep, often selecting a “chosen one” for beatings.

Journalists James Foley and John Cantlie were forced to rewrite and perform Hotel California.

“Welcome to lovely Hotel Osama, such a lovely place,” the captured men sang to their torturers.

Espinosa claimed Elsheikh was the most violent Beatle, who warned: “Anyone who does not know the words, I will kick to death.”

Several MPS including shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott have described the potential for the men to face the death penalty as “abhorrent and shameful”. I would imagine most people think Mr Javid is correct to prioritise the rights of the slaughtered men and their grieving families above those of the duo, if the claims are true.

I for one agree with the British government’s position that it would be a mistake to send alleged killers like these to Guantanamo Bay or to seek the death penalty.

Either path would make them martyrs in the eyes of their comrades in arms – the worst outcome.

But what is “abhorrent and shameful” is there is a better chance of the “ISIS Beatles” getting the punishment they deserve in another country as opposed to the UK.

The convictions of Abu Hamza and Abid Naseer in the US were an embarrassment to Britain’s legal system as millions of taxpayers’ money was wasted as officials danced to their tunes.

At least if the suspected Beatles were sent for trial in America there would be every chance of a quick Hello, Goodbye as they’d be locked up for ever.

Like cornered rats, the pair are insisting their rights be respected