Farage says ‘political correctness’ to blame for release of jihadi from prison
BREXIT Party leader Nigel Farage has blamed “political correctness” for the release from prison of Usman Khan, who went on to commit the London Bridge terror attack.
In ITV’s seven-way election debate, Mr Farage said people convicted of plotting mass murder should never be released from prison unless it was clear they did not have the “jihadi virus”.
“Nobody apologises for the fact that the liberal elite have given us a ridiculous sentencing system,” he said.
“I don’t care if you were in prison for six years or 12 years. If you have committed mass murder or planned to commit mass murder you are not just an ordinary criminal you have got the virus of jihadi-ism.
“I think these people should never ever be let out prison unless we are absolutely convinced they do not have the jihadi virus. But political correctness stops us from doing that.” Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn both dodged the debate on ITV last night.
While the other five parties’ leaders attended, Labour and the Conservatives were represented by shadow justice minister Richard Burgon and chief secretary of the Treasury Rishi Sunak.
Mr Sunak said Usman Khan had been released as result of changes brought in by the last Labour government.
“He was released due to a law passed in 2008 under the last Labour government where people were released automatically halfway through their sentence,” he said.
“We changed that law in 2012 and if he had been sentenced under our rules he would still be in jail.” For Labour, shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon said it was “not true” that the only option at the time was automatic release of Khan halfway of through his sentence.
“People don’t want history lessons after this terrorist atrocity. What people want is to put victims first and put keeping communities safe first,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Johnson himself sought to blame Labour for the early release of Khan.
The PM said Khan, who was freed halfway through a 16-year jail sentence, was on the streets because of laws introduced by a “leftie government”.
He described the release of criminals who are “as dangerous as this man” as “repulsive” and vowed to take steps to ensure people are not released early when they commit serious offences.
Mr Corbyn claimed that “the war on terror has manifestly failed”. He said: “For far too long, our country’s leaders have made the wrong calls on our security.
“Their mistakes in no way absolve terrorists of blame for their murderous actions — the blame lies with the terrorists, their funders and recruiters.
“But if we are to protect people, we must be honest about what threatens our security.
“The threat of terrorism cannot and should not be reduced to questions of foreign policy alone, but too often the actions of successive governments have fuelled, not reduced, that threat.”
A FORMER member of the Irish military who became a so-called Islamic State bride in Syria has been arrested on suspicion of terror offences as she arrived back in Dublin.
Lisa Smith (38), once accompanied an ex-president and leader of the Republic of Ireland on foreign trips as a member of the Defence Forces, but went to the war-torn Middle Eastern country in 2015 after converting to Islam and becoming radicalised.
Ms Smith had been living with her two-year-old daughter in a Syrian refugee camp; the girl is being cared for by her family in Ireland while her mother is questioned at a Dublin police station.
She was deported from Turkey and put on the first scheduled Turkish Airlines flight to Dublin, landing just before 10.30am
Lisa Smith (covered by a pink blanket) carries her daughter as she gets off a Turkish Airlines flight at Dublin Airport
yesterday. Irish police said: “Today, Sunday, December 1, 2019, at Dublin Airport, An Garda Siochana has arrested an Irish Citizen (38 year old female) on suspicion of terrorist offences following her deportation from Turkey. She
is currently being detained at a South Dublin Garda station under the provisions of Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act, 1939 as amended.
“A child, also an Irish citizen, was in the company of the female and is now being cared for by relatives.”
Ms Smith has denied being involved in violence.
Irish broadcaster RTE said that she was accompanied by three officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, members of the Army Ranger Wing, and a Turkish security officer on the flight.
She was not in custody for the four-and-a-half-hour journey but gardai were waiting at Dublin airport for the plane’s arrival.
Images of her arrival showed her covered in a pink blanket.
She was transported in a dark-coloured van to Kevin Street police station in Dublin.
Her daughter was born in Syria but is an Irish citizen.
Ms Smith is originally from Dundalk in Co Louth, close to the Irish border with Northern Ireland.
She has said the father of her child was a suspected member of IS who died last year.
Ms Smith held a relatively lowly role in the Defence Forces but worked on the official Irish government jet.
She accompanied former president Mary Robinson and then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on journeys.
Significant numbers of Europeans left for Syria to fight for and against IS during a bloody war which destroyed the Middle Eastern country and produced millions of refugees.
Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Ms Smith should have the right of return to Ireland and that removing her citizenship would not be right or compassionate.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said: “This is a sensitive case and I want to reassure people that all relevant state agencies are closely involved.”