This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/07/reyaad-khan-junaid-hussain-profiles-isis-britons-syria
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Reyaad Khan, Junaid Hussain and Ruhul Amin: profiles of Isis Britons killed in Syria | Reyaad Khan, Junaid Hussain and Ruhul Amin: profiles of Isis Britons killed in Syria |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The British government has announced that two UK nationals were killed in a targeted RAF drone strike in Syria in August. A third was killed by a US strike. | The British government has announced that two UK nationals were killed in a targeted RAF drone strike in Syria in August. A third was killed by a US strike. |
| Reyaad Khan | Reyaad Khan |
| Khan, 21, was the target of the RAF drone strike on 21 August, an unprecedented action in the sovereign territory of another country with which Britain was not at war. | Khan, 21, was the target of the RAF drone strike on 21 August, an unprecedented action in the sovereign territory of another country with which Britain was not at war. |
| He was a straight-A student from the Riverside area of Cardiff who at one point harboured dreams of becoming Britain’s first Asian prime minister. After becoming radicalised, Khan travelled to Syria in November 2013. | He was a straight-A student from the Riverside area of Cardiff who at one point harboured dreams of becoming Britain’s first Asian prime minister. After becoming radicalised, Khan travelled to Syria in November 2013. |
| He featured in a prominent Islamic State propaganda video last year alongside his friend Nasser Muthana, also from Cardiff, and Abdul Raqib Amin, also known as Ruhul Amin, who is understood to have studied in Aberdeen. Amin was also killed in the drone strike. | He featured in a prominent Islamic State propaganda video last year alongside his friend Nasser Muthana, also from Cardiff, and Abdul Raqib Amin, also known as Ruhul Amin, who is understood to have studied in Aberdeen. Amin was also killed in the drone strike. |
| Like many Isis militants, Khan – who also went by the name of Abu Dujana – was a prolific social media user. He would often post graphic messages on Twitter, boasting of his murders and violent plans. These included: “Executed many prisoners yesterday”, “The brother that executed James Foley should be the new Batman,” and “Anyone want to sponsor my explosive belt? Gucci, give me a shout”. One post featured images of bloody corpses, which Khan said belonged to a group whom he and other militants had captured and executed. | Like many Isis militants, Khan – who also went by the name of Abu Dujana – was a prolific social media user. He would often post graphic messages on Twitter, boasting of his murders and violent plans. These included: “Executed many prisoners yesterday”, “The brother that executed James Foley should be the new Batman,” and “Anyone want to sponsor my explosive belt? Gucci, give me a shout”. One post featured images of bloody corpses, which Khan said belonged to a group whom he and other militants had captured and executed. |
| Before he fled to Syria, Khan was a politically active and promising teenager. In 2009 he was said to have been excited to meet the future shadow chancellor Ed Balls, and in a Facebook post he said he wanted to become the country’s first Asian prime minister, after sitting on a local youth forum. | Before he fled to Syria, Khan was a politically active and promising teenager. In 2009 he was said to have been excited to meet the future shadow chancellor Ed Balls, and in a Facebook post he said he wanted to become the country’s first Asian prime minister, after sitting on a local youth forum. |
| In 2010 Khan was captured on film speaking of his desire to rid the world of evil and of the problems of growing up in a deprived inner-city area. In the interview, which was obtained by the Guardian, Khan argued the government had wasted resources on “illegal wars” and said more money ought to be spent on young people to help prevent them being led down the “wrong path”. | In 2010 Khan was captured on film speaking of his desire to rid the world of evil and of the problems of growing up in a deprived inner-city area. In the interview, which was obtained by the Guardian, Khan argued the government had wasted resources on “illegal wars” and said more money ought to be spent on young people to help prevent them being led down the “wrong path”. |
| He described the challenges of avoiding criminality in the Cardiff neighbourhood where he grew up and claimed there were fewer chances for younger people to succeed. Asked whether the world was a good place, Khan replied: “The world can be a lovely place but you’ve just got to get rid of the evil. If everyone could choose the good, the evil will go away.” | He described the challenges of avoiding criminality in the Cardiff neighbourhood where he grew up and claimed there were fewer chances for younger people to succeed. Asked whether the world was a good place, Khan replied: “The world can be a lovely place but you’ve just got to get rid of the evil. If everyone could choose the good, the evil will go away.” |
| Related: UK forces kill British Isis fighters in targeted drone strike on Syrian city | |
| Ruhul Amin | Ruhul Amin |
| At 26, Amin was several years older than Khan. He was born in Moulvibazar, north-east Bangladesh in February 1989, but was raised and went to school in Aberdeen, according to local news reports. He once told ITV that he was an engineering student, although it is not clear where he studied. | At 26, Amin was several years older than Khan. He was born in Moulvibazar, north-east Bangladesh in February 1989, but was raised and went to school in Aberdeen, according to local news reports. He once told ITV that he was an engineering student, although it is not clear where he studied. |
| Amin, who was referred to in news reports as Abdul Raqib Amin, came to public attention in June 2014 when he appeared in a glossy video alongside Reyaad Khan and Nasser Muthana, both from Cardiff, arguing the case for the Islamic State. Terrorism analyst Raffaello Pantucci described the video as “significant” because of its high production values and the articulacy of the three men. | Amin, who was referred to in news reports as Abdul Raqib Amin, came to public attention in June 2014 when he appeared in a glossy video alongside Reyaad Khan and Nasser Muthana, both from Cardiff, arguing the case for the Islamic State. Terrorism analyst Raffaello Pantucci described the video as “significant” because of its high production values and the articulacy of the three men. |
| Amin gave an interview the following month to Good Morning Britain on ITV, he described how he had moved to Syria to train, and described his plane taking off at Gatwick as “one of the happiest moments of my life”. | Amin gave an interview the following month to Good Morning Britain on ITV, he described how he had moved to Syria to train, and described his plane taking off at Gatwick as “one of the happiest moments of my life”. |
| Along with Khan and Muthana, Amin’s assets were frozen within weeks of the video being released. The asset-freezing order gives his nom de guerre as Abu Bara’ al Hindi. | Along with Khan and Muthana, Amin’s assets were frozen within weeks of the video being released. The asset-freezing order gives his nom de guerre as Abu Bara’ al Hindi. |
| Within weeks of the video appearing, he was reported to have been killed by an Iraqi army special forces team, but the reports later turned out to be incorrect after he contacted his sister by social media channels, reportedly telling her: “I do miss you, I love you, but I love Allah more.” | |
| Junaid Hussain | Junaid Hussain |
| Hussain, 21, who also went by the name Abu Hussain al-Britani, is believed to have been involved in plots in the US, the UK and elsewhere in Europe. It is thought that he travelled to Syria in 2013. | Hussain, 21, who also went by the name Abu Hussain al-Britani, is believed to have been involved in plots in the US, the UK and elsewhere in Europe. It is thought that he travelled to Syria in 2013. |
| As part of Isis’s “cyber caliphate”, Hussain is believed to have aided the group in obtaining the passwords of the US Central Command’s Twitter and YouTube accounts in January and briefly using them to send pro-Isis messages. | As part of Isis’s “cyber caliphate”, Hussain is believed to have aided the group in obtaining the passwords of the US Central Command’s Twitter and YouTube accounts in January and briefly using them to send pro-Isis messages. |
| In Britain, Hussain had been part of the hacker group Team Poison. Using the handle “Trick”, he gained access to Tony Blair’s address book and published information from it. The incident earned him six months in jail in 2012. In an interview published on the day of his arrest, Hussain said: “Terrorism doesn’t exist. They create the terrorism and fabricate it to demonise a certain faith. We’ve shown them that it’s not only them that can listen in on people.” | In Britain, Hussain had been part of the hacker group Team Poison. Using the handle “Trick”, he gained access to Tony Blair’s address book and published information from it. The incident earned him six months in jail in 2012. In an interview published on the day of his arrest, Hussain said: “Terrorism doesn’t exist. They create the terrorism and fabricate it to demonise a certain faith. We’ve shown them that it’s not only them that can listen in on people.” |
| Hussain was arrested again the following year on suspicion of violent disorder, but was released as there was not enough evidence to prosecute him. In June 2014 his home was searched by counter-terrorism officers as part of coordinated raids “in connection with an ongoing Syria investigation,” police said. | Hussain was arrested again the following year on suspicion of violent disorder, but was released as there was not enough evidence to prosecute him. In June 2014 his home was searched by counter-terrorism officers as part of coordinated raids “in connection with an ongoing Syria investigation,” police said. |
| Hussain was married to Sally Jones, a 45-year-old ex-punk rocker who fled to Syria with her 10-year-old son at the end of last year following an online romance. | Hussain was married to Sally Jones, a 45-year-old ex-punk rocker who fled to Syria with her 10-year-old son at the end of last year following an online romance. |
| Hussain was an avid social media user and tweeted encouragement to the gunmen who opened fire on a “Draw Muhammad” event in Texas in May, minutes after news of the attack spread. US officials suspected the tweets indicated a possible Isis role in the failed shooting. | Hussain was an avid social media user and tweeted encouragement to the gunmen who opened fire on a “Draw Muhammad” event in Texas in May, minutes after news of the attack spread. US officials suspected the tweets indicated a possible Isis role in the failed shooting. |