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UK Government does not want captured Isis 'Beatles' returned to Britain for trial, says Gavin Williamson | UK Government does not want captured Isis 'Beatles' returned to Britain for trial, says Gavin Williamson |
(35 minutes later) | |
The British Government does not want two British members of an Isis cell known as “The Beatles” returned to the UK for trial, the Defence Secretary has said. | |
Gavin Williamson spoke amid a mounting diplomatic row with the US over the jihadis’ fate, with his American counterpart insisting terrorists' “countries of origin” must take responsibility. | |
Speaking in Brussels, Mr Williamson said Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh “have turned their back on British ideas, British values”. | |
“Do I want them back in the United Kingdom?” he asked. “No, I don't.” | |
The former Londoners are among hundreds of foreign fighters captured by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in advances that retook all of Isis’ major strongholds in Syria. | |
Jim Mattis, the US Secretary of Defence, previously said that “the important thing is that the countries of origin keep responsibility for them”. | |
He and Mr Williamson spoke on Wednesday morning but officials have not announced the results of their discussions. | |
More to follow | |