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Moazzam Begg: I offered to help secure release of Alan Henning Moazzam Begg: I offered to help secure release of Alan Henning
(about 3 hours later)
Former Guantánamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg claims that he offered to intervene to help secure the release of British hostage Alan Henning.Former Guantánamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg claims that he offered to intervene to help secure the release of British hostage Alan Henning.
Begg had been in talks with the UK Foreign Office in January last year to secure the release of the Salford taxi driver, who was killed by Islamic State militants last week, he says. However, the campaigner was arrested a few weeks later in February on suspicion of terrorism offences linked to Syria before he could help. Begg had been in talks with the UK Foreign Office in January last year to secure the release of the Salford taxi driver, who was killed by Islamic State militants last week. He says that he had been contacted by Henning’s friends in December, just as his passport had been taken away by the Home Secretary for being a “terrorist risk”.
He was then approached again while in Belmarsh prison, where he was classed a category A inmate, and drafted a personal appeal in Arabic to the leader of Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. However, his offers of help, says Begg, went unheeded. “I approached Alistair Burt, who [had been] deputy Foreign Office minister, with my lawyer and said I had been asked to help the secure the release of this man and I don’t want you to misunderstand if I make calls and approaches to people who are connected to Isis. I am doing it for [no] other purpose but to seek the release of this man.”
“I sat with [Burt]. There were phone calls, text messages.”
Rather than accept his help, Begg says he was arrested a few weeks later in February on suspicion of terrorism offences linked to Syria. Begg’s offer was renewed last month from Belmarsh high security prison in south London after the video that depicted the murder of US journalist Steven Sotloff also showed Isis militants threatening the life of Scottish aid work David Haines.
The Guardian understands that the offer to make a televised appeal on behalf of Haines was made via his lawyer, Gareth Peirce, but police did not make arrangements to interview Begg until after Haines had also been murdered.
Begg believed that an appeal from a former Guantánamo inmate – a man who had worn the orange jumpsuit that Isis was forcing its hostages to wear – and who was at that time imprisoned as a result of his visits to Syria, might have had some influence over the militants.
Begg drafted a personal appeal in Arabic to the leader of Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. However, his offers of help, says Begg, went unheeded by the Foreign Office.
Such an appeal would not have been unprecedented: in December 2005, the radical cleric Abu Qatada made an appeal from Full Sutton prison near York, calling for the release of peace activist Norman Kember, one of four westerners then held hostage in Iraq. Kember and two others were eventually rescued by British special forces troops, although one hostage had already been shot dead.
Last week, the 45-year-old walked free from prison after the case against him collapsed.Last week, the 45-year-old walked free from prison after the case against him collapsed.
Begg, who had been in Syria before the rise of Isis, told Radio 4’s Today programme: “I was in Syria before Isis and before [al-Qaida’s] al-Nusra Front was proscribed. I was involved in interventions when they had taken hostages. I had got other others groups to pressurise them and got [people] released.”Begg, who had been in Syria before the rise of Isis, told Radio 4’s Today programme: “I was in Syria before Isis and before [al-Qaida’s] al-Nusra Front was proscribed. I was involved in interventions when they had taken hostages. I had got other others groups to pressurise them and got [people] released.”
However, he said this time that the government had been concentrating too hard on “demonising” him. “They simply refused to look at anything,” he said. However, he said this time that the government had been concentrating too hard on demonisinghim. “They simply refused to look at anything,” he said, describing the murder of Henning as despicable.
Begg said that because of his connections to the Arabic world – he is fluent in both colloquial and classical Arabic and is well known because of his incarceration by the Americans – he could have made a “connection” with the militants.Begg said that because of his connections to the Arabic world – he is fluent in both colloquial and classical Arabic and is well known because of his incarceration by the Americans – he could have made a “connection” with the militants.
Begg pointed out that al-Baghdadi, like himself, was a prisoner of the Americans and that he had been given a special status by an Islamic court.Begg pointed out that al-Baghdadi, like himself, was a prisoner of the Americans and that he had been given a special status by an Islamic court.
“Alan Henning’s position in Islam … was a protected person. I have no problem [telling Isis] because that is how they see it.”“Alan Henning’s position in Islam … was a protected person. I have no problem [telling Isis] because that is how they see it.”
The former Guantánamo inmate said that he had begun to become increasingly concerned about the rise of ISIS when during his visits to Syria in 2012. “(I had said) these people will start comminting all sorts of atrocities in the name of islam and jihad and we from our community have to start to challenge this”.
Begg said that he would advise Muslims not to go to Syria now. However, he differed from the British government in advocating talks with Islamic State.Begg said that he would advise Muslims not to go to Syria now. However, he differed from the British government in advocating talks with Islamic State.
“I have advocated for negotiations with the Taliban, al-Qaida and negotiations with Isis. The Turks have been [talking] with them. They got their people out.” “I have advocated for negotiations with the Taliban, al-Qaida and negotiations with Isis. The Turks have been [talking] with them. They got their people out... What does Britain do? Britain says let’s abandon our people, let them die try (so we can) look tough.”
The government’s case against Begg dramatically collapsed after it emerged MI5 had neglected to hand over to police and prosecutors its minutes of meetings it had requested with Begg.
He had explained that he was planning to visit the war-ravaged country – in part to investigate the agency’s links with the Assad regime – and was assured he would not be hindered.
It has also emerged in court that not long after that meeting with MI5, Begg’s car was bugged. The listening device remained in place for more than a year.
Begg says it is inevitable that he will be bringing civil proceedings against MI5 and the government.Begg says it is inevitable that he will be bringing civil proceedings against MI5 and the government.