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| 'Jihadi John' recording: Mohammed Emwazi denied extremism | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A recording has emerged in which the Islamic State fighter Mohammed Emwazi denied being an extremist and complained about UK security services. | A recording has emerged in which the Islamic State fighter Mohammed Emwazi denied being an extremist and complained about UK security services. |
| In the tape, Emwazi - known as "Jihadi John" - said MI5 had threatened him and tried to "put words into my mouth". | In the tape, Emwazi - known as "Jihadi John" - said MI5 had threatened him and tried to "put words into my mouth". |
| The tape was made in 2009 by advocacy group Cage after Emwazi was deported from Tanzania and questioned by MI5. | |
| The Kuwait-born Briton is believed to have taken part in the beheadings of Western hostages by Islamic State (IS). | The Kuwait-born Briton is believed to have taken part in the beheadings of Western hostages by Islamic State (IS). |
| In emails and a meeting with Cage, Emwazi said he had arrived in Tanzania for a safari holiday in 2009 but had been refused entry and was put on a flight to Amsterdam, where a British agent accused him of trying to reach Somalia for terrorism training. | |
| Speaking to Cage when he returned to London later that year, Emwazi said: "He [the MI5 officer] looked at me and he said 'I still believe that you're going to Somalia to train'. | Speaking to Cage when he returned to London later that year, Emwazi said: "He [the MI5 officer] looked at me and he said 'I still believe that you're going to Somalia to train'. |
| "I said 'after what I just told you, after… I told you that what's happening is extremism… you're still suggesting that I'm an extremist?' | "I said 'after what I just told you, after… I told you that what's happening is extremism… you're still suggesting that I'm an extremist?' |
| "He just started, you know, going on trying to put words into my mouth." | "He just started, you know, going on trying to put words into my mouth." |
| Emwazi said MI5 officers had been "threatening" him and told him: "We're going to keep a close eye on you Mohammed, we already have been." | Emwazi said MI5 officers had been "threatening" him and told him: "We're going to keep a close eye on you Mohammed, we already have been." |
| He said the agent - who called himself Nick - also asked him what he thought of 9/11, the war in Afghanistan and the 7 July attacks in London. | |
| Emwazi replied "innocent people" had been killed in the 7/7 attacks and it was "extremism". He also said what happened on 9/11 was "wrong". | |
| "What do you want me to say?" he said he told Nick. "If I had the opportunity for those lives come back then I would make those lives come back." | |
| Cage's research director Asim Qureshi, who made the recording on a Dictaphone, has been criticised after suggesting MI5 harassment could have contributed to the radicalisation of Emwazi. | |
| He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Tuesday: "All we are asking for is a little bit of accountability. | |
| "What we want to see is that our security agencies don't operate in a way that actually drives people away from feeling like they have a role to play in this society." | |
| Mr Qureshi said Cage was "horrified" by Islamic State's killings and insisted his comments were "not about sticking up for" Emwazi. |