I'm Glad the Jihadi 'Beatles' Will Face Trial

Date 03 October 2020 Page 22

I’m glad the

jihadi ‘Beatles’

will face trial

Diane Foley, mother of murdered journalist, James, Charlotte Lytton tells that justice can wait no longer he image is seared who have agreed to waive the death with them, if given the chance. “I into public memory: penalty. “We must dare to bring them certainly would be open to talking to a man in an orange to trial,” says Diane Foley, James’s them. I don’t know if they’d have any T-shirt kneeling in the mother. Her hope is not just “to get interest though.” T desert, head shaved, a to the truth of the matter” but that, A new BBC documentary series, In knife to his neck. The if proven guilty, Kotey and Elsheikh the Face of Terror, follows the attempts beheading of James Foley, the first “recognise what they’ve done, and of the Foleys and other families of Islamic State hostage to meet this make amends for what they’ve hostages to ensure the atrocities grim end in August 2014, marked the inflicted on so many innocent people… inflicted on their loved ones aren’t group’s introduction to the Western there must be some accountability. allowed to happen again. world – a summer of bloodshed that Justice needs to be served.” “I often felt no one had Jim’s name would trigger a series of attacks Londoners Kotey, 36, and on their desk as a priority,” John, carried out in their name in cities Elsheikh, 32 – nicknamed Ringo and his father, says in the first of three from London to Paris. George by their hostages – remain in episodes. It is a feeling echoed by In has been six years since the US military custody in Iraq. Emwazi, Carl and Marsha Mueller, whose aid murder of Foley, a 40-year-old a computer programmer from west worker daughter Kayla was raped American photojournalist whose London, was killed by a drone strike and murdered by IS in 2015 (Kotey death at the hands of Mohammed in November 2015. and El Sheikh recently admitted their Emwazi (“Jihadi John”) was broadcast “To kill him in that way involvement in her captivity, but not to the world via YouTube. Now, was satisfying for some in our death) and Mike Haines, whose brother Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee government,” Diane says, “but not to David became the group’s first British Elsheikh – the last living members me.” Allowing the jihadists to become victim a month after Jim was killed. of the British IS cell dubbed “The martyrs is self-defeating, she believes; Striking, too, are the contributions Beatles”, accused of beheading more Kotey and Elsheikh’s trial feels like “a from French and Spanish hostages than 27 hostages and of which Emwazi hopeful step forward,” even if – should who spent months in squalid cells was a member – are set to face trial. it be conducted virtually while Covid across Syria with Jim and David, but Last week, Elsheikh’s mother lost a restrictions remain in place – she will whose lives were spared following High Court bid to stop her son’s be unable to look them in the eye. negotiations. prosecution, meaning the pair – who Doing so “is not necessary for me,” “I had hoped that our country would have been stripped of their British she says via Zoom from her home in find a way to bring Jim home,” says citizenship – will be tried in America. Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, where Diane. “But I feel that the policy of ‘no The UK will now share crucial James (known as Jim) was raised with negotiation’ got in the way and the evidence with US prosecutors, his four siblings. But she would speak [British and American] governments

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Date 03 October 2020 Page 22

did not engage in a way that made Diane says. Although there has been ‘When it even possible. I feel that was no official reversal of policy, she unacceptable in many ways. We can adds: “The Trump administration has prioritised the return of our they told do better. We need to prioritise our citizens more than [others]. So I have me Jim citizens and we need to hold people accountable, who dare to kidnap, to applaud that, I’m very grateful torture, and murder them abroad.” for that.” Over the course of our was their The first indication that Jim was conversation she is warm but firm; dwelling on frustration that more highest missing reached New Hampshire in November 2012. It was Thanksgiving, wasn’t done to save her eldest son priority and he always rang home from is pointless, she and her husband whatever conflict zone he was working believe. “We could be bitter, or I believed angry, but what would that do? That in; this time, nothing. it… He When he and Diane had last doesn’t bring Jim home.” spoken a few weeks earlier, Jim She is aware, too, that there is was not. had promised he’d be home by some peace in knowing her son is no longer suffering at the hands of his Christmas. His family hoped the ;/G GS He was captors; the Muellers still hope that silence was temporary but, a year forgotten’ later, they received an email from IS, Kayla may yet be found alive. “To demanding a ransom of €100 million not have that kind of closure is just (£77 million), or for all Muslim a never-ending terror... I definitely think it was some finality and prisoners held in the US to be freed. Diane, a former nurse, was “naive” conclusion that helped us to move then, she says. “I didn’t really know towards acceptance,” she explains. what I was doing and I trusted our Three weeks after her son’s death she founded the James W Foley government to take care of it. When they told me Jim was their highest Legacy Foundation, which provides priority I believed it.” a safety curriculum for journalists The Foleys raised $1 million in conflict zones and advocates for themselves but over time, it became the safe return of hostages. It is her way of honouring Jim, who deeply clear that Jim “was not a priority at all”, Diane says of his disappearance, which wanted to tell the stories of those the family made public around six who could not do so themselves. And who, on visits home, could always weeks later, against FBI advice. “He be counted upon to “bring joy and was not. He was forgotten.” fun” back with him. “He really made His parents ultimately had to you feel like he cared about what you accede to the US government’s policy were going through,” Diane smiles. of not negotiating with terrorists “What is so sad is that he would have (one the UK shares). “I let Jim down,” contributed so much to the world.” Diane now believes. Her son would have been 47 The authorities’ stance was this month; annually, around his “short-sighted”, she adds. “I feel very birthday, the James W Foley Freedom strongly that our countries should be Run takes place (this year on October willing to negotiate, and try to find 17) with runners taking part across ways to bring hostages home.” the world in his memory. Twenty-one months after his At home, too, his six nieces and capture, Diane received a call from nephews are growing up with stories a reporter in hysterics: pictures of of their uncle Jim. Two are named Jim, decapitated, were circulating on after him, adds Diane. “I pray that Twitter. “It was an incredible shock,” they will aspire to the moral courage she recalls with remarkable calm. their uncle had.” In the aftermath, the glare of public interest intensified; President Barack Obama called the Foleys to share his condolences, condemning Jim’s killers in a televised address. Words by then could do little. “Administrations vary on how important they feel this issue is,” Di Al h h h h b

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Date 03 October 2020 Page 22

Sorrow: Diane Foley, left, says son James, right, was ‘forgotten’ by US authorities; below, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey

In the Face of Terror begins on BBC Two on Monday Oct 5 at 9pm. Join the Freedom Run at secure. qgiv.com/event/ 2020freedomrun

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Date 03 October 2020 Page 22

IMAGES AP; AFP/GETTY

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