Militants confirm ‘Jihadi John’ is dead
NEW YORK – The Islamic State group has acknowledged the death of the masked militant known as “Jihadi John,” who appeared in several videos depicting the beheadings of Western hostages, the SITE Intelligence Group reported Tuesday.
SITE, which monitors terrorist activity, reported that IS published a “eulogizing profile” of Jihadi John in its English-language magazine Dabiq on Tuesday. Jihadi John had been identified by the U.S. military as Mohammed Emwazi, a Kuwaiti-born British citizen.
“His harshness towards the kuffar (disbelievers) was manifested through deeds that enraged all the nations, religions, and factions of kufr, the entire world bearing witness to this,” the Dabiq article said.
Army Col. Steve Warren, a U.S. military spokesman, said in November that the Army was “reasonably certain” that a drone strike in Syria had killed Emwazi, who spoke in beheading videos with a British accent as he wielded a knife.
U.S. seeking help training Iraqi troops
PARIS – Defense Secretary Ash Carter says he wants coalition and other Arab countries to “greatly” increase the number of trainers they provide for Iraqi security forces and police and adds that the U.S. will also look at boosting its numbers.
Carter says the U.S. is open to doing more when there is an opportunity “to make a difference.” Yet he says that there is no reason why the U.S. should be doing all of the additional training.
He adds that the 200-person special commando force in Iraq has not yet started operations.
Carter spoke Tuesday to reporters as he traveled to Paris for a meeting with several defense ministers, most of them from Europe.
Associated Press
