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| Britain Rejects Calls at Home to Join Forces With Assad Against Jihadists | Britain Rejects Calls at Home to Join Forces With Assad Against Jihadists |
| (3 days later) | |
| LONDON — As British security agencies worked to identify the jihadist in the video showing the killing of an American journalist, James Foley, the foreign secretary on Friday rejected calls to work with the Syrian government to defeat the larger threat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. | |
| Philip Hammond, the secretary, bluntly rebuffed arguments from former senior British officials that while President Bashar al-Assad of Syria is an unsavory ally, he should be used against the arguably greater evil of ISIS. | Philip Hammond, the secretary, bluntly rebuffed arguments from former senior British officials that while President Bashar al-Assad of Syria is an unsavory ally, he should be used against the arguably greater evil of ISIS. |
| Malcolm Rifkind, a former foreign secretary and defense secretary who is chairman of Parliament’s intelligence and security committee, said the beheading of Mr. Foley required a response from the West. | Malcolm Rifkind, a former foreign secretary and defense secretary who is chairman of Parliament’s intelligence and security committee, said the beheading of Mr. Foley required a response from the West. |
| The militants “need to be eliminated, and we should not be squeamish about how we do it,” Mr. Rifkind told The Financial Times and the BBC. | The militants “need to be eliminated, and we should not be squeamish about how we do it,” Mr. Rifkind told The Financial Times and the BBC. |
| Referring to the British and American alliance with Stalin against Hitler, Mr. Rifkind said, “Sometimes you have to develop relationships with people who are extremely nasty in order to get rid of people who are even nastier.” | Referring to the British and American alliance with Stalin against Hitler, Mr. Rifkind said, “Sometimes you have to develop relationships with people who are extremely nasty in order to get rid of people who are even nastier.” |
| Richard Dannatt, the former head of the British Army, made a similar argument on Friday, telling the BBC, “Whether it’s above the counter or below the counter, a conversation has got to be held with him,” referring to Mr. Assad, arguing that any allied airstrikes against ISIS in Syria would need that country’s tacit approval so planes were not shot down by its air defenses. | Richard Dannatt, the former head of the British Army, made a similar argument on Friday, telling the BBC, “Whether it’s above the counter or below the counter, a conversation has got to be held with him,” referring to Mr. Assad, arguing that any allied airstrikes against ISIS in Syria would need that country’s tacit approval so planes were not shot down by its air defenses. |
| But both Washington and London have rejected intervening militarily in Syria, where ISIS has its stronghold, limiting themselves to Iraq. While the Americans have been carrying out airstrikes against ISIS forces in Iraq, Britain has talked about supplying military aid to Kurds and other anti-ISIS forces but without clarifying what else it might do. | But both Washington and London have rejected intervening militarily in Syria, where ISIS has its stronghold, limiting themselves to Iraq. While the Americans have been carrying out airstrikes against ISIS forces in Iraq, Britain has talked about supplying military aid to Kurds and other anti-ISIS forces but without clarifying what else it might do. |
| The United States and Britain have rejected dealing with Mr. Assad, whose overthrow they have both supported. Mr. Hammond said that “we may very well find that we are fighting, on some occasions, the same people that he is, but that doesn’t make us his ally.” | The United States and Britain have rejected dealing with Mr. Assad, whose overthrow they have both supported. Mr. Hammond said that “we may very well find that we are fighting, on some occasions, the same people that he is, but that doesn’t make us his ally.” |
| “It would not be practical, sensible or helpful to even think about going down that route,” he said. | “It would not be practical, sensible or helpful to even think about going down that route,” he said. |
| Mr. Hammond continued, “I do not think that engaging in a dialogue with the Assad regime would advance the cause that we are all advocating,” and, in response to Mr. Dannatt, he said that “one of the first things you learn in the Middle East is that my enemy’s enemy is not necessarily my friend.” | Mr. Hammond continued, “I do not think that engaging in a dialogue with the Assad regime would advance the cause that we are all advocating,” and, in response to Mr. Dannatt, he said that “one of the first things you learn in the Middle East is that my enemy’s enemy is not necessarily my friend.” |
| Mr. Hammond said that dealing with Mr. Assad “would poison what we are trying to achieve in separating moderate Sunni opinion from the poisonous ideology” of ISIS. | Mr. Hammond said that dealing with Mr. Assad “would poison what we are trying to achieve in separating moderate Sunni opinion from the poisonous ideology” of ISIS. |
| Mr. Hammond said that Britain, with the United States, was working hard to identify the masked man, believed to be British, who, in the video, delivers a message to the United States, brandishes a knife and appears to begin to behead Mr. Foley. | Mr. Hammond said that Britain, with the United States, was working hard to identify the masked man, believed to be British, who, in the video, delivers a message to the United States, brandishes a knife and appears to begin to behead Mr. Foley. |
| “Our intelligence agencies and the police are studying the material that we have received,” he said. “You wouldn’t expect me to give a running commentary on that process, but we are devoting significant amounts of resource to trying to identify the individual.” | “Our intelligence agencies and the police are studying the material that we have received,” he said. “You wouldn’t expect me to give a running commentary on that process, but we are devoting significant amounts of resource to trying to identify the individual.” |
| Neither the Home Office nor the Metropolitan Police counterterrorism unit would comment on their analysis of the video or what they were doing to identify the masked man. | Neither the Home Office nor the Metropolitan Police counterterrorism unit would comment on their analysis of the video or what they were doing to identify the masked man. |
| But Haras Rafiq of the Quilliam Foundation in London, which seeks to counter Islamic radicalism, said that British officials were bound to use voice recognition software, check prison records and probation officers, and talk to dialect experts and former hostages who might have dealt with the man. | But Haras Rafiq of the Quilliam Foundation in London, which seeks to counter Islamic radicalism, said that British officials were bound to use voice recognition software, check prison records and probation officers, and talk to dialect experts and former hostages who might have dealt with the man. |
| They would also check social media and examine the video to gauge body type and distinguishing features, as well as talk to local Asian and Muslim communities, looking for friends and family members who disapprove of his actions and recognize him, Mr. Rafiq said. | They would also check social media and examine the video to gauge body type and distinguishing features, as well as talk to local Asian and Muslim communities, looking for friends and family members who disapprove of his actions and recognize him, Mr. Rafiq said. |
| Dialect experts have suggested that the man is from south or southeast London, since he appears to speak “multicultural London English.” | Dialect experts have suggested that the man is from south or southeast London, since he appears to speak “multicultural London English.” |
| Former hostages have said that the man appears to be one of three British ISIS members who were in charge of foreign hostages in the group’s stronghold in the Syrian region of Raqqa. | Former hostages have said that the man appears to be one of three British ISIS members who were in charge of foreign hostages in the group’s stronghold in the Syrian region of Raqqa. |
| The hostages called the three “the Beatles” and suggest that this man was known as “John,” while the others were known as Paul and Ringo. | The hostages called the three “the Beatles” and suggest that this man was known as “John,” while the others were known as Paul and Ringo. |
| One former hostage, Didier François, 53, a senior French journalist with Europe 1 who was freed in April, told his station: “Recognized is a very big word. I see roughly who it is.” Mr. François said in an email that he would not expand on his comments. | One former hostage, Didier François, 53, a senior French journalist with Europe 1 who was freed in April, told his station: “Recognized is a very big word. I see roughly who it is.” Mr. François said in an email that he would not expand on his comments. |
| Some analysts and British officials have also questioned whether the masked man actually killed Mr. Foley, since the man’s knife appeared insufficient for a beheading. | Some analysts and British officials have also questioned whether the masked man actually killed Mr. Foley, since the man’s knife appeared insufficient for a beheading. |
| The video appears to have been composed or edited from different frames, and later what appears to be a different knife is shown lying next to Mr. Foley’s corpse. | The video appears to have been composed or edited from different frames, and later what appears to be a different knife is shown lying next to Mr. Foley’s corpse. |
| Some suggest that “John” was featured because of his fluent English in a message aimed directly at the United States. | Some suggest that “John” was featured because of his fluent English in a message aimed directly at the United States. |
| But even if he is identified, some analysts said it might be too dangerous to try to capture or apprehend him if he is guarding other hostages and prisoners. | But even if he is identified, some analysts said it might be too dangerous to try to capture or apprehend him if he is guarding other hostages and prisoners. |