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James Foley beheading: UK close to identifying jihadist | James Foley beheading: UK close to identifying jihadist |
(35 minutes later) | |
The UK is close to identifying a suspected jihadist who is believed to have beheaded a journalist, ambassador to the US Peter Westmacott has said. | The UK is close to identifying a suspected jihadist who is believed to have beheaded a journalist, ambassador to the US Peter Westmacott has said. |
The UK has been trying to identify the Islamic State militant with an English accent who appears in footage of the killing of US journalist James Foley. | The UK has been trying to identify the Islamic State militant with an English accent who appears in footage of the killing of US journalist James Foley. |
"We are very close to identifying who this guy is," Mr Westmacott told CNN. | "We are very close to identifying who this guy is," Mr Westmacott told CNN. |
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the death was a "betrayal of everything the British people stand for". | Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the death was a "betrayal of everything the British people stand for". |
'Sophisticated technologies' | 'Sophisticated technologies' |
Mr Westmacott also told NBC's Meet the Press: "We're not in a position to say exactly who this is but I think we are close." | Mr Westmacott also told NBC's Meet the Press: "We're not in a position to say exactly who this is but I think we are close." |
He said "sophisticated" voice recognition technology was being used to identify the suspect. | He said "sophisticated" voice recognition technology was being used to identify the suspect. |
Earlier this month, extremist group Islamic State (IS) published a video of the moments before and after the apparent beheading of Mr Foley, who was seized in Syria in 2012. | |
Referring to the 500-plus British citizens who are thought to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight in the past few years, Mr Westmacott said: "It's not just about one brutal murderer - it is a threat to our citizens." | |
His comments come after Foreign Secretary Mr Hammond wrote in the Sunday Times that the government was investing "significant resources" to tackle "a barbaric ideology". | |
Mr Hammond also warned the threat from conflicts in Syria and Iraq could last a generation. | |
It comes after Downing Street announced the appointment of a new security convoy to Iraq. | |
Lt Gen Sir Simon Mayall, the government's senior defence advisor for the Middle East, will travel to the country next week to meet political leaders. | |
Work is also under way to supply "non-lethal equipment" to Kurdish forces who are battling IS, including night vision equipment and body armour, the spokesman added. |