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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 British jihadist from the footage of the killing of a journalist, the ambassador to the US 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 Islamic State (IS) militant with an English accent appears in the extremist group's video of the killing of American 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," Peter Westmacott told US news network 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 Britain.
'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.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."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".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.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. Downing Street earlier 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.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. Work is also under way to supply "non-lethal equipment" to Kurdish forces who are battling IS, including night vision equipment and body armour, a No 10 spokesman added.
Domestic threat
Home Secretary Theresa May has said the government is looking at new powers to tackle the threat of extremism in Britain.
But shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, writing in the Sunday Times, called for a stronger domestic response.
"More must be done to stop British citizens joining the barbarism and to keep the country safe if they return," she said.
She called for more action "to disrupt the travel plans of those planning go out to fight through better monitoring of the borders' watch list as well as access to passports".
The Home Office said police, security services and the Border Force were working to identify, detect and disrupt terrorist threats, including from British fighters attempting to return to the UK.
Senior Conservative MP David Davis, meanwhile, said TPims - used to restrict movement, the use of computers and mobile phones and meetings with others - were "completely useless".
"What happens with them is that all the dangerous villains get away - they leave the country, go off back to Pakistan or now to Iraq," he told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend.
Who are Islamic State (IS)?
Government forces in Iraq said on Sunday that they had defeated an attack - suspected to be by IS - on the country's largest oil refinery, killing several insurgents.
The Baiji refinery in northern Iraq has been the site of several battles between government forces and militants over the past few months.
Meanwhile, a car bomb killed at least seven people in the capital Baghdad.