The FBI has identified the ISIS executioner who appears in the beheading videos of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and British aid worker John Haines. Agency director James Comey told reporters today that he knew who the militant was but would not be releasing his identity or nationality to the media.
The executioner, who has a British accent and has been dubbed Jihadi John, is one of four British jihadis known as the ‘Beatles’ holding hostages in Syria. He appears in the group’s execution videos wielding a knife – and taunts President Obama before carrying out the killings
Today British officials would not say if the identity had been shared with the authorities on London, and would not be drawn on whether any arrests are imminent. A Home Office spokeswoman said: ‘We won’t be commenting on matters of security at this stage.’