‘Jihadi John’ Told Security Services he Was a Moderate Before Going on to Islamist Murder

Tapes held by Jihadi John apologist group Cage have revealed some details of Mohammed Emwazi’s early encounters with Western intelligence organisations when he claimed to have no sympathy with Islamist terror.

Emwazi, who is better known by his media-given sobriquet ‘Jihadi John’, was prevented from entering Tanzania in 2009, on a trip he claimed was a Safari with friends but intelligence services believed was an attempt to join the East-African terror group Al-Shabaab. Although Emwazi denied the suggestion made by MI5, he was flown to Belgium to face questioning, where he protested his innocence.

In the recording given to the Guardian, Emwazi related his recollections from the interview with MI5 agent “Nick” to ‘human rights group’ turned terrorism apologist outfit Cage, who purport to support “communities affected by the war on terror”. Although there is no way to prove whether his recounting the interview was truthful, or if he was fabricating the questions and answers for the benefit of Asim Qureshi, it now appears Emwazi turned to murder only shortly afterward.

When asked by the agent about his opinions on major terrorist attacks such as 9/11, the London 7/7 bombings, his views on other world religions, and the Afghan war, Emwazi claimed to have given the answers his interviewer wanted to hear. Of 9/11, Emwazi said he would bring back the lives of the dead if he could: “Innocent people have … died. What do you think? I think this is extremism … I told him, ‘This is a wrong thing. It was wrong. What do you want me to say? If I had the opportunity, would I make those lives come back? I would make those lives come back.’”

Asked of his views of Judaism, Emwazi expressed that faith was a personal matter, saying: “this is how Islam is, we don’t force anyone to come into religion, everyone has their own right”.

Emwazi reported being surprised despite his statements about religious plurality and remorse for terrorist attacks, his MI5 handler still thought him a terror risk, asking him “after everything I’ve told you… you still think I’m an extremist?”. The agent apparently told Emwazi in return: “I still believe you are going to Somalia to train… We are going to keep a close eye on you, Mohammed, and we already have been … We are going to keep a close eye on you”.