Beheading Of Journalist Is 'Betrayal Of Britain'

The beheading of reporter James Foley by a British jihadist is "an utter betrayal of everything the British people stand for", the foreign secretary has said.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Philip Hammond said it was horrifying that the perpetrator "could have been brought up in Britain".

He said that the government was investing "significant resources" to tackle "a barbaric ideology" which could threaten the UK.

Mr Hammond said the threat from Iraq and Syria would last a generation, echoing comments made by Home Secretary Theresa May yesterday.

Lord Carey described the British jihadists as 'bloodthirsty'

Mr Hammond's comments came amid calls to strip British jihadists of their passports. 

Former shadow home secretary David Davis dismissed suggestions that new laws, dubbed asbos for terrorists, would prevent Britons fighting for Islamic State (IS).

Instead, he said, the jihadists should be stopped from returning to the UK and stripped of their citizenship.

Mr Davis said the Government's response to the crisis in Iraq had been "tentative, uncertain, almost limp".

He suggested the men heading overseas to fight were committing treason.

Philip Hammond said Islamic State had a 'barbaric ideology'

In an article for the Mail on Sunday, Mr Davis wrote: "Asbos for terrorists? It is hard to imagine the ISIS killers quaking in their boots."

He added: "Since these young men are in effect swearing allegiance to a hostile state, they should all forfeit their British citizenship - not just those who are dual nationals."

Mr Davis's call was echoed by Lord Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury, who also called for Britons fighting for IS in Iraq and Syria to lose their passports.

Lord Carey wrote in the Mail on Sunday: "They should not have access to the privilege of travelling under a British passport . . . and they certainly should not be able to travel back with the barbaric and bloodthirsty skills they have gained."

Meanwhile, MI5 and MI6 have worked out the identity of Mr Foley's killer, known as "Jihadi John", The Sunday Times reported.

But none of the details have been disclosed, the paper added.

Yesterday, Home Secretary Theresa May announced she was planning to bring in new laws to tackle the threat of British jihadists - including the so-called terrorist asbos.

The measures would target the activities of radical preachers, such as Anjem Choudary, whose extreme rhetoric currently does not constitute a crime.

The reaction to Mr Foley's death came after Iraq was hit by a wave of deadly explosions and the UN warned of a "possible massacre" in one town besieged by militants.

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Sir Cliff Richard Quizzed By Detectives

Sir Cliff Richard has been interviewed by members of South Yorkshire Police, his spokesman said.

He voluntarily met officers on Saturday and was not arrested or charged.

The singer's Berkshire apartment was searched by police on August 14 as part of the investigation into an alleged sexual assault at a religious event in 1985.

Sir Cliff's Berkshire apartment was searched by police on August 14

A spokesman for Sir Cliff said: "Today Sir Cliff Richard voluntarily met with and was interviewed by members of South Yorkshire Police.

"He was not arrested or charged. He co-operated fully with officers and answered the questions put to him.

"Other than restating that this allegation is completely false and that he will continue to co-operate fully with the police, it would not be appropriate for Sir Cliff to say anything further at this time."

South Yorkshire Police said a 73-year-old man had been spoken to in relation to an allegation of a sexual nature dating back to 1985.

Police said: "The man was interviewed under caution but was not arrested. He entered South Yorkshire Police premises by arrangement."

Sir Cliff, 73, was in Portugal when the search took place on August 14.

His fans have rallied round the veteran star since the allegation became public.

They are showing their support by buying copies of his 1992 number seven hit I Still Believe In You with the song headed for this weekend's Top 40.

It has emerged that he has pulled out of a visit to the US Open tennis championships and turned down the freedom of his adopted Portuguese home city of Albufeira.

He also cancelled an appearance at a charity event at Canterbury Cathedral next month so it was not "overshadowed by the false allegation".

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'Asbos For Extremists' To Tackle UK Jihadists

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Home Secretary Theresa May is planning to bring in new laws to tackle the threat of British jihadists - including "anti-social behaviour orders" for extremists.

Mrs May will announce a three-point plan to counter British Muslim extremists, warning that the security threat to the UK will continue for decades.

The measures would target the activities of radical preachers, such as Anjem Choudary, whose extreme rhetoric currently does not constitute a crime.

Full details are yet to emerge, but the new power will be designed to restrict extremists' behaviour and language.

As with an Asbo, it could result in a criminal conviction carrying a jail term if breached.

Radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary

Mrs May has unveiled her crackdown in an article in the Daily Telegraph.

She discloses that she will make it illegal to join extremist groups that preach violent views, but are not directly involved in terrorism.

Currently, the threshold for banning membership of organisations, such as the Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, requires the Home Secretary to prove that the group is directly involved in terrorist acts.

The new power could target Islamist political organisations and other Muslim groups that tacitly support extremism.

In addition, state-funded organisations such as councils and schools will be given a new legal obligation to combat extremists.

Theresa May's warning echoes recent comments from David Cameron

Mrs May uses the Telegraph article to echo a warning about extremism made by the Prime Minister in a newspaper report last weekend.

The Home Secretary writes: "We are in the middle of a generational struggle against a deadly extremist ideology.

"We will be engaged in this struggle for many years, probably decades. We must give ourselves all the legal powers we need to prevail.

"I am looking again at the case for new banning orders for extremist groups that fall short of the legal threshold for terrorist proscription, as well as for new civil powers to target extremists who seek to radicalise others."

The measures proposed by Mrs May are similar to recommendations for legislation made by the Government's Extremism Task Force last December.

Those recommendations were surprisingly omitted from the Queen's Speech this year.

But there is no suggestion yet that the Home Secretary plans to introduce emergency legislation when MPs return to the Commons on September 1.

David Cameron said during his brief return to Downing Street from his holiday after the murder of journalist James Foley that there would be "no knee-jerk reaction".

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Mosque Massacre Undermines Anti-IS Drive

A sectarian attack at a mosque in Iraq has killed at least 68 Sunni Muslims, plunging efforts to form a united front against jihadists into crisis.

Officials say a suicide bomber blew himself up in the mosque north of Bagdhad, with Shia militiamen picking off fleeing worshippers with machine guns.

Attacks on mosques are acutely sensitive and have in the past unleashed a deadly series of revenge killings and counter attacks in Iraq.

PM designate Haider al Abadi is trying to form a more inclusive government

The latest attack, in Diyala province, is seen as a blow to government efforts to secure backing from Sunni groups in its battle against Islamic State (IS) extremists.

Prime Minister designate Haider al Abadi, a moderate Shia, is attempting to form a more inclusive government following the resignation of outgoing PM Nouri al Maliki.

But two influential Sunni politicians - Parliamentary Speaker Salim al Jabouri and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al Mutlak - have now pulled out of talks with the main Shi'ite political alliance after the massacre.

Lawmaker Nahida al Dayani, who is from Diyala, said about 150 worshippers were at Imam Wais mosque when the militiamen arrived.

Diyala has seen heavy fighting between Iraqi troops and IS (file pic)

"Sectarian militias entered and opened fire at worshippers. Most mosques have no security," she told Reuters.

The attack came as thousands of Peshmerga and counter-terrorism soldiers continued to battle Islamic militants around the nearby towns of Jalula and Sadiyah.

Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay said the Peshmerga fighters were desperately in need of weapons and were effectively in "lockdown". 

"Peshmerga frontline positions are regularly hit from far away. There are scorch marks and burning patches everywhere," Ramsay said.

Peshmerga are fighting to gain territory from militants north of Baghdad

The extremist group pushed Kurdish forces out of the town of Jalula earlier this month after heavy fighting and the Peshmerga troops are trying to reclaim territory.

Meanwhile, the US, which is carrying out airstrikes against militants, ramped up its rhetoric over the beheading of journalist James Foley.

In Washington, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said the murder "represents a terrorist attack against our country".

Elsewhere, in the northern city of Mosul, Islamic State militants stoned a man to death after one of its self-appointed courts sentenced him for adultery, witnesses said.

The US says the killing of James Foley was a "terrorist attack" on America

The stoning was the first known instance of the punishment by Islamic State militants in Iraq since it seized large areas of the country in a June offensive.

Having poured in from Syria across a desert border that it does not recognise, the movement has declared its own caliphate.

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Final Email From James Foley's Killers Revealed

The family of James Foley have released the final email sent by his kidnappers telling them he would be killed - just days before the video of his murder emerged.

In the email, received by the family on August 12, the Islamic State militant group said: "You do not spare our weak, elderly, women or children so we will not spare yours!

"You and your citizens will pay the price of your bombings! The first of which being the blood of the American citizen, James Foley!

"He will be executed as a direct result of your transgressions towards us!"

In the message, IS claimed it had given the US "many chances to negotiate the release of your people via cash transactions as other governments have accepted".

However, Mr Foley's family said this was not true.

James Foley resting in a room at the airport of Sirte, Libya in 2011

They say the first message they received from his captors was in November 2013, more than a year after he went missing in Syria.

In the email they demanded money.

After the militants proved to the family and investigators they were holding the 40-year-old, they made a ransom demand of £80m ($132.5m).

The next time the family heard from the captors was on August 12.

GlobalPost, one of the news organisations Mr Foley worked for, said it chose to publish the message in full "in the interest of transparency and to fully tell Jim's story".

"We believe the text offers insight into the motivations and tactics of the Islamic State."

James Foley working in Syria in 2012. Pic: Manu Brabo

As efforts continue to track down the journalist's killer, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the threat posed by IS, formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), is "beyond anything we have seen".

The group said it beheaded Mr Foley in retaliation for US airstrikes in Iraq aimed at reversing the sweeping gains made by IS this summer.

US Attorney General Eric Holder said a criminal investigation has been launched into Mr Foley's murder.

Counter-terrorism police in the UK have already begun efforts to identify the black-clad man seen in the video beheading Mr Foley.

Although his face is covered, he speaks with an English, possibly London, accent.

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Islamic State Threat 'Completely Unprecedented'

The threat posed by Islamic State militants, who have seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq, is "beyond anything we've seen", according to US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

The group, which beheaded American journalist James Foley in response to US airstrikes in Iraq, was "beyond just a terrorist group", Mr Hagel said.

"They marry ideology, a sophistication of … military prowess," he added.

Airstrikes in Syria - where Mr Foley disappeared in November 2012 - have not been ruled out.

When asked about that possibility, Mr Hagel said Washington was "exploring all options".

James Foley in Libya in 2011

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, also did not discount attacks on IS fighters in Syria.

"This is an organisation that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated," he said at a briefing.

"To your question, can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organisation which resides in Syria? The answer is no.

"That will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a non-existent border."

A rough outline of the caliphate declared by IS militants

IS, which was formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, declared an Islamic state, or caliphate, covering large parts of the two countries earlier this year.

Michael Scheuer, a former CIA senior officer who ran operations against al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has told Sky News defeating IS will require an "enormous" number of Western troops on the ground which would mean an "enormous bloodbath".

He said: "It's a greatly bigger problem than we've seen before, it's better armed, it's better led and certainly more vicious than al Qaeda was in the initial years."

Militants vowed to attack US targets in another video clip

US President Barack Obama has insisted the scope of the US strikes will remain limited, while Prime Minister David Cameron has said Britain will not fight another war in Iraq.

A criminal investigation has now been opened into Mr Foley's murder, which was recorded by the militants in a video that emerged earlier this week.

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International Manhunt For 'John' The IS Killer

Counter-terrorism police in the UK say they are investigating the English-accented Islamic State fighter who beheaded journalist James Foley.

In a video posted by the militant group to social media sites, the man speaks English and blames US airstrikes for the killing of the 40-year-old American.

The killer, who is clad in black and covers his face during the video, speaks with a southeastern English accent, appears to be left-handed and is of average height.

The man has reportedly been identified as one of a group of Britons holding foreign hostages in Syria.

Speaking to Sky News, the Guardian's Martin Chulov said the man called himself "John", and was the leader of several Britons who guard prisoners in the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa.

James Foley was made to read out a statement before he was killed

"We spoke to a hostage today who was released several months ago and he clearly identified to us this man in the video," Mr Chulov said.

"He identified him as a British national, one of three British nationals who were responsible for guarding foreign prisoners in Raqqa.

"He was the leader of the pack, someone who was very assertive and was responsible for negotiations with hostage families and certainly had spoken to many mums, dads, (and) wives on Skype."

Mr Chulov said the man is likely to have been fighting with IS for at least a year.

"These are not newcomers. These guys have been around for quite some time - at least a year, and potentially 18 months.

"Throughout that time they had a leadership role in terms of guarding the foreign prisoners in Raqqa, all of whom had become very valuable to the Islamic State organisation.

Abdullah Deghayes was killed while fighting in Syria in May

"The fact that this British national speaks such fluent English, he writes fluent English as well, he has been given a lot of trust and authority within the jihadist structure in Raqqa."

The Metropolitan Police Service Counter Terrorism Command said it is investigating the video.

It added: "We would like to remind the public that viewing, downloading or disseminating extremist material within the UK may constitute an offence under Terrorism legislation."

At least 400 people are known to have travelled from the UK to Syria and Iraq to fight for Islamic State (IS) - formerly known as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Concerns have been raised that radicalised young men from Western countries will return to their home nations and could be used to carry out attacks.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sherine Tadros said: "We know that around 400 British nationals have joined IS, probably more than that in the last few months as their recruitment has gone into overdrive.

"Now they are being used in these more serious videos to try to pressure foreign governments - and also people in these countries - to try to pressure their governments not to intervene."

Nasser Muthana, centre, has been disowned by his father

Security agencies, including the FBI and MI5, will be tracking those who have travelled to Iraq and Syria to join the militant organisation.

A Home Office spokesperson added: "The police and security services are actively working to detect and disrupt terrorist threats.

"People seeking to travel to engage in terrorist activity in Syria or Iraq should be in no doubt we will take the strongest possible action to protect our national security, including prosecuting those who break the law.

"We also have a wide range of powers at our disposal to disrupt travel and manage the risk posed by returnees."

Radicalisation expert Shiraz Maher told Sky News that Britons were at the "forefront" of the IS conflict and were "not taking a back seat" in the violence.

Crawley father-of-three Abdul Waheed Majeed, 41, became the first Briton suspected of staging a suicide bomb attack when he attacked a jail in Aleppo in February.

In May, 18-year-old Abdullah Deghayes, from Brighton, was killed while fighting in Syria alongside his two brothers Jafar and Amer.

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James Foley: US In Failed Hostage Rescue Bid

The White House has said it sent special forces into Syria to rescue hostages including James Foley, but could not locate them.

News of the unsuccessful attempt came as it was revealed the journalist's family were told he would be killed a week before his beheading by an Islamic State (IS) militant.

The 40-year-old was murdered in a propaganda video issued by the Islamist group, which warned another captured American, Steven Sotloff, would also be killed unless the US called off airstrikes in Iraq.

President Barack Obama's Homeland Security adviser, Lisa Monaco, said in a statement that authorities had recently become increasing concerned over the plight of hostages in Syria.

"The President authorised action at this time because it was the national security team's assessment that these hostages were in danger with each passing day in ISIL (IS) custody," she said.

James Foley disappeared in Syria in November 2012. Pic: Nicole Tung

"The US Government had what we believed was sufficient intelligence, and when the opportunity presented itself, the President authorised the Department of Defense to move aggressively to recover our citizens.

"Unfortunately, that mission was ultimately not successful because the hostages were not present."

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said the operation "involved air and ground components and was focused on a particular captor network within ISIL (IS)".

Meanwhile, Mr Foley's employers said they received an email last Wednesday hitting out at US airstrikes and saying he would be "executed".

Philip Balboni, President of the Global Post news website, said: "On Wednesday night last week the Foley family received an email from the kidnappers that was full of rage against the United States bombing and they stated that they would execute Jim.

David Cameron has returned from his holiday in the wake of the killing

"Obviously, we hoped and prayed that that would not be the case.

"We communicated as quickly as we could, with the captors; pleaded with them for mercy."

Mr Balboni said the Global Post spent millions on efforts to bring Mr Foley home, including the hiring of an international security firm.

The militant in the propaganda video said Mr Foley was being killed because of US airstrikes against fighters from Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS or ISIL.

David Cameron spoke on Wednesday night after breaking off his holiday in order to return to Downing Street to be briefed on the murder.

He said it was looking "increasingly likely" that the militant in the video, who had a southeastern English accent, was British.

White House spokeswoman Marie Harf confirmed that US officials were working with British counterparts to establish the killer's identity.

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Iraqi Militants Threaten Revenge Attacks On US

Iraqi militants have threatened to respond to US airstrikes by attacking American targets, posting a video in which they warn: "We will drown all of you in blood."

The message, which was accompanied by photographs of beheadings, came as Barack Obama announced Kurdish peshmerga troops, supported by US jets, had recaptured the strategically important Mosul dam.

The US president said Islamic State (IS) fighters remained "a threat to Iraq and the entire region" and said Iraqis "must reject them and unite by pushing them out of lands they have occupied".

"They claim to represent Sunni grievances but they slaughter Sunni men, women and children," he said, adding limited military missions would continue.

Mr Obama has authorised limited missions in Iraq

Unlike al Qaeda, IS has, to date, focused on seizing land in Iraq and Syria for its self-proclaimed caliphate, rather than attacking Western targets.

Earlier, the group denied losing control of Mosul dam, which supplies water and electricity to much of the country.

It had been feared they would cut pipes and cables or blow up the structure, branded the "most dangerous in the world" by the US Army in 2007, causing huge loss of life and extensive damage along the Tigris valley.

Army spokesman Lt Gen Qassim al Moussawi said at least 170 bombs had been dismantled around the site but warned many more remain.

Both sides had been locked in fierce fighting around Mosul dam

It came after David Cameron insisted Britain would not be dragged into another war in Iraq to fight what he called "monstrous" jihadists.

He spoke out after it emerged the UK had briefly sent a number of ground troops to Irbil to prepare for a rescue mission to help displaced Yazidi people.

A strongly-worded statement followed confusion over Britain's involvement in Iraq after a series of media interviews by senior ministers.

"I want to be absolutely clear to you and to families watching at home. Britain is not going to get involved in another war in Iraq," the Prime Minister said in a televised address.

"We are not going to be putting boots on the ground. We are not going to be sending in the British Army."

Mr Cameron's pledge followed comments by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who said the UK's latest involvement in Iraq would likely last "weeks and months".

Mr Fallon had been addressing British troops in Cyprus, as it was revealed UK soldiers had been back on the ground in Iraq for the first time since 2009.

Meanwhile, IS militants killed dozens of Kurdish peshmerga fighters and captured 170 of them, a Twitter account that supports the group said.

Iraq's outgoing foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari also said Kurdish officials would take part in negotiations on forming a new government, paving the way for improved ties between Kurds and the central administration.

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'Shots Fired' In Fresh Ferguson Violence

Police fired tear gas at protesters in Ferguson as violence erupted again over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager.

Officers in riot gear, supported by an armoured SWAT vehicle and a helicopter overhead, repeatedly ordered the crowd to disperse.

Widespread reports from the scene suggested bottles were thrown then live ammunition was fired.

The shots appear to have prompted police to fire a volley of tear gas just after 11pm (5am UK time), sending the crowd fleeing.

A police officer at the scene confirmed to Vice News that live bullets had been fired.

"We didn't shoot, the bad guys are shooting," the officer said.

The crowd gathered near the residential street where 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by a local policeman was smaller than the one that clashed with police on Sunday.

Pathologists hired by Mr Brown's family previously revealed that the student in the St Louis suburb had been shot at least six times, including twice in the head.

His death has sparked daily protests and nightly clashes with police and prompted the deployment of National Guard reservists.

More follows...

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