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TWO BRITISH MILITANTS believed to be part of an Islamic State group that beheaded hostages and was known as ‘The Beatles’ have been moved out of a detention centre in Syria and are in American custody.
President Donald Trump yesterday said the US has moved some Islamic State prisoners amid fears they could escape custody as Turkey invades northeast Syria.
The two men, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Amon Kotey, along with other British jihadis, allegedly made up the IS cell nicknamed ‘The Beatles’ by surviving captives because of their English accents.
In 2014 and 2015, the militants held more than 20 Western hostages in Syria and tortured many of them. It beheaded seven American, British and Japanese journalists and aid workers and a group of Syrian soldiers, boasting of the butchery in videos released to the world.
US officials said the two were taken out of Syria by US military and law enforcement personnel to ensure they did not escape if security broke down as a result of the Turkish incursion. So far they are the only two IS militants removed from Syria by the US, but officials say a number of others could also be moved if needed.
Another official said the two men were taken to Iraq out of an abundance of caution, adding that the United States is still fully committed to seeing them brought to justice.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements.
Turkey
Turkey is attacking the US-backed Syrian Defense Forces, a Kurdish force that battled the Islamic State group alongside American troops and now is responsible for guarding thousands of detained militants.
But guarding those prisoners is now expected to be less of a priority for the Kurdish forces as they rush to defend their territory against the invading Turkish military.
Trump has defended pulling some troops out of Syria amid much criticism, including from close allies, that the US has abandoned the Kurds.
He told reporters at the White House that some of the “most dangerous” fighters had been moved, but he provided no details. Just the two men have been relocated so far, but thousands of other Islamic State group detainees remain in custody and there are no immediate concerns the Kurds will completely abandon the facilities.
“We’re putting them in different locations where it’s secure,” Trump said.
The US officials said that some Kurds left the prisons to join the fight but did not flee in large numbers.
The officials said operations against remaining members of the Islamic State group are on hold following the invasion yesterday by Turkey, which sees the Kurds as a threat and is trying to create a buffer zone between the territory held by the SDF and the Syrian border.
The two British men were captured in January in eastern Syria by the Kurdish forces amid the collapse of IS. Their detention set off a debate in the US and Europe over how to prosecute their citizens who joined IS.
Beheadings
Among the journalists they killed was American James Foley, followed by fellow Americans Steven Sotloff and Peter Kassig, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning and Japanese journalists Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto.
The beheadings, often carried out on camera, horrified the world soon after IS took over much of Iraq and Syria in 2014.
In March, Kurdish and US forces cleared the last members of the Islamic State group from what was left of their self-declared caliphate, which once sprawled across a large part of Iraq and Syria.
US officials said American forces are not out doing patrols looking for Islamic State group fighters because their Kurdish partners are more focused on the Turkish fight. But they said US operations could restart quickly if needed.
About 30 to 50 US troops were moved out of the way from two outposts in the border region. There are a number of US forces in other bases just outside the so-called safe zone as well as in Manbij and other locations around the country.
There are about 2,500 Islamic State foreign fighters being detained in Syria, along with about 10,000 fighters from Syria and Iraq.
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The foods bland and its expensive, not a winning formula.
It’s also incredibly unhealthy.
Not only that, it tastes delicious.
If going down the fast food route then I’d definitely do one of those Italian choppers -Borza, Macaris etc. Failing that I’d have Burger King before McD’s!
People who like to go on and on about not owning a television also don’t go to these places.
I stopping going to MacDonald’s several years ago even though I like their food. I just got tired of how they treat the communities they operate in, bullying their way through local planning laws, suing anyone who stands up to them, marketing directly to schools and kids sporting clubs.
‘modern, progressive burger company’
Yep
I think all chain food is crap: McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Supermacs and Costa Coffee etc.
Costa and Starbucks have the worst coffee. Complete muck.
Uh huh. Costa coffee is bitter shite. Starbucks a grade or two better.
Hold on, you’re telling me that Starbucks sell coffee now?
Insomnia is decent though…
How can anyone even taste coffee with the amount of sugar, milk and general muck added to it?
McDonalds do great coffe
Now, I think it’s the other way round! Costa at least have nice cups and good cakes. Chacun à son goût!
They do, Thomas and it’s cheap as chips!
Mac Cac. Chomh blasta le himeall mo thóna!
I honestly don’t get why people eat in McDonalds! The food doesn’t fill you. You’d nearly need to eat the entire menu to feel full after it. Everything on the menu tastes like syrup dipped in vinegar (except the drinks which just taste like syrup). And it has no nutritional value. I get that people like to get the odd bit of fast food (and I do like a good Italian chipper), but why go for something that tastes disgusting, offers no nutritional value and leaves you starving 15 minutes later?
They give you a toy with the Happy Meal :)
It’s that long since I ate in a McDonalds that I had entirely forgotten about Happy Meals. Still, that’s hardly an incentive for me! Oh this talk of food is making me hungry! I think I’ll have a nice half-pounder with cheese, chips, onion rings and a battered sausage tonight! :)
Ronald will qualify for job seekers allowance so no sweat
You put one scabby gherkin in your budgets, what do you expect? Never mind the chips that never go off and the nuggets made of slime and ammonia. And what happened to the turd burglar? Did he die? Oh wait, that was burger king.
‘Our’ Supermacs are mad expensive and portuons are scabby aswell. My local chipper does a fresh fillet chicken burger, with all the dressing, large chips (that would feed two people) and two cans of coke etc for 7.20 euro.
Supermacs the other night My order was one Chicken Breast Sandwich Meal and one small chips (both portions were tiny) and it came to 10 euro 40 cent!!!
Im not a big fast food eater but appreciate the price difference.
Not sure how it is in Ireland now but in Germany at least Burger King here has veggie options and other alternatives to the traditional “burger and fries” fast food menu. I had McDonalds a few weeks ago for the first time in years and it was so bland. I’d much rather spend another euro or two and get a healthy, filling meal somewhere else.
As a kid Coming from the country always Thoght it was suppose like a magical place. first time i went was in.Dublin when i was 16. Your local chipper is much more fulfilling
A prerequisite for any restaurant should be that they serve food. McDonalds doesn’t qualify. I’d take my chances with a 20 a day habit sooner.
Janey Mac that’s bad.
It’s muck and it treats its staff the same way so good luck to it.
I’d rather eat the packaging the food comes in
MacDonalds can be a handy quick bite to eat. The thing that gets me with them the last 10 yrs or so is that when you place your order they wait for the money rather than go get it while you sort it. This leads to longer cue’s .
If you’re going to eat that crap, here’s a suggestion have the right amount in your hand.
I hear they put the prices on their menu display ‘ s.
Give me super macs any day
Lose the clown,. He sure is scary, more suited to a Stephen King novel.
I love the irony in their sponsorship of the Olympics.
I eat it every now & then as a teenager, if I was out shopping with friends stopped when I Sussed mcds= headache. Total muck.
Cannot understand how i get thumbs down while something as ridiculous as a hambuglar gets a thumbs up…..
Shanghai Husi are OSI, an American company who supply McDonalds worldwide. They are one of many Western companies who think they can act like complete cowboys in Asia to cut corners and maximize profit.
Well they would definitely have more of my business if the Big Tasty was always on the menu. Mmmmm :)
There are absolutely no stereotypical Irish comments at all here.
Not one person is begrudging the success of anyone else.
This is a good news story, even for a fast food joint the whole place mings something awful
have your say