The masked British militant Mohammed Emwazi from a video released by ISIL. AFP
The masked British militant Mohammed Emwazi from a video released by ISIL. AFP

Relaxing in a cafe: the British fighters waging war for ISIL



A covertly-taken video has captured four British militants relaxing in a café in Raqqa from where they are believed to have plotted attacks on the UK and the West.

The men included Mohammed Emwazi, the man known as Jihadi John, who featured in ISIL propaganda videos of beheadings of western hostages. He was killed in a US drone strike in Raqqa in 2015.

The footage showed the men lounging on sofas, charging their phones and discussing how they could transfer money to the area. The video appeared to demonstrate the apparent closeness of the British clique of militants.

The person who filmed the November 2014 footage, who has not been identified, said that the men discussed targeting European cities for attack. The café was largely off-limits to locals and was mainly used by UK and European fighters, according to the Daily Telegraph which obtained the footage.

The source said that many Britons had been killed in drone strike but “dozens and dozens” had headed to one of the few remaining ISIL strongholds at Deir Ezzor, the largest city in eastern Syria.

Junaid Hussain, 21, an ISIL hacker also killed in a drone strike in August 2015, and Reyaad Khan – who appeared in a recruitment video – also appeared in the clip. Khan was killed in a British drone attack.

The fourth man was identified as Raymond Matimba, an ISIL sniper, who had links with the Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi. Matimba is believed to have left Britain in 2014 to link up with terrorists in the region. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

His mother said that she did not know whether he was dead or alive, and last heard from him through a WhatsApp message in 2015.

“I have had no contact with him,” she told the newspaper. “I contacted the counter-terrorism authorities. I said I don’t want to talk to him any more. Eventually I changed my number.”

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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.