Gorka Suggests UK Should Repatriate British ISIS Members from Syria

January 9, 2025 TruthUSA

Sebastian Gorka, Donald Trump’s choice for counterterrorism director, emphasized that any nation claiming to be a serious U.S. ally must demonstrate a serious commitment.

As the new director of counterterrorism, Sebastian Gorka stated that the UK should repatriate British nationals who were once part of ISIS and are currently detained in Syrian prison camps.

Approximately 30 British nationals, including Shamima Begum, are believed to be in these Syrian camps, with Shamima recently losing her appeal to retain her UK citizenship due to national security concerns.

In an interview with The Times, Gorka stressed the importance of serious commitment from allies to maintain strong relationships with the U.S., especially highlighting the UK’s special connection with President Trump.

Gorka is set to resume his role as deputy assistant to the president and take on the position of counterterrorism director from Jan. 20 onwards.

During an interview with Epoch TV’s “American Thought Leaders”, Gorka described Trump’s foreign policy approach as “surgical strength,” avoiding isolationism and interventionism.

In 2021, the Biden administration urged Britain to repatriate ISIS members from Syria without applying pressure on London, emphasizing it as a moral responsibility.

Between 2014 and 2019, an estimated 40,000 individuals from nearly 100 countries joined ISIS in the Middle East. Of these, around 2,000 foreign terrorist fighters were captured by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

The State Department reported that by December 2019, the U.S. had repatriated 23 citizens from Syria and Iraq, charging six adults with various terrorism-related offenses.

Following ISIS’s decline in 2019, some members have returned to their home nations voluntarily, while others remain incarcerated in Syria or Iraq.

In Feb. 2023, Jonathan Hall, KC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation in Britain, gave a speech highlighting the situation of UK-linked individuals who traveled to the conflict zone and are now in prison or camps.

Shamima Begum, a prominent British ISIS member, gained notoriety for leaving the UK at 15 to join ISIS, marrying a fighter and eventually being found in a Syrian camp in 2019. She lost her citizenship due to national security concerns despite legal challenges.

Gorka’s remarks coincide with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s statement that U.S. troops must remain in Syria to prevent ISIS from regaining strength in the region.

Responding to Gorka’s comments, a UK government spokesperson reiterated their commitment to protecting the nation from security threats.

PA Media and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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