Battle-hardened and vengeful, 300 jihadists are back in Britain

From The Telegraph

More than 300 dangerous jihadists have returned to the UK after fighting with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) — far higher than previously thought, The Telegraph has learnt.??

About 700 Islamists considered “dangerous” by the intelligence services have travelled to Syria and Iraq since the start of a conflict that has seen huge swathes of the region overrun by jihadists. Of those, about 320 ha?ve? now returned and are officially listed as “people of interest”.

A further 700 people –mainly British Muslims – who are not considered to be a threat to national security have also visited the region. Hum!

The Telegraph has been told that about “two dozen” individuals who have come back have been involved in plots in the UK – so far thwarted.

In recent months, the flow to Syria has “significantly slackened” with Islamist idealists, previously attracted to the region with a view to overthrowing the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, deterred by the brutality and violence of the Isil leadership. 

But more worrying for the UK authorities is the significant number of “hard core” extremists who have been attracted by the barbarity of the regime. A far higher proportion of Britons who currently go to Syria, according to the Home Office analysis, are now intent on committing terrorist offences, attracted by the propaganda recruitment videos fronted by “Jihadi John”. 

It really is quite simple. We have had treason laws for generations. If these men are British citizens they are traitors – try them as such if they return. If they are not British citzens their right to return to the UK is withdrawn, as are any rights accruing to their families from their presence; they can be deported. Use the existing regulations to withdraw British citizenship from those who have acquired it since birth elsewhere if their behavour merits that punishment.