The way things are these days, El Shafee Elsheikh could be released after awhile regardless of his life sentence, and by then, what will have been done to disabuse him of his jihadi sentiments? Nothing whatsoever. Any such effort would be “Islamophobic.” If anything, he’ll come out of prison more dangerous than he was when he went in.
“ISIS ‘Beatle’ Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Hostage-Taking Scheme that Resulted in the Deaths of American, British, and Japanese Citizens,” Department of Justice, August 19, 2022:
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The highest-ranking fighter for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization, to have ever faced a jury trial in the United States was sentenced today to life imprisonment for his participation in a brutal hostage-taking scheme that resulted in the deaths of four American citizens, as well as the deaths of British and Japanese nationals, in Syria….
According to court documents, from November 2012 through February 7, 2015, former British citizen El Shafee Elsheikh, 34, served as a leader in a wide-ranging conspiracy involving the captivity of 26 hostages in Syria. Elsheikh personally participated in the detention of and hostage negotiations for four American citizens – James Wright Foley, Kayla Jean Mueller, Steven Joel Sotloff, and Peter Edward Kassig – each of whom died as hostages in ISIS custody. In addition, Elsheikh personally participated in the detention of and hostage negotiations for British, French, Italian, Danish, German, Spanish, Swedish, Belgian, Swiss, and New Zealand nationals.
According to court documents and evidence presented during trial, Elsheikh and two other ISIS members supervised the terrorist organization’s jails and detention facilities at which the hostages were held. Elsheikh and his co-conspirators engaged in a prolonged pattern of physical and psychological violence against hostages that was meant as an effort to subdue the hostages. These actions were also intended to compel the victims’ family members and their governments to pay large monetary ransoms for their release, in addition to compelling the U.S. government and other governments to agree to other terms and conditions for the victims’ return.
According to evidence presented during trial, in addition to physically and psychologically abusing the hostages, Elsheikh and his co-conspirators participated in forcibly exposing the hostages to the murder of other hostages held by ISIS, including a Russian hostage who was killed in or about February 2014 and a Syrian prisoner who was executed in or about April 2014. After a group of European hostages were forced to witness the execution of the Syrian prisoner, Elsheikh and his co-conspirators returned the hostages to the prison where they were being held with American and British hostages.
From August 2014 through October 2014, ISIS released videos depicting the beheadings of James Foley, Steven Sotloff, and British citizens David Haines and Alan Henning. In November 2014, ISIS released a video depicting the decapitated head of Peter Kassig. In January 2015, ISIS released videos depicting the decapitated body of Japanese citizen Haruna Yukawa and the beheading of Japanese citizen Kenji Goto. On or about February 7, 2015, Kayla Mueller’s family received an email from ISIS confirming Mueller’s death in Syria.
According to evidence presented during trial, Elsheikh was part of a group of ISIS members who spoke with British accents and were referred to by the hostages as the “Beatles.” He and his convicted co-conspirator, Alexanda Amon Kotey, 38, were captured together in January 2018 by the Syrian Democratic Forces as they attempted to escape Syria for Turkey. Mohammed Emwazi, who conducted the above-referenced videotaped beheadings, was killed in November 2015 in a U.S. military airstrike in Syria.
On September 2, 2021, Kotey pleaded guilty to all of the offenses charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in the eight-count indictment, consisting of one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking resulting in death; four counts of hostage taking resulting in the deaths of the four Americans (James Foley, Kayla Mueller, Steven Sotloff, and Peter Kassig); one count of conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens outside of the United States; one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists resulting in the deaths of U.S., British, and Japanese nationals; and one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in the deaths of U.S., British, and Japanese nationals. Kotey was sentenced to eight concurrent terms of life imprisonment on April 29, 2022….
mortimer says
In a rational world that values improved outcomes from incarceration, fanatical Islamists like El Shafee Elsheikh should be offered the choice of a reduced sentence if they read all the books on Islam of Robert Spencer, the books on Islam of Christian Prince and the books of Bill Warner, as well as all the articles of Sam Shamounian, and all the videos of David Wood on Islamic errors. Upon each reading, the detainee should pass an exam to prove his understanding and mastery of the information. When after these readings, Islamic fanaticism is completely extinguished in these detainees and they no longer have a desire to hurt people, a parole board may consider if they are safe to be released.
Since the world is not reasonable about Islam, then the Islamist detainees will increase their fanaticism while in prison through intense self-hypnosis.
somehistory says
He should have been whacked….eight times. When he appeals, he should be whacked after losing.
raja says
Somehistory,
Since US is not a signatory to ban on capital punishment she should invoke capital punishment or at the least deport them to where they came flocking from. The convictions / courts are meant to reform the criminals or bring about a change of hearts. With jihadis reforming or deradicalization remains only a pipe dream of the elites of the West and leftist idiots. The evil god is lot more powerful than the systems of the world. If even if the devil destroys the Islamic diehards through the secular govts it wont deter the fresh recruits from entering the Satan’s cult for invasion or destruction.
somehistory says
Yes, raja, capital punishment is a major deterrent if used properly.
In the Law to the Jews, it was the punishment for some crimes and in the letter Paul wrote to the Romans, he told them that it was for that “reason that it bears the sword,” explaining to them about the human governments which have the responsibility to protect law-abiding citizens from those who rape and murder.
Locking people up for life is not going to ‘reform’ anyone, and prisons don’t really reform anyway. Too many are in there recruiting younger, less-experienced criminals into more serious crimes.