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- Imran Khawaja, 27, spent six months among foreign fighters on frontline
- He faked his death and left for UK weeks before Jihadi John's killing spree
- Khawaja had appeared in videos enticing other young men to the warzone
- Group Rayat al-Tawheed reported in June that he had been killed in action
- But he was arrested the same day in Dover with his cousin Tahir Bhatti, 45
- Khawaja, from Southall, London, pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terror
- Will be approached in Belmarsh Prison to see if he will debrief authorities
A JIihadi recruitment ‘poster boy’ who faked his own death to try to sneak back into the UK faces questions over his links to Jihadi John.
Imran Khawaja, 27, is suspected of close ties to the Islamic State ‘executioner’ who now holds the life of two Japanese hostages in his hands.
The authorities believe Khawaja could have new information about the man known as Jihadi John, one of the world’s most wanted terrorists. He spent six months among foreign fighters on the Syrian frontline last year and left just weeks before Jihadi John began his spree of hostage beheadings.
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Bravado: 'Poster boy' Imran Khawaja, 27, pictured posing on an ISIS video with a pair of machine guns, is suspected of close ties to the Islamic State ‘executioner’ Jihadi John
Menacing: Masked executioner Jihadi John with hostages Kenji Goto Jogo (left) and Haruna Yukawa (right)
The link can be revealed for the first time after Khawaja pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terrorism and other offences.
The former body builder and convicted drug dealer had appeared behind a mask in a series of graphic videos designed to entice other young men to the warzone.
He was arrested at Dover last June a short time after his militant group posted a message claiming he had been killed in fighting. Unknown to him, police had identified him from the propaganda videos and his passport triggered an alert.
The security services are widely believed to have identified Jihadi John but remain hungry for information about his background. They are particularly interested in his position in the IS hierarchy and who he mixed with before earning global notoriety.
The two men moved in the same circles in the Islamist stronghold of Raqqa before IS began beheading Western hostages. Khawaja even posed for pictures posted online in which he wore an almost identical black hooded outfit to that worn by the killer.
Jihadi John was originally given his name as one of the four ‘Beatles’, so named by foreign hostages because of their English accents.
It is not known what has happened to the other three, who may have been killed in fighting or have even attempted to return home.
Now that Khawaja has pleaded guilty he will be approached in Belmarsh Prison to see if he is willing to debrief the authorities on what he knows.
The 27-year-old, pictured with a child recruit, spent six months among foreign fighters on the Syrian frontline and left just weeks before Jihadi John began his spree of hostage beheadings
The British jihadist (left and right) faked his own death after spending six months training at a ISIS-linked terrorism camp in Syria
The former body builder and convicted drug dealer had appeared behind a mask in a series of graphic videos designed to entice other young men to the warzone
The terrorist, of Southall, West London, was a senior member of Rayat al-Tawheed, meaning ‘flag of unity’, which was largely made up of foreign fighters.
Allied to IS, they used gold Kalashnikovs as a brand on their prolific social media output.
Khawaja, who sports a large tattoo and is also known as Abu Daigham al Baritani or Abu Daigham al-Britani, appeared in many of the videos.
In one, ‘Five Star Jihad’, he is introduced as ‘Abu Daigham’ and gives viewers a tour of daily life at their training camp, encouraging others to join them.
In another he explains how a fellow fighter was shot through the side, but ‘thanks to Allah’s will’ was soon back on the front line.
Always concealed behind a mask, he was also filmed displaying his weight-lifting skills and reading the Koran in a safe house dormitory.
Khawaja was arrested at Dover last June a short time after his militant group posted a message claiming he had been killed in fighting
The 27-year-old trained at a terrorist camp with an extremist group linked to ISIS, where he was even pictured holding the severed head of a man (pictured)
There is other footage of him pulling severed heads of a bag after recovering them from a battlefield.
In the disturbing video he holds up one head and shows it to the camera. It is entitled ‘British ISIS fighter Abu Daigham al-Britani with Government soldier’s head Syria.’ In other photos he poses in front of tanks and heavy weaponry.
Last June, a statement by extremist group Rayat al-Tahweed said Khawaja was killed ‘in a battle a few nights ago,’ adding: ‘May Allah accept him.’ In fact, the death had been faked so that he could return home to raise more money for the terrorist cause.
Khawaja, oblivious to the fact the authorities knew he had travelled to Syria, was arrested as he got off a ferry at Dover the same day, using his own passport.
His cousin, Tahir Bhatti, 45, from Watford, who ran a family taxi firm, was also arrested. He had agreed to collect Khawaja from Bulgaria, avoiding the well-worn jihadist route of flights to and from Turkey.
Detectives believe Khawaja needed to raise funds for weapons because an associate, Asim Ali, 33, from Ealing, West London, was failing to do so.
The jihadist, also known as Abu Daigham al Baritani or Abu Daigham al-Britani, now faces a lengthy jail term for his role in the Syrian conflict
Images were found on his cousin’s phone showing him sitting on a tank with an assault rifle and in other poses with weapons and a small child.
Police discovered he even sent his mother a video of himself cutting the neck of a goat as practice for conducting his own beheadings.
Khawaja flew to Northern Iraq on January 26, 2014, purchasing the ticket using a stolen credit card, and then crossed into Syria.
By June last year, Bhatti had convinced his cousin to return to the UK saying his parents were not well and that he should come home.
Khawaja admitted last month to a string of terrorism charges and the case can now be reported after both Ali and Bhatti pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to helping him.
Khawaja admitted preparing acts of terrorism by engaging in physical training, obtaining return airline tickets and withdrawing £300.
The terrorist (left) will also be approached in Belmarsh Prison to see if he is willing to debrief the authorities on what he knows about the masked killer
He also admitted attending a place used for terrorist training, receiving training in the use of firearms and possessing a firearm for preparing an act of terrorism. A fifth charge of soliciting to murder another person or persons unknown and will lie on file.
Khawaja - who police say is one of the most dangerous British men to return from the war-torn country - is now facing years behind bars for his role in the Syrian conflict.
Khawaja plotted his escape from the war-torn country by asking his cousin Tahir Bhatti, 45 (above) to drive to Bulgaria to drive him back to the UK
Ali admitted helping a terrorist and Bhatti admitted assisting an offender by helping Khawaja return to the UK.
Bhatti had previously pleaded not guilty to preparing a terrorist act by helping Khawaja; having information about terrorism, and assisting an offender.
Mr Justice Baker ordered the outstanding charges be left on file.
Defending, Joel Bennathan QC had argued that Bhatti 'was doing what Muslim families are meant to do - tell them to desist and come out of Syria'.
But the court heard the 'road trip' was carefully orchestrated with the use of code words in messages.
There was talk of being 'in a club' and needing 'clothes' because of the 'puke' and that a 'doorman' was not letting him out.
The court heard how 'club' meant a camp; the 'doormen' were those running it and 'puke' related to battlefield material and that he needed new clothes.
'Mr Bhatti does not bat an eyelid at this terminology. It is known and understood,' said Mr Dawson.
The court had heard that another feature of the case was the use of a communications app called Telegram - a secured and encrypted system that could not be intercepted.
One message from Khawaja read, 'If you can raise a little money, nothing big, need to buy a Klash ASAP.'
All three will be sentenced in February.
Khawaja and Ali are in custody while Bhatti was released on conditional bail.
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