Reports Identify IS Militant 'Jihadi John'

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The Islamic State militant known as "Jihadi John" has been identified as a Londoner called Mohammed Emwazi.

Emwazi was born in Kuwait and comes from a well-to-do family, according to the Washington Post.

He grew up in northwest London and graduated from the University of Westminster with a degree in computer programming.

Aged 27, he is believed to have travelled to Syria in 2012 and to have joined Islamic State (IS) later.

A close friend of Emwazi told the newspaper: "I have no doubt that Mohammed is Jihadi John. He was like a brother to me... I am sure it is him."

A representative of the British advocacy group CAGE who had been in contact with Emwazi before he left for Syria also said he believed he was "Jihadi John".

"There was an extremely strong resemblance," research director Asim Qureshi said after watching a video of him beheading a hostage.

He later described Emwazi as "extremely kind, extremely gentle... and the most humble young person that I ever knew".

Emwazi rose to notoriety last August in an IS video in which he killed American journalist James Foley.

Since then he has appeared in a series of videos documenting the gruesome murders of other hostages, including British aid workers Alan Henning and David Haines.

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Gallery: Profile Of Alan Henning

Alan Henning, 47, was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. Friends gave him the nickname "gadget" due to his love of technology. The British aid worker was murdered by Islamic State militants in Syria.

He was married for 23 years and he had a teenage son and daughter

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He worked as a self-employed taxi driver

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Mr Henning saw the plight of Syrian people and volunteered with a Muslim charity. He had been to the region at least three times

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He drove life-saving medical equipment from the UK to Syria in old ambulances. He left in December 2013 to make the 4,000-mile trip

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In each, he taunts audiences and is dressed all in black, with a balaclava covering his face. He wears a holster under his left arm.

The Washington Post claims Emwazi started to radicalise after a planned safari in Tanzania following his graduation was brought to an abrupt end when he was detained on arrival in Dar es Salaam and deported.

He is said to have told friends he was flown to Amsterdam where an officer from MI5 accused him of trying to reach Somalia, where the militant group al Shabab operates.

Shortly afterward, Emwazi moved to his native Kuwait, where he landed a job working for a computer firm.

He returned to London twice, the second time to finalise his wedding plans to a woman in Kuwait, but was prevented from going back after being detained by counter-terrorism officials.

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Gallery: Profile Of David Haines

David Haines was born in Holderness, East Yorkshire in 1970. He was raised in Scotland, where his parents still live

He studied at Perth Academy. After school he worked for Royal Mail before becoming an RAF engineer

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Downing Street declined to confirm or deny if Emwazi's name was known to the intelligence and security services.

Asked if David Cameron was concerned about him being identified, a spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister would be concerned about information being put into the public domain at any time that might jeopardise ongoing police or security investigations or the safety of British citizens."

A spokesperson for the University of Westminster said: ""A Mohammed Emwazi left the University six years ago. If these allegations are true, we are shocked and sickened by the news."

A statement from the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College London said: "We believe that the identity and name published by the Washington Post and now in the public realm to be accurate and correct."

The statement added: "This demonstrates what we have long said about radicalisation, that it is not something driven by poverty or social deprivation. Ideology clearly plays a big role in motivating some men to participate in jihadist causes."

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