One man’s terrorist…

I wonder if our government will demand more information and threaten reprisals over the case of the two ‘British citizens’ killed by the Syrian Army? Or if, instead, it won’t say very much at all and just deny they are British? This was a story which emerged over the weekend but has not gained very much traction. Easy to see why this would be the case.

Hassan Blidi and Walid Hassan were on a list of names of ‘foreigners’ who the Syrians say were engaged in terrorist activities in the country. Reading between the lines, one supposes that Hassan and Walid were the sort of jihadi Norman Wisdoms whom this country unwittingly exports to all areas of the Middle East and beyond. Usually, when they’re caught running around Afghanistan or Baluchistan or Yemen with beards and Kalashnikovs, we have them arrested upon their return and brand them terrorists. But in the case of Syria, we allied ourselves with the armed opposition to Assad and should therefore view Hassan and Walid as freedom fighters and martyrs, and give them a state funeral. The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has blamed the latest attacks in Syria upon al-Qaeda. It always was, wasn’t it?