British PM vows to 'hunt down' ISIL killers of David Haines
- 10 years ago
The brutal murder of British aid worker, David Haines, by militants from Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has drawn international condemnation.
It is an act described as pure evil by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who vowed to hunt down the perpetraters however long it took.
Following a high level security meeting the UK government reasserted its commitment to tackling the threat posed by ISIL, with Cameron noting:
“We cannot just walk on by if we are to keep this country safe; we have to confront this menace. Step by step, we must drive back, dismantle and ultimately destroy ISIL and what it stands for. We will do so in a calm, deliberate way, but with an iron determination.”
According to CIA estimates the extremist group now has around 30,000 fighters at its disposal. The US has led a drive for a broad coalition to defeat the militants, with one partner Australia, pledging warplanes and 600 troops.
David Haines was captured in 2013 in Syria. His career in the humanitarian field spanned 15 years and took him to South Sudan, Libya and the former Yugoslavia.
Originally from Yorkshire, he later settled in Croatia with his second wife.
A former colleague of Haines, Jozo Ljubicic, remembered his commitment to helping others.:
“I felt sorry, it was hard for me. I’m thinking, the man goes to help and someone puts his hand on him and punishes him for helping others. He did not deserve it.”
Haines becomes the third Westerner to be killed by ISIL in recent weeks. The family of the 44 year old father of two said he will be missed terribly.
It is an act described as pure evil by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who vowed to hunt down the perpetraters however long it took.
Following a high level security meeting the UK government reasserted its commitment to tackling the threat posed by ISIL, with Cameron noting:
“We cannot just walk on by if we are to keep this country safe; we have to confront this menace. Step by step, we must drive back, dismantle and ultimately destroy ISIL and what it stands for. We will do so in a calm, deliberate way, but with an iron determination.”
According to CIA estimates the extremist group now has around 30,000 fighters at its disposal. The US has led a drive for a broad coalition to defeat the militants, with one partner Australia, pledging warplanes and 600 troops.
David Haines was captured in 2013 in Syria. His career in the humanitarian field spanned 15 years and took him to South Sudan, Libya and the former Yugoslavia.
Originally from Yorkshire, he later settled in Croatia with his second wife.
A former colleague of Haines, Jozo Ljubicic, remembered his commitment to helping others.:
“I felt sorry, it was hard for me. I’m thinking, the man goes to help and someone puts his hand on him and punishes him for helping others. He did not deserve it.”
Haines becomes the third Westerner to be killed by ISIL in recent weeks. The family of the 44 year old father of two said he will be missed terribly.