British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson addressed security concerns when responding to a wave of criticism over his strong recent words about British citizens who'd become Daesh militants.
"The British people want to make sure that our streets are safe. They are incredibly proud of our armed forces, the work they do — making sure that the people who are a threat to this country are not able to continue to threaten this country," he said.
Williamson signaled the UK government's readiness to continue to meet Britons' expectations in terms of maintaining security.
#GavinWilliamson is right,they may have wangled a #BritishPassport but they should not be classed as #British they are #Jihadists and should be dealt with accordingly.
— Mr K.B (@KB1Everyday) 8 декабря 2017 г.
Earlier, he was harshly criticized for insisting that those British nationals who sided with Daesh should "never be allowed back into this country."
Williamson said that those seeking to bring "destruction, death and bloodshed" to British streets should be "hunted down" and that this threat should be "eliminated."
Having known Gavin Williamson as a close political colleague in the past, I can say he is not immature #BBCQT
— Robert Winfield (@RobertWinfield2) 7 декабря 2017 г.
"A dead terrorist can't cause any harm to Britain," he said, a statement that was immediately slammed by former director of public prosecutions Lord Macdonald, who described it as "a juvenile response" rather than "a serious, grown-up policy response for a senior British Government minister."
"[…] It is really a policy that belongs in a Netflix series more seriously than it belongs in the range of policies that should be being applied by the UK government," Lord Macdonald said.
Well done to @GavinWilliamson. Tough on ISIS, kind to dogs. This is where the British people are. #Newsnight
— Ross England (@RossEngland) 7 декабря 2017 г.
The UK Green Party's chair Hilde Liesens in turn expressed outrage over what she described as Williamson's willingness "to throw away the UK's global reputation for respecting the law."
Baby Gavin Williamson's "ideas" on terrorists are worse every time I hear them. I don't worry if British ISIS fighters are killed "in action". But he's talking about extra-judicial killing of those who survive. With no consideration of any law, or what country they're in.#bbcpm
— Ed Wilson (@eddwilson) 7 декабря 2017 г.
The Guardian, meanwhile, has noted that at least 800 UK citizens "are thought to have gone to fight for ISIS in Iraq and Syria, including teenagers, women and young families."
#GavinWilliamson British Defence Ministers should be measured, careful, judicious and thoughtful about what they say, not would-be apprentice cadet versions of Donald Trump
— Paddy Ashdown (@paddyashdown) 7 декабря 2017 г.
British security forces, for their part, said that about 425 Daesh militants have already returned to the UK, igniting fears that it could add significantly to a terrorism threat in the country.
Gavin Williamson ought to know that any nation denying entry to citizens is creating refugees, which is illegal under international law. He should also know that extra-judicial killing is also illegal. This guy is a minister? #r4today
— Martin Veart (@Martin_Veart) 7 декабря 2017 г.
