Jack Letts, aka Jihadi Jack

What I should like to see happen would be for all the able-bodied people at present incarcerated in camps put to work in an attempt to help rebuild the mess they, and others, have made of Syria. Just simple unskilled hard labour, rebuilding roads, buildings , hospitals, growing food etc. if they don't work, they don't eat, but they might gain more understanding of life rather than that they gleaned from gazing at a computer screen.
The children could be cared for kibbutz style, reunited with their parents at the end of the day. I am sure Israel could advise.
At the end of two years, however long it takes, their native countries could consider whether they were likely to return as an asset to the country they spurned, and agree to accept them. The guiding principle should be what they can do for their countries, not what their country has to do for them.

Probably unworkable, but it's an idea.

I saw part of the interview with Jack Letts' parents on Channel 4 News this evening. They are distraught. Who amongst you would like to go through what they are going through? Who could swear, hand on heart, that your children or grandchildren wouldn't do such a thing? I imagine that the boy's parents are not dissimilar to many of you.

I have some sympathy with the views expressed by Toby Ellwood. The camps are breeding grounds for further radicalisation. However we don't have the facilities yet to deal with people like Jack Letts. A whole range of new problems thrown up now.

I have no sympathy with Letts or his parents who are old enough to know better yet still sent him money.

I have no idea what should be done about the children in the camps. I feel immensely sad for them.

This is what Toby Ellwood has written about the situation:

Look to yourself lessimore whatever hold this person had on you, would you go out to kill and hurt people? Somehow I do not think so.

I am not sure what the answer, we have so much poverty and social problems here with people who didn't make the choice to be in this position. Those that went to fight for ISIS made the decision so as far as I am concerned they will just have to live with it. At least they alive which is more than than the people they killed.

The children are a different matter, they shouldn't suffer for something that isn't their fault but then again we could argue that there are many children already in this country who are suffering through no fault of their own. I don't have an answer but I do know the adults shouldn't be allowed back.
Cant find my glasses, again, so excuse typos.

I feel absolutely no sympathy for Jack Letts, so what's the pragmatic solution?

The choice is to leave him (and thousands of others) to fester in some kind of detention camp, where they will resentment will undoubtedly breed until they get a chance to wreak revenge. That part of the world is very unstable, so who knows when they might be released?

Alternatively, they could all be lined up and shot. So who's going to carry out the executions? Who's going to be responsible? Will each individual have a trial? Is Syria going to allow executioners into their territory to hold trials and executions? Somehow, I suspect that Syria is in a precarious enough situation without incurring the wrath of its neighbours and the world stage.

No but that friend had a hold on me and if she had said jump I would have said how high?

Yes lessimore but you did not go out to hurt or maim anyone.
I agree IS knew what they were doing, but Jack Letts had free will and he knew that by joining he could hurt and maim people and kill people.

Many moons ago, my friend and I thought it was fun to wear black floppy hats with a flower in them and hitch hike our way around England. One guy who picked us up was a complete psycho, my point being IS know what they are doing by recruiting young kids.

Just watched the news and Jack Letts has had his British Citazenship revoked.
Sorry but I can't say I care either.

If hate is responded to with hate we will get nowhere.

The “teens, young people” went willingly and knew what they were doing through the medium of the Internet.

The children born of ISIS fighters are “innocents”, if they are fostered/adopted who is to know how they will feel when they trace their lineage?

I have thought long and hard and have absolutely no idea what is in the best interest of mankind.

Snap, Eloethan. I hadn't read your post before I posted.

Yeah! And nobody else in the world will hear about these people being shot. I can't think of many easier ways to increase resentment and motivate people to carry on where ISIS left off.

I think it is wrong to revoke someone's citizenship. I don't think young people like him did fully understand what they were getting involved in.

And I think it is inhumane that little children should be outcasts because of their parents' actions. Apart from the humanity angle, as others have said, they will grow up angry and resentful - and, with nothing to lose, they may well join the next batch of terrorists.

As for putting people up against a wall and shooting them, that sounds very like the sorts of actions we have come to expect from organisations like ISIS.

Yes, Rosie round them up and shoot them. That will work for sure.

And their children RosieLeah? Should they be shot too? What did they do to deserve it?

Now that the so-called 'ISIS' group has lost its momentum, people seem to have forgotten the horrendous things they did. Those young people knew very well what they were doing, and by joining that organisation they were willing to take part in their atrocities. They don't deserve compassion or leniency. They should all be put up against a wall and shot.

resentment and boredom and poverty.

I think people will care when these people and their children are left in camps for years and form their own terrorist groups, as a result of the resentment they feel towards other countries.

I care. Jack left the UK aged 18. Surely we can accept youngsters make mistakes( big ones) and can feel passionate about causes when they are young and impressionable. His poor, poor parents. I think he should be allowed back and face the law and rehabilitation. He became radicalised in our country.

I agree with you to a point Ellan but the children who have been born in Syria, or in the camps, have done nothing wrong; they were simply unlucky enough to be born to misguided parents. So if we leave them there, aren't we in danger of having another generation of radicalised young people?

I think it's got to the stage now that it's very much the same answer of " who cares ?" one way or the other from most people. There's enough going on at the moment in our crumbling country to bother about those who chose a different direction in life---nobody held a gun to their heads !