The BBC is reporting that a British former Guantanamo Bay detainee turned ISIS fighter has carried out a suicide bombing in Iraq. Abu-Zakariya al-Britani was formerly known as Jamal al-Harith and before that Ronald Fiddler. In 2004 al-Harith was released from Guantanamo after intense lobbying by the Blair government, who said he was mistreated. At the time Shami Chakrabarti, the then head of Liberty, said she was “delighted” that al-Harith and four other detainees were being released:

“We are delighted that the five have been released, but let us not forget those that are remaining. Nor should we forget that Britain has its very own Guantanamo Bay at Belmarsh Prison, in south-east London, where 14 men have been held for up to two years without charge, or prospect of trial, on suspicion of being associated with terrorism. At long last the Americans have done the honourable thing and released their detainees.”

The then Home Secretary David Blunkett insisted “No one who is returned … will actually be a threat to the security of the British people”. The infamous CAGE group gave him this glowing reference:

“His family say he is a gentle, quiet man who rarely spoke of his faith unless asked, and after four years learning Arabic and teaching English at Khartoum University in Sudan, he seemed happy enough to return home where he started to study nursing… He was released from Guantanamo and returned to the UK on 9th March 2004. After a few hours of questioning he was released without charge and reunited with his family.”

13 years later and al-Harith had joined ISIS and detonated a car bomb at an Iraqi base in Mosul…