Sally Jones

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Sally Jones
Sally Jones, wearing a burqa, and masquerading as a gun-toting nun.
Sally Jones, wearing a burqa, and masquerading as a gun-toting nun.
Born

Sally-Anne Frances Jones
}}}}}}}} 17,

}} 1968
Greenwich, United Kingdom
Died June 2017 (aged 48)
Syria
Nationality United Kingdom
Other names
  • Umm Hussain al-Britani
  • Sakinah Hussein
  • the White Widow
Occupation Jihad recruiter, musician
Known for Joining ISIS with her 12 year old child.

Sally-Anne Frances Jones (17 November 1968 – c.{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Circa with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | 2 | i | lk | sortable }} June 2017)[1] was a British-born terrorist, Islamist, and UN-designated recruiter and propagandist for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL),[2] known variously as Umm Hussain al-Britani,[note 1][3] Sakinah Hussein,[note 2] and the White Widow[4] She is thought to have been killed in June 2017 by a US drone strike, but sources are unable to confirm.[5]

Early life

Jones was born in Greenwich, south-east London. An only child, her parents divorced when she was a young child; her father took his own life shortly after when Jones was ten.[6] Brought up as a Catholic, she participated in Christian youth groups while a teenager, leaving school at 16 and entering employment working for L’Oréal selling cosmetics.[7] A former punk rock guitarist and singer active during the 1990s in an all-female band called Krunch,[8] Jones is reported to have been living on welfare benefits (which she denied) in a council house in Chatham, Kent and to have used a food bank before her departure for Syria. Spending much time on the Internet, she became interested in witchcraft and alternative lifestyles.[9][10]

ISIS

Jones converted to Islam and left her previous partner[1] claiming, in social media exchanges with Sunday Times journalist Dipesh Gadher, that the Iraq War had converted her (around May 2013) to the ISIS cause.[9] Together with Junaid Hussain, she recruited and propagandised for ISIS. Jones travelled to Syria with her younger son in late 2013 to join Hussain, originally from Birmingham, who soon became her husband.[1][9]

Hussain was killed by a U.S. drone strike on 25 August 2015,[11][12] and was formerly in charge of recruiting new hackers to ISIS. After Hussain's death, Jones commented that her husband was killed by "the greatest enemy of Allah".[13] He was "a good role model for my children", Jones told Dipesh Gadher.[14] The following month, Jones was one of four Britons placed on the UN's most wanted list at the request of the British prime minister David Cameron. It was, believed to be the first time any country had placed its own nationals on a list of ISIS operatives. Responding on Twitter, Jones said she would continue to fight "England...until my last breath".[15]

Jones's activity online was consistent with her role as leader of the secret Anwar al-Awlaki battalion’s female wing. In this role, Jones was responsible for training all European female recruits, or muhajirat, in the use of weapons and tactics. These muhajirat were then trained and instructed to carry out suicide missions in the West, according to leaked ISIS documents.[16] Despite some reports, according to Kim Sengupta in The Independent, there is no proof of her leading all-female groups of ISIS members into battle.[4]

According to the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), Jones used Twitter to propagandise for ISIS.[17] She is believed to have recruited hundreds of British women to work for ISIS, and in 2016 called on female sympathisers in Britain to make terrorist strikes in London, Glasgow, and Wales during Ramadan.[8] American court documents made available in spring 2017 linked Jones and her husband to at least a dozen ISIS plots, but many of these either did not take place or were stopped. She was involved in publishing online three lists of US military personnel intended as potential targets for jihadists. In fact, Jones even specifically targeted the lives of 100 soldiers. She posted the personal information of these soldiers for the world to see.[18] In other tweets, Jones called out specific soldiers by making their names the subject. Included in this personal targeting was the Navy Seal Veteran who was involved in the killing of Osama Bin Laden.[18] By this time, the American military reportedly considered her a "high priority" for assassination.[19] Jones’ most meaningful contribution to the organization is thought to be the influence she was able to garner on women globally to join ISIS, specifically on western women.[6] In fact, in her own words, Jones said she was "leading a battalion of jihadist women".[6]

According to the New York Post, Jones earned a place on a United Kingdom "kill list" based on allegations she threatened the life of Queen Elizabeth II.[20]

On July 4, 2017, Sky News and The Huffington Post reported that Jones had recanted her support of Daesh, and was desperate to return to the UK.[21] Her desperation to return to the UK drives her to tears.[22]

Probable death and aftermath

In October 2017, the Daily Mirror reported that Jones had been killed in an American drone strike in June 2017 along with her 12-year-old son JoJo. While the mother and son are presumed to have been killed in Raqqa while escaping the drone strike, this has not been confirmed because DNA evidence has not been recovered.[23][6] The pair were believed to be on their way to Mayadin, predominantly ISIS filled.[6] According to Shiraz Maher, Jones is the first woman to be directly targeted in an airstrike, and one of only two women considered at the time by the American state department as a foreign terrorist combatant.[8]

Jones had decided to raise her younger son, JoJo, as an ISIS child soldier.[24] Her former partner in August 2016 said their son had participated in a video in which JoJo, along with four other boys, had shot five Kurdish hostages in the back of the head.[25] Jones issued a statement saying it was not her son.[4]

Jones and her husband regularly used their son as a human shield to prevent being targeted by drone attacks.[26] The legal case for JoJo's and his mother's killing is contested because his age means he would be classified as a "non-combatant".[27][28] According to guidance from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jones may not be considered a member of ISIS (she would be a legitimate target if she was), because she did not carry out a "continuous combat function".[29] Amnesty International said the killing of Jones and her son was of "questionable legality".[28]

An older son, aged 20, remained in the UK.[1] JoJo's reported death was disputed in November 2017 by Syrian sources.[30] However, in January 2018, Dipesh Gadher of The Sunday Times wrote of an "informed source" who had told him "it’s 99.9% certain that they were both killed".

A member of "The Beatles" terrorist group, Alexanda Kotey, said on ITV News in late May 2019 that Jones and her son were killed in a building which was shelled on 25 May 2017, a few days after the Manchester Arena bombing.[31][32]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Hamilton, Fiona; Johnston, Neil (12 October 2017). "Punk rocker Sally Jones vowed to fight England until her last breath". The Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/punk-rocker-turned-isis-recruiter-and-propagandist-sally-jones-vowed-to-fight-england-until-her-last-breath-married-to-junaid-hussain-995jkhdq8.  Template:Subscription required
  2. "Sally Jones". Counter Extremism Project. http://www.counterextremism.com/extremists/sally-jones. 
  3. Ensor, Josie (11 September 2016). "Revealed: Isil bride Sally Jones's role in training female recruits for attacks on West". The Daily Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/11/revealed-isil-white-widow-sally-joness-role-in-training-female-r/. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Sengupta, Kim (12 October 2017). "Sally Jones: How did a woman from Kent join Isis and became the 'White Widow'?". The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/sally-jones-white-widow-dead-uk-isis-jihadi-kent-junaid-hussein-drone-strike-syria-a7997251.html. 
  5. "British jihadist Jones 'killed by drone'". 12 October 2017. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-41593659. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Cockburn, Harry (12 October 2017). "Sally Jones: Who was the ‘White Widow’? What we know about the Isis member reportedly killed in a US drone strike" (in en). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/white-widow-sally-jones-killed-isis-uk-jihadi-us-drone-strike-syria-who-was-she-explainer-a7996521.html. 
  7. Humphries, Will (13 October 2017). "Sally Jones profile: How online love affair turned single mother into a fanatic". The Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sally-jones-life-history-who-profile-how-online-love-affair-turned-single-mother-into-a-fanatic-dqz0nkrks.  Template:Subscription required
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Weaver, Matthew (12 October 2017). "Sally Jones: UK punk singer who became leading Isis recruiter". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/12/sally-jones-the-uk-punk-singer-who-became-isiss-white-widow. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Gadher, Dipesh (7 September 2014). "Sally Jones: 'My son and I love life with the beheaders'". The Sunday Times (London). https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sally-jones-my-son-and-i-love-life-with-the-beheaders-wtvzx0xwqjb.  Template:Subscription required
  10. Gadher, Dipesh (15 August 2015). "Jihadist Sally lived on church aid". The Sunday Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jihadist-sally-lived-on-church-aid-wbxmj0rv9qz.  Template:Subscription required
  11. Terri Moon Cronk (28 August 2015). "Iraq Progresses in ISIL Fight, Key Extremist Confirmed Dead". US Department of Defense. Washington DC. https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/615305/iraq-progresses-in-isil-fight-key-extremist-confirmed-dead/. "Centcom has confirmed the death of ISIL operative Junaid Hussain, a British citizen who was killed by a U.S. airstrike Aug. 24 in the ISIL stronghold of Raqqah, Syria, the colonel said." 
  12. James Cartledge (16 September 2015). "Isis terrorist Junaid Hussain killed in drone attack after boffins 'crack group's code'". http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/isis-terrorist-junaid-hussain-killed-10069425. 
  13. "Widow of British jihadist 'proud' he was killed by US". The Daily Telegraph. 15 September 2015. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11866046/Widow-of-British-jihadist-proud-he-was-killed-by-US.html. 
  14. Gadher, Dipesh (15 October 2017). "My pillow talk with Jihadi Sally". The Sunday Times (-London). https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/my-pillow-talk-with-jihadi-sally-5bchj6238.  Template:Subscription required
  15. Riley-Smith, Ben (29 September 2015). "British jihadists plotting attacks for Isil added to worldwide 'banned list' by David Cameron". The Daily Telegraph (London). https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/11897649/David-Cameron-adds-British-jihadists-plotting-attacks-for-Isil-to-worldwide-banned-list.html. 
  16. "Revealed: Isil bride Sally Jones's role in training female recruits for attacks on West". The Daily Telegraph. 11 September 2016. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/11/revealed-isil-white-widow-sally-joness-role-in-training-female-r/. 
  17. "Sally Jones: Isis recruiter 'issues series of terror threats against UK cities' over Twitter". The Independent. 25 May 2016. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/sally-jones-isis-recruiter-issues-series-of-terror-threats-to-uk-cities-over-twitter-a7049066.html. 
  18. 18.0 18.1 "Sally Jones" (in en). 21 February 2016. https://www.counterextremism.com/extremists/sally-jones. 
  19. Gadher, Dipesh (7 May 2017). "'Mrs Terror', the Kent jihadist Sally Jones, shoots up US kill list". The Sunday Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mrs-terror-the-kent-jihadist-shoots-up-us-kill-list-xckcx73b2.  Template:Subscription required
  20. Paul Sperry (2017-05-13). "Meet the American women who are flocking to join ISIS". New York Post. https://nypost.com/2017/05/13/meet-the-western-women-who-are-flocking-to-join-isis/. Retrieved 2019-02-21. 
  21. Sara C Nelson (2017-07-04). "Jihadi Bride Who Fled UK To Join ISIS 'Desperate To Return Home'". Huffington Post. https://www.huffpost.com/archive/au/entry/sally-jones-british-jihadi-bride-who-fled-uk-to-join-isis-desperate-to-return-home_a_23015608. Retrieved 2021-12-17. "In an exclusive interview with Foreign Affairs Editor Sam Kiley, a woman known as Aisha said Jones 'was crying and wants to get back to Britain but ISIS is preventing her because she is now a military wife. She told me her wish to go to her country.'" 
  22. "IS recruiter Sally Jones 'wants to return to Britain' from Raqqa: Sky News is told Jones - one of Islamic State's top recruiters - has been "crying and wants to get back to Britain"". Sky News. 2017-07-04. Archived from the original on 2021-10-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20211011134133/https://news.sky.com/story/is-recruiter-sally-jones-wants-to-return-to-britain-from-raqqa-10935755. "Sally Jones - the former punk rocker who became the leading female recruitment officer for IS, married a now-dead jihadist and took her son to Raqqa - wants to come home to Britain." 
  23. MacAskill, Ewan (12 October 2017). "British Isis member Sally Jones 'killed in airstrike with 12-year-old son'". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/12/british-isis-member-sally-jones-white-widow-killed-airstrike-son-islamic-state-syria. 
  24. Gadher, Dipesh (28 August 2016). "Isis video’s ‘lion cub’ killer may be British". The Sunday Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/isis-videos-lion-cub-killer-may-be-british-0jhxh5vnt. 
  25. Haynes, Deborah (2016-08-29). "Boy killer is my son, says former partner of jihadi bride". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boy-killer-is-my-son-says-ex-partner-of-jihadi-bride-07wvbnnkl. 
  26. MacAskill, Ewen (12 October 2017). "British Isis member Sally Jones 'killed in airstrike with 12-year-old son'" (in en). The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/12/british-isis-member-sally-jones-white-widow-killed-airstrike-son-islamic-state-syria. 
  27. Bowcott, Owen (12 October 2017). "Is the targeting of Isis member Sally Jones legally justified?". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/12/is-targeting-of-isis-member-sally-jones-legally-justified. 
  28. 28.0 28.1 Iaccino, Ludovica (16 October 2017). "Was Sally Jones's 12-year-old son a legitimate target? US drone strike on Isis 'white widow' questioned". International Business Times. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/was-sally-joness-12-year-old-son-legitimate-target-us-drone-strike-isis-white-widow-questioned-1642991. 
  29. Sari, Aurel (18 October 2017). "Was the drone strike on IS recruiter Sally Jones lawful?". The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/was-the-drone-strike-on-is-recruiter-sally-jones-lawful-85781. 
  30. Evans, Josie (14 November 2017). "Isil recruiter 'white widow' Sally Jones’ son JoJo 'still alive' and fighting for jihadists in last desert territory". The Daily Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/14/isil-recruiter-white-widow-sally-jones-son-jojo-still-alive/. 
  31. Sanchez, Raf (29 May 2019). "Isil recruiter Sally Jones killed 'days after Manchester bombing'". The Daily Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/05/29/isil-recruiter-sally-jones-killed-days-manchester-bombing/. 
  32. Kachroo, Rohit (29 May 2019). "'White Widow' Sally Jones was killed by airstrike, a so-called Islamic State hostage-keeper tells ITV News". ITV News. https://www.itv.com/news/2019-05-29/sally-jones-killed-isis-syria-alexanda-kotey-white-widow/. 

Notes

External links


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