BBC Learning English

Words in the News

British jihadists worry authorities

23 June 2014

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The British authorities are concerned about young British men returning from Syria and
Iraq after engaging in the fight for the creation of an Islamic state. The former MI6
director Richard Barrett says security services won't be able to monitor all of them.
According to recent reports, there could be 500 Britons fighting in Syria. The BBCs Frank
Gardner has the details.
Belatedly perhaps, the public is being alerted to the scale of the problem facing this
country from hundreds of British jihadists returning from a brutal sectarian conflict in
Syria and now Iraq.
While many may settle back into a normal life here, the police and the Security Service
are bracing themselves for the likelihood that a small, violent minority will become
involved in domestic terrorism.
Richard Barrett, who spent years directing counter terrorism, first at MI6, then at the UN,
says the authorities here will not be able to keep on top of the problem.
Richard Barrett:
Clearly they'll have to prioritise and they'll have to choose those that they think are
likely to pose the greatest risk. Beyond that I think they'll have to rely very much on
members of the community and other people expressing their concern and worry about
the behaviour of perhaps their returned friend or family member.
Those young British jihadists who have gone out to fight in Syria have often left without
telling their parents. Radicalised and indoctrinated by what they see on Internet
forums, they sometimes disappear only to re-emerge months later in an extremist
video, cradling a Kalashnikov in front of a black flag and urging others to join them.
The young men from Cardiff who recently appeared in a video from Syria are just such
an example.

Words in the News

bbclearningenglish.com

British Broadcasting Corporation 2014

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Vocabulary and definitions

belatedly

later than expected

sectarian conflict

violence which happens as a result of disagreement between

different religious or cultural groups

bracing themselves

preparing themselves to face a difficult task

prioritise

deal with the most important thing first

rely

depend on, trust

radicalised

formed a belief that extreme social and/or political change is

necessary

indoctrinated

taught to believe something so strongly that no other

viewpoint is acceptable

extremist video

(here) a video in which someone expresses political and/or

religious views that other people consider to be outside the
acceptable range of viewpoints

cradling

holding in a protective way

urging

encouraging

Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2014/06/140623_witn_jihad.shtml

Related story:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27968963

Words in the News

British Broadcasting Corporation 2014

Page 2 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com