Authorities have identified “Jihadi John,” the masked terrorist who beheaded American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, as a radicalized Briton named Mohammed Emwazi.
Emwazi was born into a middle class family and grew up in London, ultimately graduating with a degree in computer programming from college, The Washington Post reported.
In the Islamic State’s video of the beheadings, Emwazi is dressed entirely in black and his face is completely covered, except for his eyes and the ridge of his nose, Reuters reported.
He was dubbed John by hostages.
The Washington Post also said he had been born in Kuwait. Police, however, refused to comment — or confirm.
“We are not going to confirm the identity of anyone at this stage or give an update on the progress of this live counterterrorism investigation,” said Richard Walton, the commander of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command in a statement.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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