SNP Demands To See Intelligence Over 'Extra-Judicial Killing Without Trial''

The SNP has demanded sight of the intelligence which prompted the UK Government to carry out an extra-judicial killing without trial'' of a Scottish resident in Syria.

Humza Yousaf, SNP MSP and the Scottish Government's International Development Minister, said the Conservative administration has ridden roughshod'' over Parliament's prohibition of military action in Syria with its drone strike on British jihadist Reyaad Khan and his Aberdonian associate Ruhul Amin.

Amin's childhood friend Stephen Marvin said it is hard to have sympathy for the British jihadis, but insisted the UK Government should not be just going over and annihilating each and every one of them''.

In a telephone conversation around a year ago, Mr Marvin said Amin told him: We only attack people who will attack us.''

Mr Yousaf suggested the UK Government could share the intelligence with party leaders if it was deemed too sensitive to share with Parliament as a whole.

If it were truly an act of self-defence it would be helpful for the UK Government to share the intelligence behind that, if that is sharing it with party leaders or sharing it with Parliament."

The democratic will of the parliament was not to have military intervention in Syria when this was brought to the parliament a couple of years ago, and that parliamentary will has been ridden roughshod over so we need the reasons why.''

He added: We have to know that there was a legal basis behind what was done.

I have seen that the UK charter has been quoted about the right to self-defence but the UN Charter applies between states, not states and individuals.

So-called Islamic State, or Daesh, is not a state.''

He continued: If an action like this is taken, which is incredibly serious, involving the extra-judicial killing without trial of British citizens then we have to be reassured.

Successive British governments haven't had a good record on this, from sexed-up dossiers that led the case of the war in Iraq to many other instances where we need to make sure we have reassurances.''

Mr Marvin told the same programme: The last time I spoke to him (Amin) was last year, and it wasn't long after it was announced that he had joined Isis.

I did say to him: 'Is there any plans to come over here, and what is going on?'

He said: 'We only attack people who will attack us.'

He assured me there were no plans to come to Scotland, anyway.''

Mr Marvin said Amin seemed to be his usual self, still speaking in an Aberdonian accent, but you could tell there was something completely different about him''.

Amin told Mr Marvin: If I die I will be with Allah. Two of my brothers died previously and they still had a smile on their face for three days and the body, even when it started to decompose, still smelled of roses because Allah is protecting them and Allah has taken them away.''

Mr Marvin said: He had absolutely no fear of death whatsoever, he just seemed to accept it and there was no talking him out of it.

It's kind of hard to have sympathy with him.

I wouldn't say the Government should be just going over and annihilating each and every one of them, but surely he knew what he was getting into.''

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