El Shafee Elsheikh: IS jihadist stood out from the other fighters, court hears

A former Islamic State group member turned cooperating witness has told a US court that an ex-jihadist on federal trial was clearly "more important" than other fighters.

Omer Kuzu testified on Monday that he met El Shafee Elsheikh on at least five occasions.

He said while they did not talk much, Mr Elsheikh had an air of importance.

Mr Elsheikh, 33, is accused of kidnapping and conspiracy and has denied all the charges.

The Sudanese-born Londoner is alleged to have been part of an IS militant cell dubbed the Beatles by hostages because of their British accents. He is the highest profile IS fighter to face trial in the US.

The cell is said to have tortured and beheaded hostages in Syria, including several journalists and aid workers.

Mr Kuzu, who spent four-and-a-half years as an IS member, testified at Mr Elsheikh's trial as part of a plea deal with the US government.

The 26-year-old left his home in Dallas, Texas at age 18 in October 2014, flew to Turkey and was later smuggled into Syria.

He joined the telecommunications office in Raqqa, Syria, then "the capital of IS". He told the court he did "typical IT work" to support the group's battlefield operations.

He was captured by Syrian forces in 2019, and handed over to the FBI. He pleaded guilty in Texas in September 2020 to conspiracy to provide material support to IS.

On the stand on Monday, Mr Kuzu said that while other guards wore traditional Afghan clothes, Mr Elsheikh wore a green military uniform and always carried a Glock pistol.

Having a Glock was uncommon, he said, calling it "a symbol of Isis aristocracy".

He said Mr Elsheikh was also "quiet, reserved, almost secretive", which he believed indicated he didn't want to be a target of foreign intelligence agencies.

Mr Kuzu appeared in court in a teal prison jumpsuit. He spoke clearly, often leaning forward into the microphone and saying "yes sir" in response to questions.

Asked to identify Mr Elsheikh, he pointed at the defendant and described his clothing. The defendant, always wearing a disposable black face mask, pulled it down during the identification process.

Identification is a key part of the trial. The defence argue Mr Elsheikh was a "simple Isis fighter" not one of the so-called Beatles, and therefore should not be held responsible for what that militant cell did.

Under cross-examination, Mr Kuzu admitted that Mr Elsheikh had never explicitly told him about himself or what he did for IS.

But he said "his work was right in front of my eyes".

He also described Mr Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey - believed to be another "Beatle" who in September pleaded guilty to multiple charges relating to the murder of four American hostages in Syria - as "some sort of a duo or tag team".

The trial continues, with as many as 50 witnesses expected.