Rory Stewart Warns ISIS Could Return As "Daesh Mark 2"
3 July 2019, 16:25
Islamic State could return as "Daesh Mark 2" because the same conditions it first flourished in still exist, International Development Secretary Rory Stewart has warned.
Addressing MPs in the House of Commons to give a quarterly counter-Daesh update, Mr Stewart said Britain and its allies "need to stand in a state of grace, preparing for the unexpected".
He said: "The underlying conditions remain and could allow insurgents to establish themselves again. And, even without holding territory, Daesh remains a significant terrorist threat."
He added: "We need to keep a close eye on countries which might seem temporarily at peace, continue to invest in the development of countries which might seem no longer to need development, continue to deepen our knowledge of countries which may not seem a priority today, retaining our linguistic expertise and, above all, nurturing our relationships with people in those countries, with potential coalition partners."
Shadow international development secretary Dan Carden said the influence of IS online was an "ongoing threat and deeply worrying."
He called for action with social media companies to ensure IS cannot find "safe havens" online to "spread its hatred".
