Tara Nettleton: Widow of Australian Islamic State terrorist Khaled Sharrouf ‘dies in Syria’

THE Federal Government has reacted cautiously to pleas it help return six children to Australia from Syria after wife of Aussie Islamic State fighter Khaled Sharrouf died in an IS hospital.

THE Federal Government has reacted cautiously to pleas it help return six children to Australia from Syria after their Australian mother and grandmother died in an Islamic State hospital that gives little priority to sick females.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the children and granddaughter of Tara Nettleton would be scarred after being taken to the war zone in 2014 to join her husband and IS fighter Khaled Sharrouf.

Mr Dutton said the government would need to assess any possible threat the children might pose to Australians before bringing them into the country.

“Any parent who is dangerous enough, crazy enough to take young impressionable children into that area obviously scars those children for life,” told on 2GB radio today.

“Ultimately the government’s clear objective is to keep the Australian public safe ... whether or not later in life they pose a threat,” he said.

Tara Nettleton died of an infection in the IS stronghold of Raqqa around September, according to The Australian.

Watermarked for online use. Karen Nettleton leaves here home in a hurry sporting a new tattoo. Pic: John Grainger

Legal counsel for her mother Karen Nettleton, Charles Waterstreet, said Mrs Nettleton had only recently learned from family sources that her daughter had died “last year”.

Tara Nettleton left behind five children aged five, 10, 11, 13 and 14 as well as the granddaughter, eight months, who is the child of her eldest daughter Zaynab.

Her distraught mother Karen Nettleton told The Daily Telegraph she found out about her daughter’s death three weeks ago.

“You’ve got to understand she was my only daughter,” Mrs Nettleton said from her Peakhurst home this morning.

A tattoo on Mrs Nettleton’s left forearm, which appeared fresh, read: “21.01.1984 11.09.2015 My baby ... I’ll miss you forever.”

Barrister Charles Waterstreet talks has urged the government to mount a rescue mission for the Nettleton children.

Mr Waterstreet said the federal government should send a military mission to rescue the children.

“Karen is very distressed at what has occurred and we want make sure that every avenue is pursued by the government overtly or covertly to get them out of harms way,” he said.

“Remember that it’s not just five children: they’re victims ... they are victims of crime,” he said.

He said while the government may not be able to act overtly to rescue the children, it could act covertly.

“At the moment we have a 14-year-old girl with a two-month old baby, four other children stuck in the middle of a hell hole.”

“It’s the worst thing that has ever happened to her in her life, to lose her daughter in such circumstances but more particularly with four grand children and a great grand child to look after and no sign of getting out. It’s terrorising for Karen.”

Mrs Nettleton said she only found out about her daughter’s death three weeks ago, despite reports she passed away last year. Picture: John Grainger

Mr Waterstreet said Tara Nettleton and her mother had not spoken for a “long time” and the family in Australia had no idea where in the ISIS capital Raqqa they were or who was looking after them.

He said the children were victims and should not be vilified.

“They are scared, they’re hungry. The most important thing is food and we can’t get them any money because they can’t go outside to get the money without danger,” he said.

“The Coalition is bombing every cafe that has Wi-Fi and so there is no Wi-Fi to communicate. It is a very dreadful matter.

“There must some forces, some agents of authority who can implement a rescue plan in a battlefield. They do it all the time through the Red Cross, there must be a way to help.

“The Australian government have been very good once we get them out.”

Tara Nettleton (right), pictured with her mother Karen, has reportedly died from an ongoing illness in Syria.

Khaled Sharrouf is believed to have died in a drone attack in Syria last year

Tara had suffered an infection, associated with appendicitis, in Australia before she fled to Syria in February, 2014, where it became worse.

She was reportedly living in Raqqa with four of her five children and one grandchild after the death of her husband Sharrouf.

The orphaned children of slain Islamic State terrorist Khaled Sharrouf and his wife Tara who died of an ongoing illness.

During her time in Syria, Tara shared pictures with a number of other jihadi brides, holding rifles and ISIS flags.

Her husband Sharrouf sickened the world by sharing a picture of his son holding the severed head of a Syrian soldier with the caption, “That’s my boy.”

Sharrouf was reportedly killed in drone strikes last year, along with Elomar, however some of his friends last year claimed his death was faked.

Australian authorities had always been sceptical about reports of the terrorist’s demise and government sources had cautioned that it was in Sharrouf’s interest to appear dead.

But Mr Waterstreet said Tara and her children claimed Sharrouf was dead and the family had held ceremonies for him: ‘It would be an elaborate ploy if he wasn’t.”

Karen Nettleton, mother of Tara Nettleton. Picture: Jonathan Ng

In happier times ... Karen Nettleton with her Tara as a child. Picture: Supplied

Last year, it was revealed Zaynab had been married to Sharrouf’s Australian mate and fellow IS fighter Mohamed Elomar. The teenager later gave birth to a daughter.

But Elomar was already dead, following a drone strike in June.

Mr Waterstreet said Mrs Nettleton was desperate to get the children back to Australia.

The Nettleton family had previously lobbied authorities to extract Tara and her children Zaynab, 13, Hoda, 11, Abdullah, 10, Zaqawi, 9, and Humzeh, 4, from Syria.

Islamic State fighter ... Khaled Sharrouf was reportedly killed last year. Picture: Mark Schliebs

Originally published as Tara Nettleton: Widow of Australian Islamic State terrorist Khaled Sharrouf ‘dies in Syria’