Vile jihadist Khaled Sharrouf in new atrocity showing son posing with dead man

UPDATE: PM Malcolm Turnbull has condemned Australian-born jihadist Khaled Sharrouf’s latest sickening propaganda video using one of his children as ‘despicable’.

Khaled Sharrouf.

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MALCOLM Turnbull has condemned Australian-born jihadist Khaled Sharrouf’s latest sickening propaganda video using one of his children as ‘despicable’

“The despicable conduct of Khaled Sharrouf in using his child to promote the barbaric, terrorist activities of the organisation of which he is part is almost beyond belief,” the Prime Minister told reporters in Canberra today.

“But that is the depths of barbarity, of cruelty, of savagery, that ISIL, or Daesh, have sunk to.

“That is why we are committed, with our allies, to destroy ISIL in the field.”

Islamic State fighter Khaled Sharrouf.

The youngest son of Khaled Sharrouf poses with the body of a man hanging from a metal cross.

Twisted Sharrouf’s latest chilling image shows his youngest son standing in front of a man’s body which has been strapped to a metal cross with cable ties.

A placard around the dead man’s neck reads: “Collaborating with Christians. The punishment: Execution.”

The photograph, shown last night on Channel 7, is being investigated by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team “however, there is no specific threat,” a police spokeswoman said, adding: “The current national terrorism threat level remains at probable.”

Federal Justice Minister Keenan last night condemned the appalling use of a child in the name of terror.’

 

Khaled Sharrouf’s daughter Zaynab, 14, breaks her silence

 

 

“As I have said before, using a child to espouse ISIS’s terrorist messaging is truly appalling,” Mr Keena said. “It is incomprehensible that any parent would involve their child in these atrocities.”

ANU counterterrorist expert Dr Clarke Jones said: “It is such a tragedy seeing such young children in that sort of environment ... put in front of that barbarity.”

 

An ISIS propaganda film, showing what is believed to be Khaled Sharrouf standing over a prisoner.

About 70 Australian children have either travelled to the conflict zone with their families or been born there.

It is not the first time Sharrouf, who left Australia for the Middle East in 2013, has used his children in this way.

A video featuring his son wearing a suicide vest and threatening to murder Australians emerged just last week, while his eldest son has also been shown in a photograph holding the severed head of a slain soldier.

Australian Islamic State fighter Khaled Sharrouf (left). Picture: Mark Schliebs

It’s not the first time Sharrouf’s children have been pictured in Syria. Picture: ABC

Sharrouf’s wife Tara Nettleton, died in 2015, leaving their five children in the Middle East.

The children’s grandmother, Karen, has tried unsuccessfully to bring them back to Australia.

Meanwhile, a former jackaroo from Narrabri is believed to be the latest Australian-born jihadist killed in Syria.

Guy Staines, 43, who converted to Islam in Goulburn’s Supermax prison is believed to have been killed by a US assisted air strike in the past two weeks.

Guy Staines, 44, is believed to have been killed by a US drone in Syria.

Staines, who served 18 years for shooting the son of his former boss, was moved to maximum security after an escape attempt and crossed paths with Brothers 4 Life crime boss and killer Bassam Hamzy, who converted him to Islam.

Authorities believe that Staines left Sydney for Syria or Iraq last year.

Mr Turnbull said Sharrouf’s boy and other children being exploited in a similar way would be able to return to Australia if they were citizens but under the closest possible supervision.

“I can assure you that we will leave no stone unturned in protecting Australians from those people who return from that conflict zone, whether they are adults or whether they are children.

“If they are adults, they will obviously be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

“If they are children, they will nonetheless also be given the closest attention.”