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Death of Jihadi John is propaganda win for the west - but the war goes on
His [Jihadi John] death is certain to provide an element of comfort for both the US and UK governments, but militarily his death is of limited value, according to Rem Korteweg, a security and defense expert at the CER. "Militarily it won't make a difference on the ground in Syria and Iraq," he said. "(Emwazi) was a spokesman, he wasn't a senior commander."
But that doesn't mean Emwazi's death was without merit, according to Korteweg.
"It is significant because of the fact he fulfilled an important role as a propaganda tool for ISIS,” he said, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State. “He helped to sow fear in the West."
There are plenty of Muslims, born and raised in the Middle East, who could serve as spokesmen for IS. But Korteweg said it was Emwazi's western passport that enabled him to snare such a high profile position with the terrorist group.
"He got his role because he was British," Korteweg said, "because he could bridge this gap – to find western born Jihadists."
And, "To provoke the West," he added.Of course, Emwazi has already been replaced by another militant muslim from Britain – Abu Rumaysah.
Although Rumaysah has not participated in the types of horrific videos of his predecessor, Korteweg said, “He talks about how Sharia law should spread across the world.”
"I think this guy is definitely, a target, no question," he said. "If you get to them quickly it becomes clear there's a bulls-eye on their back."