Irish Examiner View: Elsheikh hearings will expand knowledge of Islamic State

El Shafee Elsheikh faces charges in a US federal court because of his role in the deaths of four Americans reporting on, or helping the victims of, the Syrian civil war.

El Shafee Elsheikh in custody at the Alexandria Adult Detention Center in 2020. Picture: Alexandria Sheriff's Office via AP

A rare thing is taking place in the US with the trial of El Shafee Elsheikh for the murders of four American journalists and aid workers as part of the Islamic State (IS) terror campaign by the group known as ‘The Beatles’.

Elsheikh, 33, was one of four militants who travelled from London to Syria and whose UK accents led prisoners to coin the nickname by which they achieved worldwide notoriety. Some prisoners were released in exchange for ransom. When countries would not pay, their hostages were slain. Some were beheaded on videos broadcast around the world.