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'NHS doctor quizzed by terror police over Syria kidnap plot'
 A Suspect Islamic fundamentalist thought to have fought in Syria while on sabbatical from his job as an NHS doctor was in custody last night.The man was arrested with his wife at Heathrow Airport on Monday after returning to Britain from Egypt. Counter-terrorism officers suspect he was an AK-47 wielding medic among a gang of kidnappers in war-torn Syria. The fanatics accused the men of working for the CIA before handcuffing and blindfolding them after they were shot when they attempted to escape. The two hostages -- John Cantlie, who had worked for the Sunday Times, and Jeroen Oerlemans -- eventually ran away a week later with the help of the Free Syrian Army. On returning to Britain, Mr Cantlie said a doctor with a strong London accent used a saline drip and other equipment with NHS branding to treat a gunshot wound to his arm. Mr Cantlie said the heavily-bearded AK-47-wielding medic, of Pakistani descent, claimed to have taken a sabbatical from his work in London to treat injured fighters in Syria. He told the prisoners he wanted to wage 'holy war' and that his experiences on the frontline would serve as good training for a career in treating trauma injuries. The man, who said he had a wife and child in Britain and kept his face covered with sunglasses and a scarf, said he held a senior post at a South London A&E department. The photographers were told during their ordeal that two Syrians would be beheaded for spying but they were eventually spared after repenting and promising to follow sharia law. Mr Cantlie will now be asked if he recognises the man. He previously said there were up to 15 British nationals at the terrorist camp where the men were held in northern Syria. On one occasion Mr Cantlie heard the doctor on the phone to his family. 'He was saying, "Hello babes, how's the little 'un? Put him on and let me hear him."' At another point, the man even complained to the hostages about the state of the NHS. Mr Cantlie said: 'I asked for his help as we were both from London but he refused to even send a text to my girlfriend to say we were alive. He said he would be beheaded if he did. 'It wasn't much fun expecting to end up on an execution video at the hands of extremists -- one of whom was treating Londoners like me a few months ago.' Posted by: tipper 2012-10-11 |
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