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Emwazi Recording: I'm Not An Extremist

A recording has emerged of Mohammed Emwazi denying plans to become an extremist in 2009, and condemning the 9/11 and 7/7 attacks.

In the clip, released by the CAGE advocacy group, the 26-year-old describes being interviewed by British security officials - and complains about being threatened by MI5.

According to Emwazi, he was asked for his views on the terrorist attacks in London and New York, to which he replied: "Innocent people are getting killed. What happened was wrong. If I had the opportunity to make those lives come back, I would."

The Londoner told CAGE that despite his condemnation of al Qaeda, his interrogators were still convinced that he was planning to train as a terrorist in Somalia - and had vowed to "keep a close eye" on him.

Emwazi told the officials: "After what I told you what's happening is extremism, you're still saying I'm an extremist?"

The University of Westminster graduate was identified as "Jihadi John" last week, and is believed to be the Islamic State fighter who has appeared in videos which depict the beheading of Western aid workers and journalists.

In emails to a journalist in 2010, Emwazi claimed he was a "dead man walking", and revealed he had contemplated suicide because of the treatment he had received at the hands of MI5.

Asim Qureshi, a research director for CAGE, said last week that the militant was "the most humble young person that I ever knew".

His organisation claimed that the behaviour of UK authorities had played a major part in the radicalisation of young Muslims like "Jihadi John".

In one email to the advocacy group, Emwazi wrote: "I feel like a prisoner, only not in a cage, (but) in London. A person imprisoned and controlled by security service men."

He appeared vulnerable in several of the messages, and sought advice on complaining about the security services to his MP and the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Speaking on LBC, Boris Johnson said CAGE should focus its "indignation and outrage" on those who are going to join IS, rather than the security services "who are trying to keep us safe".