Daniel Khalife, British soldier awaiting trial on terror-related charges, escapes from London prison
CBSSep 01, 2023
The Facts
A nationwide hunt is underway in the UK for ex-soldier Daniel Abed Khalife, a terrorism suspect, who escaped from a London prison on Wednesday.
Khalife, accused of leaving fake bombs at a military base and working for a hostile state, reportedly escaped via a prison kitchen by strapping himself to the bottom of a food delivery van.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Most terror suspects in the UK are incarcerated in Belmarsh jail, which has never had any prison escapes. There was a significant criminal justice oversight that allowed Khalife to be assigned a reduced security risk rating and put in a Category B prison.
Pro-establishment narrative
While the search for Khalife is urgent, he is believed to be low-risk, and there's no evidence that he poses a threat to the greater public. UK authorities are working their hardest to find and re-apprehend him using formidable police resources.