It's still extremely curious how media organisations - from Sky to ITV News, from the Times to the Guardian - are consistently referring to the ex-Guantanamo terrorist Jamal al Harith as "Jamal al Harith", only noting in passing that he was born as "Ronald Fiddler".
The BBC, in contrast, is still sticking with calling him "Ronald Fiddler", only noting in passing that he changed his name to "Jamal al Harith".
The corporation is standing out like a sore thumb over this.
Last night's BBC One News at Ten, for example, reported his name like this:
- A political row has erupted over the compensation paid to the British fighter with so-called Islamic State. Ronald Fiddler was formerly a detainee at Guantanamo Bay and is reported to have died in a suicide bombing in Iraq.
- Lord Carlile, who reviewed terror laws for ten years, said Fiddler should never have been paid a penny.
- Jamal Al-Harith, born Ronald Fiddler, was among the suspected terrorist detainees held here at Guantanamo Bay without charge until, following British government pressure, he was freed, to discuss his time behind bars.
- Fiddler was a suspected terrorist associated with Al-Qaeda and yet he was compensated.
- There may be more like Ronald Fiddler. Security forces can only try to keep up their guard in future.
Given that this happened across the BBC's many platforms, it was clearly a decision that came from on high.
