( CNN ) The revelations Thursday over the identity of `` Jihadi John '' -- that he apparently grew up and was educated in Britain , and that he has a degree in computing from Westminster University in London -- have left us with some profoundly troubling issues . It appears clear that security authorities have known for some time who he is , but kept this fact hidden , either , one assumes , because they were attempting to capture him or because they were trying to protect his family from vigilantes . Whatever the reason , the fact that he had the benefit of higher education ( and had picked up state of the art IT skills ) once again highlights how our education system fails to protect either us , the citizens of a free country , or the students themselves from the violent horrors of Islamism . Meanwhile , the fact that many British universities this month stated they will continue to resist the proposals made by the government in the latest counterterrorism legislation ( including imposing on them a duty to keep extremists off their campuses and notify the authorities if they believe their students have been brainwashed by them ) is nothing short of a total national disgrace . But the news surrounding Mohammed Emwazi , identified by the Washington Post as a Kuwaiti-born Londoner , raises a few other points worth noting . First of all , by giving him a name , we give his victims ' loved ones the hope that he may be captured or brought to trial at some future date . The release of his name could also deter him from further acts of unspeakable sadism , or perhaps make some of his comrades with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria rethink some of their plans . And it might even prompt some young European to think twice about going out to live and die for ISIS . This case also makes it clear that the time has now come for a new U.N. declaration or Atlantic Charter to the effect that these Islamist war criminals will be hunted down , and that retribution for their crimes will be sought , just as we pursued the Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg and elsewhere . Comprehensive lists of ISIS members should be drawn up as a matter of urgency . In addition , the time has come to review what can be done to stop young Muslim men and women from joining the ranks of the jihadis . Education has a part to play , but it is plain that whatever has been done so far has not been adequate . New , more proactive measures may be required . At the same time , it is also self-evident that education alone is not enough . Instead , we also need effective intelligence-led security policies that must include letting our intelligence agencies access electronic data in their search of jihadi recruitment campaigns . This is the only way we have to protect everyone . We know , thanks to Edward Snowden and his friends , that our ability to monitor and disrupt jihadists has declined by perhaps a third . Obviously , they continue to communicate , but either they are doing so in ways we find increasingly hard to track , or our security agencies are so fearful of being tarred as `` snoopers '' that they have become far too cautious about investigating those who want to do us grave harm . Finally , it must surely be clear to Western leaders that as long as President Barack Obama refuses to dismantle ISIS as a political entity in the only way possible -- by putting boots on the ground -- Islamism will continue to present us in the West with a monumental threat . Sadly , it is one which will grow , fueled as it is by those we have educated with great care and to whom we have taught some of our most useful skills .
Body of man believed to be ISIS militant released . Anthony wrote : Details leave us with some profoundly troubling issues .