Addressing the Royal United Services Institute, the London-based security and defence thinktank, he said the conflict was „essentially one of Muslim on Muslim“.

He made it clear he believed the way the British government and the media were giving the extremists the „oxygen of publicity“ was counter-productive. The media were making monsters of „misguided young men, rather pathetic figures“ who were getting coverage „more than their wildest dreams“, said Dearlove, adding: „It is surely better to ignore them.“