THE authorities will ensure jihadi bride Lisa Smith “isn’t a threat to anyone” if she returns home to Ireland, says Leo Varadkar.
The Taoiseach has said the Dundalk woman and her two-year-old child – both detained by US forces in Northern Syria – can return home.
This is in contrast to some nations who refuse to allow their citizens back when they are known to have links to terrorist organisations.
But the 40-year-old leader also insists she will not be allowed to endanger anyone when she does come back.
Speaking to reporters, Varadkar said: “I know the authorities there will want to interrogate her to see if she has been involved in any crimes there. But it’s very possible that she wasn’t a combatant.
“But ultimately this is an Irish citizen and we don’t believe that removing an Irish citizen’s citizenship from her or her family, rendering them stateless, would be either the right or compassionate thing to do.
“As an Irish citizen, she will have the right to return to Ireland as will her child. But as an Irish citizen, it’s not just as simple as coming here and proceeding as if nothing had happened.
“There may need to be a prosecution there. And we’ll make sure that if she returns to Ireland, she isn’t a threat to anybody here either.”
The former Defence Forces member was detained by US troops in northern Syria in recent days, along with her two-year-old son, on suspicion of supporting the terror group.
The Jihadi bride spent a decade serving as a soldier in the Irish Army and then the Air Corps — and even served former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on the Government jet.
A former pal of the woman told the Irish Sun: “Lisa, the old Lisa that is was one of the most caring friendly people we knew. I feel real sorry for her mum.”
TURNED BACK ON WESTERN CULTURE
A difficult split nine years ago caused Smith, 37, to fall into a deep depression and become increasingly interested in Islam. And it was after this that she ended up marrying an Islamic State sympathiser in Syria, who was later killed fighting there.
Former pals have also told the Irish Sun how Lisa was once a huge supporter of Joe Schmidt’s rugby heroes. But once she embraced her new life, there was no longer any time to watch the sport as it was seen as another part of the Western life that needed to be shunned.
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Pals revealed how she dramatically changed and are afraid she’ll now return home with a warped ideology.
We were told: “Lisa loved the Irish rugby team. It’s sad because she probably hates them now too. I miss that Lisa, she was more of a sister than a friend but that Lisa is gone now.”
Mates of Lisa have described her as a “party girl” who loved a few drinks until she decided to devote her life to Islam. They also revealed she used to be addicted to McDonald’s nosh before turning her back on the tasty fast food giant.