Roundup and update of UK terror investigation news stories for the week ending July 22:
British radicals 'are a danger to America'
The Daily Telegraph reported on the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) and comments by DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff. The July 18, 2007 Telegraph story reported:
"Muslim radicals recruited to terrorism in Britain and Europe were labelled a major threat to US national security last night. The US homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, singled out extremists who have been radicalised in Britain as a danger to America. A report compiled by US security chiefs on the threat to their homeland concluded that British-based Muslims would regard 'the use of violence here as legitimate'. The findings will reinforce efforts by the US government to tighten up visa controls. Mr Chertoff is calling for visitors from the European Union who enter the US via the visa waiver scheme to register their personal details 48 hours before taking a transatlantic flight."
DHS Secretary Chertoff has previously warned of potential attacks on USA homeland from British Jihadists, and has been in discussions on visa issues for months with the UK government. The UK Foreign Office has stated, however, that the "visa waiver program is certainly not a 'loophole' ."
Earlier this month, links between British Jihadist investigations and threats against the USA included July 5 report that 45 doctors had used UK jihadist web site to make plans to attack US facilities such as the shipping facilities for USS John F Kennedy in Jacksonville, Florida, July 6 reports that two of the UK car bomb doctors sought work in Philadelphia, and July 4 report that AQ attacks in USA would follow attacks in UK.
4,000 in UK trained at terror camps.
Daily Telegraph reported that between 3,000 to 4,000 Islamists traveled from the United Kingdom to apparently pre-9/11 terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. The July 15, 2007 Daily Telegraph story reported stated that:
"Up to 4,000 Islamic extremists have attended terrorist training camps in Afghanistan before returning to Britain, security chiefs have revealed." The July 15, 2007 Daily Telegraph reported that "[a] senior security source said of the al-Qaeda camps: 'There are 3,000 to 4,000 people who went from the UK to Afghanistan and came back. The important question is, where are they now?' The figure is more than double the estimate of 1,600 which MI5 gave last autumn for the number of individuals actively involved in plotting terrorist attacks in the UK."
4,000 are UK terror suspects
The UK Sun reported that the number of Islamist terrorists increased to 4,000 active terrorists with 2,000 sympathizers. The July 17, 2007 UK Sun story reported:
"[the] number of suspected Muslim terrorists in the UK has multiplied nearly four times in seven months, security chiefs have been told. A staggering 2,000 active terrorists are under watch in Britain.And there are another 2,000 sympathisers. It is a massive rise from the 1,200 warned about by MI5’s former head seven months ago. The chiefs of MI5, Scotland Yard and MI6 were told the figure last week."
Missile Blueprint British Jihadist Imprisoned for 3 1/2 Years.
On July 18, Yassin Nassari was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison for smuggling blueprints on how to build a missile into the United Kingdom. Per the July 18 Daily Telegraph report, in arresting Yassin Nassari "[p]olice discovered a mass of jihadi material on a laptop and removable hard drive including blueprints for an Al Qassam 1.5 rocket used by the Palestinian terror group Hamas." Yassin Nassari also had a letter from his wife urging him to conduct Jihad and hoping that their five month son would also be martyred. The UK court decided to accept his wife's contention that this was "creative writing". The Telegraph also provided partial illustratrations of the Nassari diagrams.
Hate Crimes British Jihadists Imprisoned.
The July 18 London Times reported the sentencing of four British Jihadists charged with hate crimes; protestors over the Muhammad cartoons included Mizanur Rahman, Umran Javed and Abdul Muhid sentenced to 6 years, Abdul Saleem sentenced to 4 years. Afterwards, the July 19 Daily Mail reported that dozens of veiled women gathered outside the Old Bailey to protest against the jail sentences given to four Muslim men for encouraging terrorism.
Hate Crimes British Jihadists in Court.
In a separate case, the July 17 Guardian reported that British Jihadists Abu Izzadeen (aka Omar Brooks) and Abdullah Hassan were in court on terrorism charges relate to hate speeches made at London's Regents Park mosque in 2004.
UK Car Bombs Suspect -- Dr. Sabeel Ahmed Update
Dr. Sabeel Ahmed's lawyer indicated in court on July 16 that he will plead not guilty to having information of material assistance in preventing the commission by another of an act of terrorism. Dr. Sabeel Ahmed was charged on July 14, and has been remanded in custody until August 13. On July 17, NDTV reported that "Sabeel Ahmed knew of his brother's involvement in the UK terror plot, reports say. Ahmed has been charged with not informing the police about the conspiracy. Sabeel was sent a text message by his brother Kafeel after the car bombs were planted in London but before the attack on Glasgow Airport. The message contained the password for an internet email account. Inside the email account was a folder containing Kafeel's last will and testament and instructions on what to say to the police." Engineer Kafeel Ahmed remains hospitalized under police guard.
UK Car Bombs Suspect -- Dr. Mohammed Asha Update
Per the July 19 Daily Telegraph, Dr. Mohammed Asha was charged on July 19 with has been charged with conspiracy to cause explosions. His wife was released without charge on July 13. Per the July 20 London Times, Dr. Mohammed Asha was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on July 27.
UK Car Bombs Suspect -- Dr. Mohammed Haneef Update
There have been a number of stories in the past week regarding Indian native Dr. Mohammed Haneef who has been detained in Australia: (a) one story regarding discrepancies in the reports on the SIM card linking him to Glasgow bomber Kafeel Ahmed, (b) one story regarding deportation status, and (c) one story regarding potential involvement in Australian attack plans.
Regarding the SIM card, the July 22 Daily Express reports that "Dr Haneef, 27, appeared in court in Brisbane last week after being charged with supplying a mobile phone SIM card to his cousin, Sabeel Ahmed, on a visit to the UK. The court was told Ahmed then passed the card on to his brother, Kafeel – the driver of the blazing Jeep driven into the airport terminal – and that the phone card had been found inside the wrecked car. But senior sources in Australia revealed the mobile phone card was actually with Ahmed in Liverpool at the time." Dr. Mohammed Haneef's lawyers are stating that errors in the government inquiry reports should result in his release.
The July 19 Times of India reported that Dr. Mohammed Haneef had chatted on the Internet with his cousin, accused UK terrorist Sabeel Ahmed, just days before the attack on Glasgow airport.
Regarding deportation, the July 22 DPA and Sun Herald reported that Dr. Mohammed Haneef was likely to be deported to India, rather than face trial in Australia on a charge of supporting terrorism. "Haneef had been in contact with his cousins, Sabeel and Kafeel Ahmed. The brothers are terrorism suspects now in custody in Britain. He left his SIM card with Sabeel when he left Britain last year. "
Regarding potential involvement with plots in Australia, the July 22 Times of India states that "Australian police denied newspaper reports on Sunday that they were investigating whether the Indian doctor Haneef detained on terror charges may have been plotting to blow up a high-rise building on the Gold Coast." The July 22 Herald Sun reported that "Australian Federal Police are examining images of a Gold Coast building and its foundations found in documents and photographs seized in a raid on Dr Haneef's Southport unit three weeks ago".
Half of UK Terror Suspects Arrested Since 9/11 Released Without Charge
On July 17, BBC reported that since 9/11, "Home Office statistics show 669 of the 1,228 people arrested in terrorist investigations were later freed." A July 9 Daily Telegraph story reported that "more than 40 separate terror court cases due to be heard" and "[m]ore than 100 suspects are awaiting trial in British courts for terrorist offences".
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Three Arrests in Manchester under Terrorism Act
On July 18, BBC reported that "Three men have been arrested in Manchester for alleged terrorism-related activity. The three were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 and a fourth man was arrested under immigration legislation."
London Terror Police To Track Cars via CCTV Cameras
The July 17 London Times reported that "[p]olice in London are to be able to track vehicles entering the capital by accessing congestion charge cameras as a result of the 'enduring threat' of terrorist car bombings" and that the UK government "lifted restrictions on access to the cameras to enable the Metropolitan Police to view images in 'real time' from the 1,500 congestion charge cameras in the capital. "
UK Dirty Bomber and NYC Terror Plotter Dhiren Barot Returned to Prison
On July 12, AFP reported that, after being scalded with water and oil, British Jihadist Dhiren Barot "returned Saturday to his cell after hospital treatment for severe injuries suffered in prison" and that "[p]olice sources said Barot returned to Frankland Prison in Durham following treatment at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary in northeast England, where he had been admitted on Monday".
UK Ambulance Crews Get Radiation Detectors
The July 22 Daily Mail reports that "Britain's ambulance crews have been issued with personal radiation monitors in response to the growing threat of 'dirty bomb' attacks by terrorists. "
UK "Oil" Suspects Released
The July 20 London Times reported that two Bristol terror suspects arrested for due to belief that they had posed 50 liters of' hydrogen peroxide, were released when the containers were found to hold vegetable oil. The arrests were related to a drug investigation.
UK Politics - English in Mosques.
UK's political news has an ongoing debate regarding actions to discourage extremism in mosques including greater control over foreign imams. BBC previously reported that over 50% of UK's imams are from Pakistan. The July 22 Daily Telegraph reported Muslim politician views that "Mosques should be banned from recruiting foreign preachers unless they speak excellent English, according to a senior Muslim politician"; this idea has been condemned by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). The July 22 Daily Telegraph also quotes the MP as stating that "MCB was 'hindering the fight against terrorism'."
Sources:
July 22, 2007 - Daily Express: Terror case 'botched' by Australians
July 22, 2007 - DPA: Australia to deport Indian doctor held over British bomb plot
July 22, 2007 - Times of India: Australia denies new claims against Dr. Mohammed Haneef
July 22, 2007 - Australian Herald Sun: Haneef plot probed
July 22, 2007 - AFP: Bomb plotter back in British cell after hospital care: police
July 22, 2007 - Daily Telegraph: Preach in English, Muslim peer tells imams
July 20, 2007 - London Times: Dr. Mohammed Jamil Asha remanded over failed car bombings
July 20, 2007 - London Times: Bristol terror suspects released
July 19, 2007 - Daily Telegraph: M6 doctor charged over car bomb plot
July 19, 2007 - The Times of India: Cousins chatted before UK terror attack
July 19, 2007 - Daily Mail: Veiled protest as race-hate Muslims are jailed
July 19, 2007 - Daily Telegraph: Drop-out is jailed for missile blueprints
July 18, 2007 - Missile blueprint smuggler 'celebrates' jail term
July 18, 2007 - Daily Telegraph: Yassin Nassari's Terror Blueprints
July 18, 2007 - BBC: Three arrests under Terrorism Act - in Manchester for terrorism-related activity
July 18, 2007 (updated July 19) - Daily Telegraph: British radicals 'are a danger to America'
July 18, 2007 - London Times: Four jailed for hate crimes at cartoon protest
July 17, 2007 Daily Mail: Jail for the Muslim with blueprint for rocket
July 17, 2007 - Guardian: Two Britons in court on terrorism charges
July 17, 2007 - London Times: Terror police to track capital's cars
July 17, 2007 - BBC: Half of terror suspects released
July 17, 2007 - UK Sun: 4,000 are UK terror suspects
July 17, 2007 - NDTV: 'Indian suspect knew UK terror plot'
July 16, 2007 - Australian News: Sabeel Ahmed will plead not guilty
July 15, 2007 - Daily Telegraph: 4,000 in UK trained at terror camps
July 9, 2007 - Daily Telegraph: Nuclear alert by ex-head of MI5
May 5, 2007 - Daily Telegraph: US pushes for visa control on Pakistani Britons
April 7, 2007 - Daily Telegraph: Britain 'could stage another September 11'
