Mentally ill man 'brainwashed' into suicide bomb bid

[Chris Albon]

Mentally ill man 'brainwashed' into suicide bomb bid, police say (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2008/05/24/mentally-ill-man-brainwashed-into-suicide-bomb-bid-police-say-86908-20427634/)


GENTLE giant Nicky Reilly may have been "brainwashed" into becoming a would-be suicide bomber by muslim extremists, police say.

The mentally ill 22-year-old was arrested on Thursday after a homemade nail bomb blew up in his face in a busy restaurant. Two other nail bombs were recovered at the scene.

[bourbon]

MI5 is reporting that he tried to blow-up a bus......but burned his lips on the exhaust pipe.


Poor taste, I know.
I'm glad no civilians were harmed. I hope some insights can be gleaned by researchers with him in custody. Finally, and not to excuse his act or attribute any condition he has to it: I hope he can get some kind of help.

[davidbfpo]

From the BBC News: In a statement, (Devon & Cornwall Police) Deputy Chief Constable Tony Melville said: "Our investigation so far indicates Reilly, who had a history of mental illness, had adopted the Islamic faith. We believe, despite his weak and vulnerable illness, he was preyed upon, radicalised and taken advantage of."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7416642.stm

What caused the DCC to comment 'we believe...he was preyed upon' is unclear. I know elsewhere others have commented Jihadist use of the mentally ill is unlikely. It does fit a standard belief that Jihadist / violent extremists seek to use the mentally ill, rather than undertake an attack themselves - which is well documented. On the other hand is this failed attack proof of vulnerability to "clean skins" who self-radicalise and learn enough from the web to launch an attack?

How the police / intelligence community identify a bomber before an attack remains the big issue. Who knew of Reilly's state of mind, his radicalisation and attack planning? His family, his newly found faith, his neighbours and those state agencies who dealt with him? Once they had the information, did they have the motivation to tell anyone else (police included) and then know how to pass the information on?

I'd be inclined to wait a few weeks, if not months for some in-depth reporting, rather than quick response statements.

A better story is: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/may/25/uksecurity.terrorism and a rather typical story: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3999058.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797084

Today's comment by Devon & Cornwall's Chief Constable and some comments: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/two-questioned-over-exeter-restaurant-blast-834032.html

davidbfpo

[Ken White]

"I'd be inclined to wait a few weeks, if not months for some in-depth reporting, rather than quick response statements."Initial reports -- in most any venue on most topics -- are generally rushed, incomplete and merit considerable skepticism...

[davidbfpo]

Story in today's (UK) Daily Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2028963/West-Country-plots-prompt-calls-for-redrawing-terror-map.html

Yes, some spin and scene setting.

davidbfpo

[davidbfpo]

Heard the Exeter bomber had been charged after a week in custody and here is the BBC report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/7434548.stm

From a different, thoughful angle an article from Kings College London COIN blogsite: http://insurgencyresearchgroup.wordpress.com/ under the title Dealing with Bombs in Rural Devon: Global Threat, Local Response

davidbfpo