UK Counter-Terrorism (merged thread)

[davidbfpo]

I think this deserves its own thread and so I will move a few post here. Yes, this post will then appear not at the start.

[AdamG]

British police say they have arrested 12 men suspected of plotting a terrorist attack in Britain. The men were taken from different areas around the country as a result of counter-terrorism intelligence work. The country remains on high alert.

Police picked up the men in early morning raids in Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent in central England, Cardiff in Wales; and, in the capital, London. The men are between the ages of 17 and 24.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/...112197989.html

[davidbfpo]

A bland new release so far, the usual newsreel and now the 'waiting game' for more details - notably charged or released. Curiously the main BBC News decided to explain the statistics for arrests, charges and convictions.

There is a little more, notably that it is an AQ plot:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ide-raids.html

[AdamG]

(Reuters) - Britain's top soldier warned on Wednesday that pro-democracy uprisings in the Middle East could spawn militant Islamist activity in Britain, but said the greatest threat was economic.

In his end-of-year analysis of the dangers facing Britain, the chief of the defense staff, General David Richards, said the Arab Spring could stir unrest in Britain's immigrant communities.

"(There is) the risk that the Arab awakening leads to fissures and internal conflict that could be exported, including militant Islamism," Richards told a defense thinktank, the Royal United Services Institute, in London.

"They have diasporas reaching back to this country, as does Pakistan and other states struggling with instability."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7BD2AM20111214



Art imitates life. Life imitates art.

[davidbfpo]

A variety of reports:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12048598 and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...-Pakistan.html

A mixture:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...d-in-jail.html

From which:

Muslims leaders said they tipped off police about the group of extremists in the Welsh capital, where five men between the ages of 23 and 28 were arrested. They said they had stopped the group from holding meetings in mosques in the last month and told them to "go elsewhere."
Mosque officials informed police but it is thought that MI5 was already aware of the group.

I know of one analyst who is puzzled that amongst the 'Xmas Twelve' are reportedly five Bangladeshi's, who went for training in Pakistan.

[davidbfpo]

Announced AM today that nine of the twelve men arrested would be charged with Conspiracy to cause an explosion and Preparatory acts; the other three have been released without charge.

The BBC report:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12081828 and a little more detail on the police press release: http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/l...se.asp?id=2000

There is an odd feature to the charges, the dates covered vary and the conspiracy date ends 20th November, whilst the preparatory ends 20th December.

[AdamG]

I think this deserves its own thread and so I will move a few post here. Yes, this post will then appear not at the start.

For contextual dichotomy, the Peanut Gallery should read
http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...7&postcount=41

[davidbfpo]

Been away from the UK news and found this:

The charges amount to allegations of a plan to attack the London Stock Exchange, the American Embassy, a number of prominent religious and political leaders and possible restaurants, pubs and nightclubs.

The alleged plan also included a series of parcel bombs to be constructed based on instructions printed in an Al-Qaeda newsletter.

The second chage they face is of engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism between November 6 and December 20, including by downloading, researching, obtaining and discussing materials and methods; researching discussing and carrying out reconnaissance on and agreeing potential targets; travelling to and attending meetings; and igniting and testing incendiary material preparing for acts of terrorism.

Link:http://www.channel4.com/news/anti-te...ne-men-charged

More details on:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ter-Abbey.html

[omarali50]

Why the surprise about Bangladeshis? Bangladesh has been an important hub of ISI's jihadist project for decades...

[AdamG]

Christmas bomb plot: nine men remanded over plan to 'blow up Big Ben and Westminster Abbey'
Nine alleged terrorists plotted a Christmas bombing campaign targeting sites that included the London Stock Exchange and Big Ben, a court heard.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ter-Abbey.html

[davidbfpo]

Omarali50,

You asked:

Why the surprise about Bangladeshis? Bangladesh has been an important hub of ISI's jihadist project for decades...

IMHO the surprise is that those of Bangladeshi origin have not featured in most UK plots for a few years, other groups dominate, notably Kashmiri / Pakistani and coming up Somalis. IIRC the last UK CT case with a Bangladeshi was Moinul Abedin and he was arrested in 2000. Secondly, there was the assumption that contemporary history would preclude any Bangladeshi going to Pakistan for training.

There has also been Bangladesh-UK co-operation in CT, although it has hiccups:http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2010/j...ims-bangladesh

[AdamG]

For people too cheap to buy from Paladin Press

LONDON - Nine men arrested in Britain on terrorism charges last week found inspiration and bomb-making instructions in an English-language Internet magazine published by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, British investigators reportedly said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews