UK Counter-Terrorism (merged thread)

[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

[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.

[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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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

[davidbfpo]

There is another thread on the 7/7 bombings, shown below, but it covers the post-attack response and this thread starts following - late agreed - the missed opportunities to stop the attacks. Like others I do not like the phrase 'joining the dots', but it is an easy headline.

After much official resistance there is now a coroners inquest, with its own website:http://7julyinquests.independent.gov.uk/index.htm

There have been some headlines as witnesses have come forward. Today we learnt of a missed opportunity, which I cannot recall ever being in the public domain:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...e-Lindsay.html

Sub-titled:

Bedfordshire police failed to follow up an armed incident involving a car used by one of the July 7 bombers five weeks before the bombings, the inquest has heard.

Data management is a key issue, although this article is not new, it illustrates the LE aspects:http://www.fipr.org/terrorismdetention.pdf

Previous related SWC thread on 7/7: Interagency Coordination http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=6270

[davidbfpo]

The judge-led coroner's inquest on the 7/7 Bombings has reported in full and has caused some comment.

The BBC report:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12629441

A senior officer from the MI5 intelligence service gave evidence anonymously, and said that while two of the bombers had been on the agency's radar, they could not have been stopped.

Although officials initially had said they had no advance knowledge of the bombers, inquiries revealed that Khan and Tanweer had been under surveillance as part of an investigation into an earlier, foiled, bomb plot.

They were never pursued because officials were overwhelmed with other threats perceived to be more serious.

From:http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011..._r=1&ref=world

A more detailed analyst's comment on the evidence, written before today, gives more detail:http://raffaellopantucci.com/2011/04...2005-bombings/

[davidbfpo]

A few weeks police in Birmingham arrested eight people, who were later charged with terrorism offences and seven men kept in custody:

Four of the men were charged with preparing for an act of terrorism in the UK, and two with failing to disclose information.

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15113378

This week four young men were arrested, in part two of the investigation, now known as Operation Pitsford and they too have been charged:

They are accused of collecting money for terrorism, travelling to Pakistan for terrorism training and travelling abroad to commit acts of terrorism. They have been charged with engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts contrary to section 5(1) of the Terrorism Act 2006, a force spokesman said.

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15798572

While this may have only local, British implications I do wonder if it will have an impact on the decision to base the US Olympic track team in Birmingham. There was speculation a week ago that the USA had some concerns overs security in London:http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011...-security-2012

[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]

For many years the Jihadist bookshop 'Maktabah al-Ansar' in Sparkhill, in East Birmingham had a certain notoriety, with repeated police search warrants and finally in February 2007 property was seized that enabled a prosecution in October 2011. The bookshop being described by the prosecutor as:

This case is about the distribution of books and DVDs and other material which we say represent steps along the road to radicalisation of Muslims to engage in violent terrorist attacks around the world, including the UK....This case is also about the ways and means by which to solidify that radicalisation and provide practical assistance for those who have been radicalised. To encapsulate it in a single phrase, this case is about priming people for terrorism...now serving long prison sentences, having been found guilty of plotting to terrorise the British public

Link:http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/oc...ople-terrorism

At the trial several expert witnesses appeared for the prosecution and yesterday one of them authored a very significant article IMHO. This is the headline and sub-title:

This bookseller deserved his incitement to terrorism conviction (followed by) I was a witness in Ahmed Faraz's trial – this is the first time anyone involved has spoken about what really happened

Adding:

Much of the media discussion of the trial treated the texts as if they were translations of originals. In fact, all of the original texts had been doctored or adulterated in extremist ways....Throughout, the authority of the Qur'an and the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet) was invoked in false, de-contextualised ways to justify acts of violence against innocent people. The texts and videos divided the world strictly into the realm of "pure" Islam – godliness, virtue and knowledge – and the world of "pure" disbelief (kufr) – vice, godlessness and ignorance (jahiliyyah).

Link:http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...ism-conviction

The bookseller's conviction:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-16149299

A contrary viewpoint on the conviction is here:http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourking...ady-chatterley

[JMA]

Originally Posted by davidbfpo

For many years the Jihadist bookshop 'Maktabah al-Ansar' in Sparkhill, in East Birmingham had a certain notoriety, with repeated police search warrants and finally in February 2007 property was seized that enabled a prosecution in October 2011.

David, so it took from February 2007 to October 2011 to get these people to court? Does any sane person believe the 'war on terror' can be won like this?

[bourbon]

David, frankly I don’t get it. I imagine that monitoring this store could have yield a treasure trove of useful information – why shut down a potential intelligence goldmine?

[davidbfpo]

Originally Posted by JMA

David, so it took from February 2007 to October 2011 to get these people to court? Does any sane person believe the 'war on terror' can be won like this?

Most UK CT prosecutions take a long time to get to court, although IIRC the prosecution must present within sixty days enough of a case to satisfy the court. Then the court, prosecution and defence set about their own way of doing things, for example how many days will a full hearing take? Finding a court slot for a three month-long trial takes time.

In this case the police in 2007 and in 2010 found a mass of potential evidence, books and recordings. All need to be examined, maybe summarised and submitted for review by expert witnesses. Then there's full disclosure to the defence, who may challenge on various aspects, for example the qualifications of an expert witness, so another has to be appointed.

In this case the defendant was at liberty for most of the time once charged in February 2010.

Then there's the priority assigned to threats to life over incitement, so you can have a tiny team assigned to such a case as this.

[davidbfpo]

Originally Posted by bourbon

David, frankly I don’t get it. I imagine that monitoring this store could have yield a treasure trove of useful information – why shut down a potential intelligence goldmine?

This bookshop had a long history, with repeated raids, at least back to 1998 or 2000; it had a physical location till at least 2007 and then went on-line till 2011.

Locally many in the Muslim community knew what it represented and wanted it gone. Frequently the issue of a 'goldmine' or "honey pot" was raised locally and I would suggest by 2007 it's value had diminished. Not to overlook the rumours that the bookshop was a "front" and IIRC the murky role of the initial landlord.

One prominent name linked to the bookshop, a Moazzam Begg, moved on after being a co-founder, including a stint at Guantanamo Bay and became linked to other forms of campaigning:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moazzam_Begg

[davidbfpo]

Three threads merged and thread renamed UK Counter-Terrorism (merged thread).