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UK Terror Investigations - News Roundup - July 10

By Jeffrey Imm

July 10 news roundup of UK terror plot investigation activities and related news:

Al Qaeda's Zawahiri Threatens Retaliation Against Britain for Rushdie Knighthood of Salman Rushdie, author of "The Satanic Verses". AP reports Ayman al-Zawahiri's 20 minute speech entitled "Malicious Britain and its Indian Slaves", threatened retaliation against UK for knighthood of Salman Rushdie. SITE Institute reports that "Zawahiri threatens that a 'very precise response' is in the stages of preparation, and addresses current Prime Minister Gordon Brown, stating: 'The policy of your predecessor has brought tragedy and defeat upon you, not only in Afghanistan and Iraq but also in the center of London. And if you did not understand, listen, we are ready to repeat it for you, with the permission of Allah. We are sure that you have quite understood it.' "

British Islamists and Jihadists "Rank-and-File" Are Educated Professionals. Newsweek publishes op-ed from former British Hizb ut-Tahrir radical Ed Husain: "The rank-and-file of Islamist organizations, the precursors to terrorism, are filled with activists with a technical education. The instructor of my first secret cell in Hizb ut-Tahrir in London was a town planner; my second cell-leader was a medical doctor. Even today, medical doctors manage the British arm of Hizb ut-Tahrir-a global Islamist political party working for the re-establishment of an Islamic caliphate: doctors Nasim Ghani, Abdul Wahid, and Nazreen Nawaz. Globally, the central leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir is a Jordan-based engineer, Abu Rishta. The story of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood is similar. When Islamists graduate to jihadist terrorism the profile is equally chilling." Ed Husain is author of "The Islamist: Why I Joined Radical Islam in Britain, What I Saw Inside and Why I Left"

Jury in British terrorism trial fails to convict two men. AP reports that UK jury failed to reach a verdict of remaining two July 21 bombing suspects: Manfo Kwaku Asiedu and Adel Yahya. Judge Adrian Fulford "dismissed the jury after less than two hours of deliberations. Fulford gave prosecutors until Wednesday morning to say whether they would seek a retrial of the two."

UK Police let the July 21 bombers slip the net. Daily Telegraph reported that "Police missed a string of opportunities to intercept four terrorists months before the botched suicide bomb attacks on July 21". "Muktar Ibrahim, 29, the leader of the suicide gang, was seen by officers on at least four occasions before the bombings, Woolwich Crown Court had heard and was on bail after being arrested on suspicion of extremism."

Daily Telegraph reports "London was saved only by Ibrahim's lack of basic arithmetic. A scribbled note found at the bomb factory showed that Ibrahim, who had failed maths GCSE, had wrongly calculated the ratio of ingredients, rendering the bombs harmless."

July 21 Bomber Allowed To Travel To Pakistan while facing charges. Sky News reports that "Questions are now being asked about how [Muktar] Ibrahim managed to leave the UK while facing charges over extremist behaviour. In 2004, the 29-year-old travelled to Pakistan in December to learn terrorist skills, despite being on bail. He was there at exactly the same time as July 7 bombers Mohammed Siddique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer, and stayed for three months. Two months earlier, the 21/7 mastermind had been charged with threatening behaviour for distributing extremist Islamic material in London. While abroad, a warrant was issued for his arrest after missing a court appearance." Sky News also has a video of the process of getting visa from UK to Pakistan.

Reuters provided a "Chronology of major terrorism trials in Britain".

July 21, 2005 Terrorists Had Plans of UK's Sizewell B Nuclear Plant. BBC reports: "Detailed plans of Sizewell B nuclear power station in Suffolk were found in anti-terror raids after the July 2005 bomb attacks, it has been revealed." The plans included layout of the nuclear plant that were provided by a nuclear expert in a public lecture. "The expert said he was told the notes about Sizewell were found in the back of a car connected to one of the 21 July bombers. The expert said nuclear plants 'are not prepared enough' for an attack either by terrorists on the ground or through terrorists crashing a plane into the power station. He said nuclear plants were designed to withstand accidents, not terrorist attacks."

India: Bin Laden Speeches, Jihadist Material Found in Kafeel Ahmed House. Times of India reports that police discovered "[i]nflammatory speeches by Osama bin Laden and anti-UK, anti-US propaganda material in three CDs found in an almirah at Kafeel Ahmed's house". Times of India also reports "Kafeel and his associates are believed to have visited Pakistan more than once to seek approval for the UK terror plot. Added to this, one of the main suspects, Bilal Abdulla, is suspected to have indoctrinated Kafeel and Sabeel." The Times of India reports that Indian counterterrorism officials "believe the Al-Qaida is recruiting young educated people who can be sent to the US and Europe to create terror. 'The US and Europe are closely monitoring Pakistan, Bangladesh and Arab countries. We believe Al-Qaida is trying to use Indian resources and infrastructure to create havoc in the US and Europe,' said a senior officer working on counterterrorist strategies. "

Times of India news story states that the newly discovered information "helped investigators get closer to the link between the UK terror plot and Al-Qaida." The Hindu newspaper reported, however, that "[a] senior official in a Central Intelligence agency told The Hindu late on Monday night that there was no proof to link Kafeel with the al-Qaeda. They believe that Kafeel was indoctrinated in the United Kingdom by an Iraqi doctor Abdullah Billal, who was said to be with him in the flaming jeep, the official said."

Indian Imam Says 2 UK Suspects Changed Recently. Guardian reports that Indian imam Mohammed Hassaan says that after Kafeel and Sabeel Ahmed moved to Britain, they changed. When they returned to visit from the UK, they attended a radical mosque in Bangalore, India.
 

India: 'Secret data' found in Car Bomber Kafeel Ahmed's Computer Hard Disk. Hindustan Times reports that "[e]xperts have succeeded in decoding 'secret information' stored in the hard disk of a computer seized from Kafeel Ahmed's home in Bangalore" and will "report on the disk's contents to Bangalore Police". It is believed that Kafeel Ahmed "stored 'project' data in the hard disk and protected it with a secret code that is difficult to decipher". "Kafeel, before leaving for Britain on May 5, had handed over the disk to his mother Zakia Ahmed, warning her that it contained some important information on his 'project'. Kafeel also asked his mother to ensure the safety of the disk and not to let it slip into anyone's hands."

India: UK attack linked to science hub strike? Hindustan Times reports that there may be links between the UK car bombers and a 2005 attack on an Indian science hub. "In Bangalore, investigators looked for connections between Kafeel Ahmed and the Iraqi doctor Bilal Abdulla...They worked on evidence that suggested Abdulla visited Bangalore to meet Kafeel and his brother Sabeel — a line of enquiry the police said could lead them to clues on the attack on the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in December 2005."

Australian Terrorism Probe Into UK Bomb Plot Heads to India. Hindustan Times and Bloomberg are reporting on this. Bloomberg states: "Australian police widened their investigation into a terrorist plot to detonate car bombs in the U.K. and sent a detective to India, the home country of three suspects in the case. The officer will 'liaise' with Indian authorities also probing" the bombings.

Australia: Dr. Mohammed Haneef's lawyer may appeal detention. The Australian reports: "The lawyer for a Gold Coast doctor being detained over the bungled British bomb plots says he may launch an appeal. Authorities want to hold Gold Coast doctor Mohamed Haneef as long as they can to ensure any links to British bomb plotters are thoroughly investigated, the government says. Dr Haneef has been held without charge under federal counter-terrorism powers since he was arrested trying to leave Brisbane international airport on a one-way ticket on July 2."

Australia Visa Cross-Checks System Moved Up to September. The Australian reports that a news security system upgrade that will perform visa cross-checks has been moved up from October to September. "Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said yesterday the new system of background checking for visa applicants, proposed on Sunday, would have likely detected a group of doctors who had similar country of origin, training and travel patterns."

Scotland: Petrol proof sought in new anti-terror measure. The Scotsman reports: "Filling stations in Edinburgh are vetting customers buying petrol in cans, as security is stepped up following the terror attack at Glasgow Airport. Police have said that anybody buying a can of petrol should now be asked for identification and quizzed over what they plan to use it for. They should also be asked to pay by credit or debit card, to ensure the purchase can be traced. Any staff who turn away a customer who refuses to co-operate have been promised police backing."

Sources:

AP: Zawahiri Threatens Retaliation Against Britain for Rushdie Knighthood

SITE Institute: "Malicious Britain and its Indian Slaves" -- An Audio Speech by Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri Produced by as-Sahab Media

Newsweek: Bin Laden's Army - A one-time jihadi looks at why so many radical Islamic groups include doctors and engineers—and how their involvement threatens the religion itself.

AP: Jury deadlocks on last 2 defendants in failed London transit attacks

CNN: Jury dismissed in UK terror plot

Daily Telegraph: Police let the July 21 bombers slip the net

Sky News: Cops Face Pressure Over 21/7 'Failings'

Sky News Video: Pakistan's Visa Process

Reuters: Chronology of major terrorism trials in Britain

BBC: Terrorists had plans of Sizewell

Times of India: UK terror plot: Cops see Al-Qaida link

The Hindu: 'No proof to link Kafeel with Al-Qaeda'

Guardian: Imam Says 2 UK Suspects Changed Recently

Hindustan Times: 'Secret data' found in Kafeel's computer hard disk

Hindustan Times: UK attack linked to science hub strike?

CBS: Burned UK Suspect Unlikely To Survive

Bloomberg: Australian Terrorism Probe Into U.K. Bomb Plot Heads to India

The Australian: Haneef's lawyer may appeal detention

The Australian: Terror evidence may be lost after 'bungle'

The Australian: New visa cross-checks ramp up scrutiny

Scotsman News: Petrol proof sought in new anti-terror measure