In the early morning hours of April 24, 2007, British police arrested six men in anti-terror raids conducted in London and the surrounding areas. The men, aged 21 – 35, are suspected of inciting terrorism abroad and raising monetary funding for the purpose of terrorism.
Tuesday’s arrests follows a widely publicized media report released on April 23, 2007, of a large-scale terrorist plot possibly scheduled to target the United Kingdom in coordination with British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s resignation from office. At this time, there is no evidence to support a direct correlation between the April 24, 2007, arrests and the April 23, 2007, reported terrorist plot. However, both events indicate anti-terrorism forces in Western Europe and in particular, the United Kingdom, are on high alert.
Suspected Terrorists Arrested
The six men arrested in pre-dawn raids on April 24, 2007, include a well-known radical Muslim named Abu Izzadeen, aka Omar Brooks, who is known for his criticism of Western leaders referring to many as, “terrorists” and in one instance, repeatedly interrupting a speech by British Home Secretary John Reid calling him, “an enemy of Islam.” The Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command and local police officers arrested the terror suspects citing the arrests form part of a long-term pro-active and complex investigation. The case focuses on alleged incitement and radicalization for the purposes of terrorism, as well as alleged financial support for international terrorism. Further information surrounding the arrests indicates the six suspects were arrested in connection to a 2004 mosque incident.
The only person named by officials, Abu Izzadeen is a contraversial figure. In the aftermath of the July 11, 2005, London transport bombings, Abu Izzadeen gained notoriety as he refused to condemn the attacks and claimed Prime Minster Tony Blair and President Bush were the “real terrorists.” Izzadeen is a former spokesman for Al-Ghurabaa, a radical Islamist group and offshoot of the presently disbanded Al-Muhajiroun. Both groups are now banned in Britain. Prior to Tuesday’s arrest, Izzadeen was already facing charges of enciting terrorism after he was arrested in February 2007 on charges relating to a speech he gave in Birmingham the previous year.
Al-Qaeda Plot To Attack UK Released
On April 23, 2007, classified intelligence reports originating from Britain’s MI-5 domestic security service were leaked and detailed in media reports highlighting near-term threats to the United Kingdom via al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) terrorists. Per the media reporting, MI-5 intelligence indicates that AQI terrorists, operating along the Iraqi-Iranian border are in contact with al-Qaeda core leadership and are preparing a “large-scale” terrorist attack to occur prior to British elections.
As written in our intelligence report, we remain concerned that radical ethnic British and European insurgents returning from the Iraqi jihad will use their honed, unconventional-urban warfare skills against their native countries. Such contagion from the Iraqi insurgency is already occurring in North Africa and will affect European states in greater frequency in the near to mid-term.
More Arrests Likely As Anti-Terrorism Officials Work To Dispel Terror
This week’s events indicate anti-terrorism forces in Western Europe are on high alert. Prior to the events in the UK, on April 11, 2007, Danish officials convicted Moroccan-born Danish citizen Said Mansour under Denmark’s newly established anti-terrorism laws (Previous Report). Similar to the arrest of Abu Izzadeen, Said Mansour was also arrested on charges for promoting and inciting terrorism. Arrested in September 2005, Mansour was found guilty of producing and distributing multimedia materials, to include CD-ROMs and DVDs, for the promotion of terrorism. Mansour was the first Danish citizen to be convicted under the anti-terrorism law.
It is unclear if the al-Qaeda plot released on April 23, 2007, and the following day’s arrests of six terror suspects are directly connected. However, both events coupled with similar incidents occurring in other European countries, illustrate the heightened atmosphere currently affecting Western Europe. It is likely more suspects will be arrested on similar charges as anti-terrorism forces throughout Western Europe continue their efforts to disrupt terrorism activities and attacks in the near future.
