9 Held In Alleged U.K. Terror Plot

Media Say Plan Was To Torture, Behead British Muslim Soldier, Broadcast Killing Online

(CBS/AP)  Police unveiled a major kidnapping plot, the first of its kind in Britain, with the arrest of nine terror suspects Wednesday in a plan that reportedly involved torturing and beheading a British Muslim soldier and broadcasting the killing on the Internet.

The alleged plot, said by British media to mirror the brutal killings of foreign hostages in Iraq, was in its final stages and uncovered during a six-month surveillance operation by anti-terror officers, police said.

"The threat from terrorism remains very real," said Assistant Chief Constable David Shaw, who would not confirm reports from the British Broadcasting Corp. and other media that the intended victim was an army soldier to be killed in an "Iraqi-style" execution and broadcast on the Internet.

Britain has been at the heart of several thwarted terror plots. One involved a British Muslim who pleaded guilty to plotting to blow up landmarks including the New York Stock Exchange. Last August, police foiled an alleged plan by Muslim extremists to use liquid explosives to blow up as many as 10 flights between the United States and Britain.

Britain’s secret service says it has at least 30 active terrorist plots — and 1,600 suspects — currently under surveillance, reports CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer.

But many British Muslims believe that's an over-reaction.

"Every other day there is a raid," one Muslim man told CBS.

For this reason the operation was a risky one, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips. Police have made high-profile arrests of Muslims suspected of ambitious terror plots before, only to have to let suspects go when the intelligence proved wrong. If they can't make this one stick, they risk further alienating an already suspicious community.

But the Birmingham kidnapping plot raised fears that a new type of terrorism had reached Britain — one that threatens to spread the type of terror seen in Iraq with kidnappings and publicized beheadings, and one that suggests Britain's young Muslims are becoming angrier over their country's continued involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the U.S. detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Four suicide bombers — Muslims raised in England who expressed anger over Britain's role in the wars — killed 52 people on London's transit system during rush-hour attacks on July 7, 2005. The killings were western Europe's first suicide bombings.

In the past year, that anger has spilled over to Muslims who serve in the British armed forces.

The potential victim of the latest plot reportedly was a British Muslim soldier who was under police protection, British media reported.

Britain's first Muslim soldier to be killed in Afghanistan last year was from Birmingham, where his death prompted militant Islamist Web sites to denounce Cpl. Jabron Hashmi, 24, as a traitor. One site — that of extremist British sect al-Ghurabaa — posted an image of Hashmi surrounded by flames.

His brother Zeeshan Hashmi, who left the British Army in September 2005, was alerted to the arrests by concerned officials at the Ministry of Defense.

"When I woke up, there were missed calls and messages from them wanting to reassure me," he said. "I'm extremely proud of my role in the British army and my brother's sacrifice. My brother didn't just go as a soldier but as a human wanting to help other humans in a region where they were suffering. It had nothing to do with politics."

Despite his family living less than a mile from the raided properties in Birmingham, Zeeshan Hashmi — now studying Arabic at Cambridge University — does not believe he was the target of the plot.

"What's more worrying is the negative publicity this will generate about British Muslims," Zeeshan Hashmi said. "Nothing is proven, but the accused people only represent a small element of the Muslim community who are completely opposed to the core values of Islam which is a peaceful doctrine."

Last year, a London street vendor was sentenced to six years in prison for plotting to kill a decorated British soldier. Abu Baker Mansha was accused of targeting Cpl. Mark Byles, whose address and other materials were found in Mansha's apartment.

Byles was awarded a military cross for bravery following an attack in which several Iraqi insurgents were killed — exploits covered by British newspapers. One of the articles with Byles' name was circled and found in Mansha's apartment.

The Defense Ministry said 330 Muslims are serving in the British armed forces. It would not comment on reports that the intended victim was a soldier.

"This would be the first case of Islamic extremists using kidnapping as a tactic — but these are not the first terrorist kidnapping threats to Britain. The IRA provided those," said former U.S intelligence officer Bob Ayers, now a security analyst based in London.

[jimibear]

"Jimibear, you are indeed an idiot - Bill Clinton's speeches relative to Iraq are very much available for you to review - as are the economic figures for the last few years. Wow - normally I'd just go down your list of points & refute them one by one... but your lack of understanding is so profound - I can only dismiss you as being a stupid individual
Posted by dogsoul at 03:15 PM : Jan 31, 2007
+ report this comment"

Dogsoul, what are you talking about? I have posted nothhing regarding Clinton or economics on this thread.

Maybe you are the idiot? It's certainly not me.

[jimibear]

(cont.)

How many of those do you think ever thought or planned to attack us? This business of "Allah teaches them to hate" is as much of a lie as, apparently, "Jesus teaches us to love" is. I'd love to think it was that simple, but frankly, no Muslim I have ever spoken too agrees with the radical Islam position, and Christians (like you, I'm afraid, Rick) use their religion as carte blanche to kill Arabs.

And Rick, what saddens me is that with all your Bible knowledge and obvious intelligence, you lack the insight to realize that you are espousing a position of religious intolerance which is leading to more death than the 9/11 terrorists could have imagined.

We are encouraging the fringe radical Muslims who already hated us for irrational reasons, and making a whole lot of moderate people hate us for very valid reasons. We are handling this war on terror in the most stupid, harmful and far-worse-than-useless way imaginable.

In fact, it only makes sense if the objective Bush has in mind is fullscale war with Islam as a whole. According to you, though, I suppose that will be inevitable because it's the great battle between good and evil.

How handy religion is when you are looking for an excuse to destroy the human race. Jesus and Mohammed both would weep.

[jimibear]

"-ok jimibear, with your reasoning here, how do you explain 9-11-01?? We didn't do anything to them for them to come over here and attack us and kill thousands of innocent Americans."

Well, we did, for one thing, or at least our leaders did. Study the history of the Middle East for the last 75 years and then tell me they have no reason to hate the US.

But even so, what the hell does this have to do with Iraq? They weren't involved in 9/11, everyone knew they weren't, and yet we went in there anyway. 3000 people died in 9/11, about 2000 of them Americans. Even the most conservative estimates of Iraqi dead in this war are 150-200,000 and the UN estimates 650,000. Include the half-million dead in the first Gulf War, and we've killed over a million. That's about 1 Iraqi in 25. Oh, but we haven't done anything to make Muslims hate us. Oh no.

[j-whitman]

IT'S YOUR WORD THAT'S SICK RICK VERY SICK -- GO TO BESSEMER

[j-whitman]

PRAY OUR TROOPS DON'T DIE FOR BUSH GD VANITY AS THEY HAVE BEEN --- DON'T BOTHER OTHERWISE, I DON'T WANT IT

[j-whitman]

If your concerned, open your eyes & see the work of Satan Bush

[j-whitman]

Good *** night

[j-whitman]

Screw your sickass version of the truth you blind SOB

[j-whitman]

Singinrick,, Then start obeying God's laws -- Go to Bessemer, Alabama - See my cousin Aneice Wilson have her show you my aunt Ester & what your SOB Bush has done,,,, Take some food & medicine with you, they are not the only ones who need it.

[j-whitman]

Open your eyes & see the devistated familys, your great Christian Bush caused.

[cantshutup]

g'nite suckers, the deciders comin for us all

[j-whitman]

Singinrick,,, Please take a drive to Bessemer, Alabama. I have family there, open your eyes & look at what Bush's lies cause.

[cantshutup]

THE DRAFT IS HERE. Universal Nat'l Service Act of 2007.
NOT TO ALARM YOU OR ANYTHING. Just passing this along.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/
query/z?c110:H.R.393:

Universal National Service Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)
HR 393 IH
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 393
To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the favorable treatment afforded combat pay under the earned income tax credit, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 10, 2007

[cantshutup]

where's my bible? like i said, the pages make great smokin papers...! i'll think of singinprick and what a bad rap satan got as i inhale

[j-whitman]

Well over 3,000 American's are dead thousands permanantly wounded, not counting thousands of dead women, children & elderly are dead because of Bush's lies.... You fall in the draft age, you can't hide from Bush's lies.

[cantshutup]

i guess you think you're some sort of authority singinrick...i grew up in a christian home, my stepdad was a minister...that's where i learned the hypocracy of religion...no one will ever convince me after growing up around these religious wack jobs...i've seen it first hand dude, in 30 yrs experience i can't think of one religious person i've ever met who wasn't full of sh*t or didn't need some sort of prescription...don't preach to me, i know what i'm talking about...RELIGION IS THE OPIUM OF THE PEOPLE

[j-whitman]

Bush's lies effect all of us even you.

[j-whitman]

God's own green, my ancestors grew in 1765 South Carolina.

[j-whitman]

Can't,, I've tried book pages for papers, uh-uh Zig Zag's for me bro.

[j-whitman]

Can'tshutup,,, I used to be Southern Baptist -- I just want him to leave his community open his eyes & see real truth, in his face truth.