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| Britain |
| Christmas bomb plotters radicalised in jail |
| 2010-12-24 |
| A neighbour of three men arrested in Cardiff said that, after they were convicted of theft and drugs offences, they "went to prison as petty criminals and came out expressing extreme views". Twelve men, mainly British nationals of Bangladeshi origin, were still being questioned by anti-terrorism officers last night following co-ordinated raids in the Welsh capital, London, Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham on Monday. Sources said the gang was planning a "spectacular" attack on banks, shops and "iconic" sites in London. The alleged cell was said to have been linked to the banned extremist group al-Muhajiroun and its offshoot Islam4UK, as well as Anwar al-Awlaki, the radical al-Qaeda preacher based in Yemen. The neighbour of the three Cardiff men said he believed a "radical preacher" had "politicised" them in prison. He claimed they had grown long beards while in jail and later handed out leaflets at the Jalalia mosque encouraging people not to vote in this year's general election, saying it was "unmuslim". Muslim leaders said they had tipped off police about a group of extremists in the Welsh capital, where a total of five men, aged 23 to 28, were arrested. They said they had stopped the group from holding meetings in mosques and informed police, but it was thought that MI5 was already aware of them. The group of about 15 to 20 young men was understood to have held a meeting at a community centre in Cardiff less than two weeks ago, addressed by Abu Izzadeen, a radical preacher recently released from jail. Counter-terrorism officers were understood to have been aware of the event at the Cathays Community Centre attended by up to 30 people. The group has held events under the banner Islam4UK and Islamic Pathways among others. n Stoke-on-Trent those arrested included men using the pseudonyms Abu Saif, 19, Abu Bosher, 26, and Abu Sumayyah, 25, who were arrested two years ago in connection with Islam4UK's plans to march through Wootton Bassett, the Wiltshire town where tributes are paid to British troops killed in Afghanistan. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |