'Next Wave Of Suicide Bombers' Thwarted (UK)

Anti-terrorist police who arrested eight Libyans in a series of dawn raids yesterday believe they may have thwarted the next wave of suicide bomb attacks on British and US forces in Iraq.

The suspects, picked up at the end of a year-long investigation centred on Manchester, are being held on suspicion of either encouraging al-Qa'eda or helping to fund some of its atrocities.

But intelligence sources say that some of them may have been planning to fly out to Iraq as suicide bombers.

Some are regarded as so dangerous that police and Home Office officials are seeking their immediate deportation. In the meantime they are being held at police stations across Greater Manchester.

The men were arrested during co-ordinated raids on 19 addresses in five force areas. Twelve of the addresses are in Manchester, three in Birmingham and one each in Bolton, Liverpool, Middlesbrough and London. Two of the men have previously been named as having terrorist links on a United Nations website.

One of these, Tahir Nasuf, 44, works for the Sanabel Relief Agency, which raises money for Muslims in poor parts of the world. The charity has an office in Levenshulme, Manchester.

The US Treasury department has claimed that Sanabel is a front for the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which in turn is said to have links with al-Qa'eda.

In February the UN froze the assets of both Nasuf and the Sanabel agency. He has always maintained his and the agency's innocence.

Yesterday police were standing guard outside the pebble-dashed, end-of-terrace house in Fallowfield that Nasuf shares with his wife and four children. His black Ford Mondeo had been removed from the street outside at dawn.

The wave of arrests, which began at 3am, involved 500 police officers. They were co-ordinated by the anti-terrorist unit of Greater Manchester Police and supported by MI5 and immigration officials.

Anti-terrorist officers said they had succeeded in arresting all the suspects they had targeted. Two were held under the Terrorism Act 2000, the others on suspicion of being in breach of immigration laws.

Forensic officers are expected to take a number of days to search the raided properties. They have already taken away a number of computers and storage disks for examination.

Intelligence sources confirmed that, as expected, they found no evidence of such noxious substances as ricin poison.

Mike Todd, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, emphasised that the allegations against the men still being held concerned terrorist activity outside Britain. "I want to reassure people that we are not talking about a direct threat to the UK. We are talking about the facilitation of terrorism overseas. That could include funding and the provision of support and encouragement to terrorists."

Intelligence sources suggested last night that some of those under arrest may have helped to recruit and train terrorists. They regarded the operation as a "pro-active strike" against people suspected of encouraging terrorism.

Anti-terrorist officers said that the timing of the arrests had been agreed before John Reid took over as Home Secretary.

Some of the intelligence is believed to have surfaced last June when police raided the Manchester home of a suicide bomber who had blown himself up in an attack four months earlier.

The man, a 41-year-old French national of north African origin, was the first person to travel from Britain to attack coalition troops in Iraq. He had spoken to friends at a mosque in the city of his desire to fight jihad, or holy war, in the Middle East.

In this case, intelligence was supplied by the Iraqi security services. The bomber was unknown to MI5 but fits the profile of the "jihadists" who went to fight for the greater Muslim cause in Bosnia, Chechnya and or Afghanistan.

Security sources suspect there is a European network that supplies fighters and suicide bombers to Iraq, though just a "trickle" set out from Britain.

During this morning's raid a helicopter was seen hovering above Nasuf's house shortly after three police vans pulled up outside.

Later in the day, his tearful wife appeared outside wearing the headscarf and gloves of devout Muslim women.

Her sister, who was similarly dressed, said: "Police dressed in black came into the house before early morning prayers. My sister said she was very scared.

"She didn't know what was happening. They took her husband away. She doesn't know why. The police were in here looking for things; I don't know what."

Neighbours of a man arrested elsewhere in Manchester said he was often seen carrying computers into his home. Police also raided the offices of the Sanabel Relief Agency in Sparkbrook, Birmingham.

Mr Todd said of the operation: "This is a clear demonstration of how forces are working together to tackle the threat from terrorism."

"Some are regarded as so dangerous that police and Home Office officials are seeking their immediate deportation."

Deportation?

Shoot the SOB's while you have them.

"She didn't know what was happening. They took her husband away. She doesn't know why. The police were in here looking for things; I don't know what."

So cry. Then maybe we'll believe your poor acting.

"So cry. Then maybe we'll believe your poor acting."
Considering the status of women in the muzzie paradise, ignorant is probably an understatement.

4 posted on 05/24/2006 7:59:44 PM PDT by dynachrome ("Where am I? Where am I going? Why am I in a handbasket?")

Interesting that the Iraqis generated the intel to nab these fellows..couple this with the news of Saddams nephew being nabbed...the Iraq intelligence service seems to be fully engaged in the hunt.

WTF would deportation do? Really, what is the thinking behind deportation?

They've fallen far since dealing with The Gunpowder Rebellion haven't they.

It's a real pity the Brits no longer actually use The Traitors Gate.

7 posted on 05/24/2006 8:12:06 PM PDT by Lurker (Real conservatives oppose the Presidents amnesty proposal. Help make sure it dies in the House.)

I hope so. Remember, the Libyans are the Western Nations' friends now. No threats come from there or Saudi Arabia.

9 posted on 05/24/2006 9:24:40 PM PDT by 308MBR ( Somebody sold the GOP to the socialists, and the GOP wasn't theirs to sell.)

Britain should give an amnesty, increase legal immigration, and set up a "temporary guest worker" program. Such a "comprehensive" approach is the only way to fight muslim-migrant terror.

Under no circumstances should they enforce existing immigration law, or, heaven forbid, stop Islmic immigration - those steps will only "alienate the migrant communities".

/US_Senate_thinking

10 posted on 05/24/2006 9:31:24 PM PDT by RodgerD (Reject the Migration Explosion Act of 2006. No to 70 million new aliens.)

The first thing I thought was "OK, British Government, how long do you think you can keep this up?".

This problem with the festering, and growing, hate filled Muslim population is open ended, that is to say it is only growing. So, numerically, it's only a matter of time before the next wave succeeds, then the next two or three waves, then the next five or six concurrent waves.

See how it works? It's a math problem. And running around and catching one "finished product" at the end of an assembly line does not impact the general flow of things, if you know what I mean.

11 posted on 05/24/2006 9:39:03 PM PDT by starbase (Understanding Written Propaganda (click "starbase" to learn 22 manipulating tricks!!))

"I want to reassure people that we are not talking about a direct threat to the UK. We are talking about the facilitation of terrorism overseas"

Um, so in reply to this threat we are deporting these people out of the UK to, erm, overseas. What?

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