Posted on 08/11/2006 1:25:42 PM PDT by LibWhacker
LONDON (Reuters) - Muslims criticised the government on Friday for publishing the names of 19 men who police sources say are under arrest for allegedly plotting to blow up passenger planes bound for the United States.
The government instructed the Bank of England to publish the names on its Web site on Thursday, just hours after police arrested 24 people in connection with the suspected plot.
Police have not named the 24 but a police source confirmed they include the 19 named by the central bank. Although the bank did not give the addresses of the 19, it listed their dates of birth and the areas where they live.
The bank's action is unusual. Normally, authorities do not publish the names of suspects until they have been formally charged and identified by the police.
But the government defended the move, saying it was essential to ensure the assets of the 19 were frozen.
"The Treasury has informed us that this is a normal procedure," Home Secretary John Reid told a news conference.
"When people's assets are frozen, the names are published, and this, the Treasury tells us, is part of the obligation of ensuring that people cannot deal with such individuals in the transfer of assets."
Some Muslim groups said the move was unnecessary and could hamper the suspects' chance of a fair trial if they are eventually charged in connection with the plot.
The Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS), an umbrella group representing Muslim students, said it was "extremely disappointed" by the government's action.
"It is important to wait until a thorough investigation has taken place before pointing fingers and drawing conclusions," FOSIS spokesman Wakkas Khan said in a statement.
"It is important to maintain the legal principles we hold dear, namely the concept of innocent until proven guilty."
The government said that in publishing the names, it was not inferring guilt.
Police are still questioning the 24 suspects and can hold them for up to 28 days before either charging or releasing them.
Hizb ut-Tahrir, a radical Islamist party which the government says it plans to ban, said it too was dismayed by the publication of the names.
"It concerns us that there is already talk in the media about the ethnic identity of the suspects, and that suspects are presumed guilty before any due process," said Imran Waheed, spokesman for the British branch of the party.
"We urge caution before jumping to conclusions."
Many Muslims accuse the police of unfairly targeting their community in their crackdown on terrorism.
Since 2000, police have arrested over 700 people -- many of them Muslims -- under tough anti-terrorism laws, but have brought only a handful to court. The vast majority have been released without charge.
We unfairly condemn their community...my mistake I thought the bad guys lived in their community. How is tha unfair?
I hope this story brings the hackles up and red flags a-flying to everyone reading it. These sub humans need to be sent back to the desert, the hole, the garbage bin, wherever but off the planet into space so the rest of the world can live in peace. These creeps are Islamic Muslims, bent on terror and death for anyone who doesn't agree with them. They don't condemn the killings...they don't bring those responsible out....they strap bombs on their babies and shove them into the marketplace so more of US can be killed.
I don't care anymore what they "think" 'cause I know they are unable to think in real terms...
And roughly 24 hours after CAIR publicly labeled Israel as a terrorist state...
Great question!
Oh, God... Is that the Filipino nurse in Saudi Arabia? I hadn't heard (or forgot) she had been executed. Filthy bastards.
Not 'if'... but 'when'. They like to get a lot of time in between... so they can get a well-paid sympathetic liberal lawyer to get them off on a technicality. than back to the Mosque for more instruction.
It is? The graphic was labeled "Nurse" but there was no caption with it.
Unbelievable. What a bunch of whiners. Out with the lot of them; they are fouling the Sceptered Isle by their very presence.
Protesting muslim groups -- When was the last time you heard of any of those groups speaking out against muslim terrorists?
You notice that the criticizing muskies names are not listed. Only their organization. Fancy that. All mouth and no body to go with it.
Willie Sutton said he robbed banks because, "that's where the money is." The police all over the world look for terrorists among Muslims, because they cause the overwhelming majority of terrorist acts.
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