Anti-Terror Police Raid London Mosque (Finsbury park)

What does it mean to say Abu Hamza is "excluded"?

oh, come on, don't hold back, tell us how you really feel!

the thoughts that get conjured up by that statement

BBC has updated the page:

Seven men have been arrested after 150 police took part in an anti-terrorism raid on Finsbury Park mosque in north London.

Scotland Yard said the raid was intelligence-led and linked to investigations into the discovery of the deadly poison ricin in a flat in nearby Wood Green earlier this month.

Streets were sealed off for half a mile around the scene while two helicopters trained spotlights on the mosque and two neighbouring three-storey houses, which were also raided.

Scotland Yard said all of the men were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 and include six north Africans and one eastern European between the ages of 22 and 48.

The mosque has attracted controversy over its connection with radical Muslim cleric Sheikh Abu Hamza, who is not among the seven people arrested.

The cleric told the BBC the raid was part of Tony Blair's "war" against UK Muslims and that if any dangerous substances were found they would have been planted by police.

He said: "They should have brought somebody independent while they are searching because how do we know they haven't put it there themselves?"
'Very frightening'

A spokesman for Scotland Yard told BBC News Online the raid was part of extensive investigations into terror activities in the UK.

He said: "Although this is linked to arrests made in north London, at this stage there is nothing to suggest chemical substances are on the premises."

The Metropolitan Police have also stressed "the operation was not against the mosque itself or the many people who go there on a regular basis to pray".

"In particular we have not entered those parts of the mosque which are used for prayer," said a spokesman.
Police said the raid was carried out at 0200 GMT on Monday.

Those arrested have been taken to a central London station for questioning.

'Very anxious'

Local resident Ann Heyno, 60, a councillor, said: "It's very, very frightening if you think about it. It makes me feel very anxious.

"This mosque has been the centre of quite a lot of local interest and concern.

"People thought it was only a matter of time before something happened here but I was shocked to hear about what has happened this morning."

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said: "It's part of this whole nationwide operation to try to wrap up this network of suspected Algerian militants here in Britain."

Home Secretary David Blunkett said the operation had his "complete support".

He said in a statement: "As I made clear yesterday, and repeatedly in recent weeks, we must take firm action to investigate, and if necessary deal with, any potential threat to public safety without fear or favour."
Prison threat

Sheikh Abu Hamza, who preaches at the mosque, faces exclusion as an agent of the North London Central Mosque trust because of "inflammatory and highly political" speeches at prayers.

Hamza is facing expulsion by the Charity Commission from his position at the mosque.

He has until late on Monday to answer complaints about his preaching.

It is not clear if Sheikh Abu Hamza is implicated in the ongoing police operation.

The mosque is run by the North London Central Mosque Trust and Sheikh Abu Hamza is an officer of the charity.

Despite the warning, Sheikh Abu Hamza has said he would have to be "put in prison" before he stopped preaching.

He said: "Being in prison is no different to me being at home.

"They have frozen my assets, taken my passport.
"What more can they do?"

The mosque serves a diverse community of Pakistanis, Bengalis, Algerians and Egyptians.

It is one of London's largest mosques, with room for up to 2,000 men and 100 women.

Some people come to worship, and others take part in classes in Muslim culture, Arabic and the Koran.

He will be kicked out of the North London Central Mosque trust.

I hope the cops did better than the ones chasing that streaker around the soccer stadium in that Nike commercial.

And pollute the sewer? There must be a better way.

LOL!

NY POST.com: "CHILLING RICIN TWIST" by Niles Lathem (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "WASHINGTON - The terrorists arrested in Europe for planning to carry out attacks there with ricin are part of the vicious Algerian network behind the millennium bomb plots in the United States, sources say. U.S. officials are monitoring the recent arrests in Britain and France amid concern that the "Algerian wing" of Osama bin Laden's terror empire has been activated for assassinations and biological and chemical attacks in America and Europe.") (January 20, 2003)

How dare they desicrate the holy place of the religion of peace. Their feelings have been hurt, which is more important than any so-called security. Muslims never make arrest in churches or even attack them in their countries, and they never use mosque to hide weapons or preach hatred.

Anything heard otherwise, such as the 987654321158468744348671584613341384 acts of violence by the teletubby Muslims, is propoganda by the Jewish/US/Ralien conspiracy. (sarcasm off)

http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,5867440%255E401,00.html

Mosque raid nets ricin suspects
From correspondents in London
21jan03
BRITISH police with battering rams raided a mosque suspected of being a centre of Islamic radicalism, arresting seven alleged terrorists overnight in a search linked to the recent discovery of the deadly poison ricin.

Officers stormed the Finsbury Park mosque - base of a radical Muslim cleric - and searched two neighbouring houses as helicopters circled overhead, shining bright lights on the buildings.

Egyptian-born cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri was not arrested, though Britain has ordered him to quit his pulpit for his inflammatory sermons and he is wanted in Yemen on terror charges.

Police, who have had al-Masri under surveillance for months, said the raid was linked to the January 5 discovery of ricin in a London apartment. One of the world's most deadly toxins, ricin has been associated with al-Qaeda and the regime of Saddam Hussein.

No ricin was found in the raid, said police, who added six of the suspects were North African and the seventh Eastern European.

Evidence gathered during recent counter-terrorist investigations in London and elsewhere has uncovered links between the premises and suspected terrorist activity. Such evidence has made this operation absolutely necessary at this time," a police statement said.

Al-Masri denied his mosque was linked to terrorism or the January 5 discovery of ricin, saying that the raid was "propaganda to gain support for war against terrorism".

"There was no reason to raid the mosque," he said by telephone. "It's open. They have surveillance on it, the cameras and everything. It's just a propaganda."

Al-Masri, who fought the Soviets in Afghanistan, allegedly belongs to the Islamic Army of Aden, which claimed responsibility for a 2000 suicide bombing of the warship USS Cole in Yemen, which killed 17 sailors.

Finsbury Park mosque where he preaches was the site of a rally marking the first anniversary of September 11, during which radical Muslims praised Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaeda terror attacks as revenge on the United States for its support of Israel and actions against Iraq.

Richard Reid, who was convicted of trying to destroy a trans-Atlantic flight in 2001 with explosives in his shoes, also reportedly attended the mosque, officially called North London Central Mosque.

The cleric has denied any involvement in violence and says he is only a spokesman for political causes. He has had British citizenship since 1985, and is protected by British law from extradition to Yemen.

Britain's charity watchdog has ordered al-Masri to give up his pulpit at the mosque because of his "inflammatory and highly political" speeches.

Police said the overnight raid was not connected to the removal order, which al-Masri has appealed.

Home Secretary David Blunkett praised the operation, the latest in connection to the ricin discovery, which led to the arrest of four North African men on terror charges.

In another ricin-linked raid, on January 15 in Manchester, an unarmed officer was stabbed to death and two others injured during the arrest of three men, also described as North African.

One detainee broke free and grabbed a knife, and the botched raid sparked criticism of police procedures as under-prepared to handle terror suspects.

Kamel Bourgass, 27, appeared in court on Saturday charged with the murder of detective Stephen Oake, and Khalid Alwerfeli, 29, of Libya, appeared in court overnight charged with possession of articles and documents or records for terrorist purposes.

In the overnight raid, police said they didn't enter parts of the mosque used for prayer but only office space and accommodation areas.

"We have taken every step possible to show our respect for the Muslim faith and to minimize the impact to those who use the mosque and the wider Muslim community," the police statement said.

A Finsbury Park resident who lives opposite the mosque and identified himself only as Ali said that between 50 and 100 men, mostly North Africans, lived in the building at any one time because they couldn't afford to live anywhere else.

"There was a big police presence - around 150 police," Jerry Scanland,landlord of the Auld Triangle pub on the same street as the mosque, said. "I saw police in riot gear leave the mosque carrying ladders and battering rams."

Dozens of officers still surrounded the mosque and blocked the road with metal barriers hours later. Police handed out leaflets at the local subway station saying they had made efforts to respect the mosque and the people inside.

Why do these guys always look so dirty?

Isn't that why he has a hook for a hand....too much time alone with his filthy lust!!!

Shouldda looked where he was going, I reckon...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

MUD

After you wrap its body in "pig skin"! then the sewer.

An Interesting Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding a www.opinion.TELEGRAPH.co.uk article by Sean O'Neill: "HAMZA ACCUSED OF TRYING TO SET UP TERRORIST CELL" (January 22, 2003)
http://www.FreeRepublic.com/focus/news/826928/posts

An Interesting Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding a commentary by Jeremy Reynalds: "WHAT'S GOING ON? BRITISH POLICE ALMOST APOLOGISE FOR RAID ON CONTROVERSIAL MOSQUE" (January 28, 2003)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/830717/posts