Latest news with #CounterTerrorismPolice
The Independent
10-07-2025
- The Independent
‘Serious blunder' over Islamic State murder of Rochdale Imam
A 'serious blunder' by counter terror police led to missed opportunities to disrupt a plot by Islamic State extremists to kill a Rochdale Imam, a public inquiry has found. Highly respected Jalal Uddin, 71, was bludgeoned to death with a hammer in a public park by Mohammed Kadir, then aged 24, because he practised a form of Islamic healing the terror group regarded as 'black magic'. Kadir, from Oldham, fled to Syria afterwards but his getaway driver, Mohammed Syeedy, 21, a former Manchester United steward and charity worker from Rochdale, was jailed for life for the murder on February 18 2016. A third man, Mohammed Syadul Hussain, who had already come under police scrutiny after his nephew, aged eight, went into school saying he wanted to join the Taliban, was jailed for five years for helping Kadir leave the UK days after the killing. A public inquiry was held, chaired by His Honour Thomas Teague KC, which involved both public and private 'closed' hearings, to protect national security. Both a public and 'closed' report, not made public has now been released. The public report, laid before Parliament today, found all three men convicted after the murder had previously come to the attention of the police, and highlights that Mohammed Kadir was known to Counter Terrorism Police at the time of Mr Uddin's murder and by the end of October 2015 had been identified as a person of high risk and significant concern. Although the need for a targeted police investigation into his activities had been recognised by December 10 2015, the steps necessary to set up such an investigation, including the appointment of a senior investigating officer (SIO) to head it, were not taken. The report states that a potential appointee was identified within North West Counter Terrorism Unit (NWCTU), however for reasons beyond the control of that officer and of NWCTU, the steps necessary to place him in a position to take up the duties of an SIO were not taken. The exact details of what happened has not been made public. Judge Teague's report adds: 'In summary, my conclusion is that this failure, the detailed consequences of which I have traced in my closed report, amounted to a serious blunder that led to the loss of two opportunities to detect or disrupt the activities of Kadir and Syeedy before Mr Uddin was murdered. 'Above all, I extend my condolences to Mr Uddin's family and friends.' The reason for the killing was that Mr Uddin practised a form of healing, known as ruqyah, which they regarded as blasphemous and his murder was a message that such practices would not be tolerated. The inquiry's findings say the investigations into the activities of Kadir and Hussain before the murder of Jalal Uddin were hampered by 'serious mistakes'. Former detective inspector Frank Morris, who retired from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in 2021, told the inquiry an investigation into Hussain had been closed down prematurely two years before the murder. Later, the failure to appoint an SIO led to the two 'missed opportunities'. The first was that Kadir's Facebook posts of September 2015 might have been scrutinised. They were captured by police but not reviewed before the murder. Kadir's social media post had described Imams like Mr Uddin as 'dirty kufr people' and vowed to 'take this on' to 'paralyse them' and asked for prayers, 'that we do not get caught'. The report says the second missed opportunity was that even if the plot itself had not been detected through close analysis of the Facebook posts, other police investigative actions concerning Kadir might havedetected the plot or, even if only incidentally, disrupted it. Just a month before the killing, intelligence suggested that Kadir had access to openly available extremist literature, including bomb-making manuals and other material providing instructions on how to undertake violent jihad. The report adds: 'The failure to make a prompt and effective appointment of an SIO thus led to the irretrievable loss of opportunities which, had they been acted upon, might have prevented the murder of Jalal Uddin.' Kadir's exact whereabouts are unknown. The former call-centre worker is believed to have fled to Syria and it is not known if he is still alive. Syeedy is still serving his life sentence. Both had been consumed by hatred of Mr Uddin after becoming supporters of Islamic State (IS), Syeedy's trial heard. Father-of-seven Mr Uddin, from Bangladesh, was a 'gentle, well-respected man' whose funeral in Rochdale was attended by 2,000 locals.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Is Sir Keir Starmer a Right-wing extremist?
Is Sir Keir Starmer KC – Left-wing human rights lawyer, former director of public prosecutions, and Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom – a dangerous Right-wing extremist? Common sense, evidence and reality say emphatically not. Government materials issued as part of Prevent training programmes give a less clear answer. The Prime Minister's warning that uncontrolled migration risks turning Britain into an 'island of strangers' would appear to risk falling foul of the definitions used in a Prevent course taken by thousands of public sector professionals with a duty to make referrals to the scheme. This defines 'cultural nationalism' as a type of extreme Right-wing terrorist ideology, including the belief that 'Western culture is under threat from mass migration and a lack of integration by certain ethnic and cultural groups'. Sir Keir is no more an extremist than any other writer who has expressed concern over the unprecedented scale and pace of migration and cultural change in recent years. Why, then, has the Government risked labelling him as such? The short answer is that, riddled with political anxieties over the composition of terrorism in Britain – 80 per cent of the Counter Terrorism Police network's live investigations involved Islamism in 2023, compared with 10 per cent for the extreme Right – Prevent has given the appearance of loosening the definition of the latter in order to provide an artificial 'balance' to its work. As the Shawcross Review found in 2023, the programme has adopted a 'double standard' when dealing with Islamists and the extreme Right. The results have been farcical, with an 'expansive' definition of Right-wing extremism capturing 'mildly controversial or provocative forms of mainstream, Right-wing leaning commentary that have no meaningful connection to terrorism or radicalisation' even while Prevent funded organisations whose leaders have publicly made statements 'sympathetic to the Taliban' and referred to militant Islamists as 'so-called 'terrorists' of the legitimate resistance groups'. Such absurdities might be overlooked if Prevent had also proved ruthlessly effective at preventing atrocities. It has not. Prevent has failed to identify dangerous and violent suspects on multiple occasions, including Southport killer Axel Rudakubana, who was referred and dismissed on three occasions before carrying out his attack. A deradicalisation programme that seems to show less interest in deradicalising potential terrorists than in policing Right-wing thought is unfit for purpose. It beggars belief that two years after the Shawcross Review we are once again having the same conversations. Prevent must be reformed – or if incapable of change, dismantled entirely. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Business Recorder
05-05-2025
- Business Recorder
Seven Iranians among eight arrested in UK counterterrorism probes
LONDON: British police on Sunday said eight people, including seven Iranian nationals, were arrested in two separate counterterrorism probes. In one operation, five men — four of them Iranian — were arrested on suspicion of 'preparation of a terrorist act', London's Metropolitan police said in a statdment. The arrests were carried out in London, Swindon and the Greater Manchester area on suspicion of 'terrorism offences'. The men, aged between 29 and 46, were detained by Counter Terrorism Police on Saturday in relation to 'a suspected plot to target a specific premises' — which was not named — and remain in custody. The four Iranian men were arrested under the Terrorism Act, while the fifth man, whose nationality was still being established, was detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. Interior minister Yvette Cooper said these were 'serious events' part of the UK's response to 'national security threats'. 'This is a fast-moving investigation and we are working closely with those at the affected site to keep them updated,' said Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism chief Dominic Murphy. 'The investigation is still in its early stages and we are exploring various lines of enquiry to establish any potential motivation as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public linked to this matter,' he added. Meanwhile, three other men, all Iranian nationals, were arrested in London in a separate Counter Terrorism Police operation on Saturday. The Met police confirmed that the three London arrests 'are not connected to the arrest of five people yesterday'. The men, aged 39, 44 and 55, were arrested under the National Security Act — which gives law enforcement greater powers to disrupt 'state threats' including foreign interference and espionage. Cooper thanked the police in a statement early Sunday. 'These are serious events that demonstrate the ongoing requirement to adapt our response to national security threats,' Cooper told the PA news agency.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Seven Iranians among eight arrested in UK counterterrorism probes
British police on Sunday said eight people, including seven Iranian nationals, were arrested in two separate counterterrorism probes. In one operation, five men -- four of them Iranian -- were arrested on suspicion of "preparation of a terrorist act", London's Metropolitan police said in a statdment. The arrests were carried out in London, Swindon and the Greater Manchester area on suspicion of "terrorism offences". The men, aged between 29 and 46, were detained by Counter Terrorism Police on Saturday in relation to "a suspected plot to target a specific premises" -- which was not named -- and remain in custody. The four Iranian men were arrested under the Terrorism Act, while the fifth man, whose nationality was still being established, was detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. Interior minister Yvette Cooper said these were "serious events" part of the UK's response to "national security threats". "This is a fast-moving investigation and we are working closely with those at the affected site to keep them updated," said Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism chief Dominic Murphy. "The investigation is still in its early stages and we are exploring various lines of enquiry to establish any potential motivation as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public linked to this matter," he added. Meanwhile, three other men, all Iranian nationals, were arrested in London in a separate Counter Terrorism Police operation on Saturday. The Met police confirmed that the three London arrests "are not connected to the arrest of five people yesterday". The men, aged 39, 44 and 55, were arrested under the National Security Act -- which gives law enforcement greater powers to disrupt "state threats" including foreign interference and espionage. - 'Serious events' - Cooper thanked the police in a statement early Sunday. "These are serious events that demonstrate the ongoing requirement to adapt our response to national security threats," Cooper told the PA news agency. "The government continues to work with police and intelligence agencies to support all the action and security assessments that are needed to keep the country safe." The arrests come amid heightened concerns about Iranian involvement on UK soil. In March, Iran became the first country to be placed on an enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which aims to boost the UK's national security against covert foreign influences. The measures, due to come into place later this year, will mean that all persons working inside the UK for Iran, its intelligence services or the Revolutionary Guard would have to register or face jail. Last October, the head of Britain's MI5 domestic intelligence service revealed that since 2022 the UK had uncovered 20 Iran-backed plots posing "potentially lethal threats". bur-fec/rsc/aks/rmb
STV News
04-05-2025
- STV News
Eight arrested in two separate counter-terrorism investigations
Eight people have been arrested in two separate counter-terrorism investigations, police have said. Five men were arrested across England on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act after police uncovered a suspected plot to target a single premises. Four of the men arrested on Saturday were Iranian nationals and the nationality of the fifth is still being established, police said. Separately, the Met Police said three Iranian men were arrested in London as part of a different Counter Terrorism Policing investigation. In a statement on Sunday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper thanked the police and security services for their action to 'keep our country safe'. 'I want to thank the police and our security services for the action they have taken to keep our country safe,' she said. 'Protecting national security is the first duty of government and our police and security services have our strong support in their vital work. 'These are serious events that demonstrate the ongoing requirement to adapt our response to national security threats. 'The government continues to work with police and intelligence agencies to support all the action and security assessments that are needed to keep the country safe.' In the investigation where five people were arrested, four were detained under the Terrorism Act (TACT) 2006. The fifth man was detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE). The pre-planned arrests included a 29-year-old man in the Swindon area; a 46-year-old man in west London; a 29-year-old man in the Stockport area; a 40-year-old man in the Rochdale area; a fifth man in the Manchester area. Counter Terrorism Police have been in contact with the site to make them aware of the suspected plot, and to provide relevant advice and support, the Met Police said in a statement. The site has not been identified for operational reasons, they added. Commander Dominic Murphy, who is head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: 'This is a fast-moving investigation and we are working closely with those at the affected site to keep them updated. 'The investigation is still in its early stages, and we are exploring various lines of inquiry to establish any potential motivation as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public linked to this matter. 'We understand the public may be concerned and as always, I would ask them to remain vigilant and if they see or hear anything that concerns them, then to contact us.' Officers are carrying out searches at a number of addresses in the Greater Manchester, London and Swindon areas in connection with the investigation. In a separate counter-terrorism operation, the Met Police confirmed three Iranian men were arrested on Saturday. Police said in a statement that Counter Terrorism Policing units had taken three men into custody in London. Two of the men, aged 39 and 44 respectively, were arrested at separate addresses in north-west London. A 55-year-old man was also apprehended at a third address, located in west London. The London trio were arrested and detained under section 27 of the National Security Act 2023 and remain in custody. Searches continue at the three addresses across London. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
