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Monday, Jul 09, 2007
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Iraqi al-Qaeda in terror plot?

Hasan Suroor

Suspect contacted Iraqi leaders
Term “war on terror” criticised

LONDON: British security agencies on Sunday were reported to be looking at the possible involvement of an Iraqi al-Qaeda group in the London-Glasgow terror plot after it emerged that an intelligence report warned of an al-Qaeda attack to coincide with the departure of Tony Blair as a revenge for his role in invading Iraq.

According to The Sunday Times, at least one of the alleged suspects being questioned was “in recent contact” with the group.

“Scotland Yard’s Counter-Terrorism Command SO15 is understood to have uncovered evidence that in the months leading up to the attacks, one or more of the suspects communicated by telephone or e-mail with terrorist leaders in Iraq,” it said.

Security sources were reported as saying that this chimed in with a warning from the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre of a possible attack on Britain around the time of Mr. Blair’s departure last month.

The Centre, based at MI5’s headquarters here, reportedly said a senior Iraqi al-Qaeda commander had set out details of such an attack. He was believed to belong to a group led by Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who took over from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Britain’s new Security Minister, Admiral Sir Alan West, a former Navy chief, has warned that the battle against “radicalisation” of young British Muslims could take up to 15 years. “This not a quick thing. I think it will take 10 to 15 years. But I think it can be done so long as we as a nation apply ourselves to it, and it’s done across the board,” he told The Sunday Telegraph.

He criticised the term “war on terror,” saying it had a “wrong” connotation. “It’s not like a war in that sense at all,” he said.

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