The Hindu : Terror suspects held in raid on London mosque

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003

International

International

Terror suspects held in raid on London mosque

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON JAN. 20. Stung by criticism from its European neighbours that it has not done enough to check infiltration of extremists into the country, the British Government has signalled a new tough approach including a more liberal use of its controversial powers to detain foreign nationals indefinitely if they are seen to be a threat to national security.

The Home Secretary, David Blunkett, said on Sunday that he had authorised anti-terrorist agencies to "take whatever steps necessary, controversial or otherwise'' to protect the country from a terrorist attack. He also hinted at `controversial' action to streamline the asylum system which, it is alleged, has become a conduit for extremists to gain entry into Britain.

Within hours of Mr. Blunkett's warning, a mosque in North London was raided by the police this morning and seven people were arrested under the Terrorism Act in an operation believed to be linked to the discovery of Ricin, a deadly chemical, found in a London flat occupied by asylum seekers suspected to be Al-Qaeda supporters.

The mosque, in Finnsbury Park, is seen as a hub of Islamic extremist propaganda and several high-profile suspected terrorists are known to have been connected with it. They include the "shoe bomber'', Richard Reid, accused of trying to blow up an American plane, and Zacharias Moussaoui who is charged with September 11 attacks.

The mosque is frequently in the news because of its controversial cleric Abu Hamza, who has been accused of making inflammatory speeches and preaching `jehad'. He is facing eviction from the mosque for making statements that, according to the Charity Commission, contravene the mosque's charitable status. It was not clear if he was among those arrested in Monday's raid which the Scotland Yard described as "pre-planned and intelligence-led''.

Fearing a Muslim backlash, a police spokesman made clear that the operation was not against the mosque itself or those who went there to pray, but targeted at specific terror suspects.

"The operation is part of ongoing and extensive inquiries by the Metropolitan Police's Anti-Terrorist Branch into alleged terrorist activity in London and elsewhere in the U.K.,'' he said. He confirmed that it was linked to the arrests made in connection with the discovery of Ricin but said there was nothing to suggest that any chemical substances were in the mosque.

Monday's police swoop was the latest in a series of raids across Britain in the past week amid fears that some U.K.-based terrorist networks might be planning an attack. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir John Stevens, said that terrorists linked to the Al-Qaeda were active in Britain and the police were watching a "large number of people''. But civil rights groups accused the Government of exaggerating the threat and curtailing people's human rights in the name of fighting terrorism.

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