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If claim is true, London is under more menace than we thought
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor7 Jan 2010
The claim by Yemen that Umar Farouk Abdulmuttalab was recruited by al Qaeda in London will heighten concerns about extremist activity in the capital.
What is known is that the Nigerian student began to dabble in radical Islamism while studying at University College between 2005 and 2008 and, say security sources, tried to make contact with known extremists.
While leading the university's Islamic Society, he also organised an event in 2007 involving several radicals, and invited speakers from a group which has promoted the views of Anwar al-Awlaki, the al Qaeda cleric, whom he is believed to have met in Yemen.
Both the Home Secretary Alan Johnson and senior Whitehall officials with knowledge of Abdulmuttalab's contacts in Britain insist that, so far, there is nothing to indicate that these links had brought him into direct contact with al Qaeda. Nor, they argue, is there any evidence that while in London he had embarked upon the allegedly violent path which has now led to his detention in the US.
This official confidence is reflected in the fact that the official threat level remains at "substantial" - two notches below the maximum "critical".
There is still a danger, however, that today's Yemeni claim might turn out to be correct. Until this investigation is completed the possibility remains that the scale of the al Qaeda threat to London could be more menacing than we know.
Reader views (2)
trust me these islamic fanatics are not fighting under the same rules as us, they think we are weak and dare not retaliate therfore they can do as they please.
- Jason Harley, egypt, 25/01/2010 00:09
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These fascist racist bigots were protected by the fools in the political correct labour party in their barmy social engineering project run by loony left wing councils since the early 1980's
These radicals have built a strong base here in England,not just London to promote their own bigotry,fascism and racism towards all non muslims on our tax money.
These lefties and their do gooders friends were obsessed with multiculture but if you disagreed you were branded a racist.
They were given countless grants because they fitted the ethnic minority criteria.
They were portrayed as victims from oppression from all directions and if you disagreed you were branded as a racist.
Remember it was'nt long ago that to speak about any of this you were called a racist by the political correct Labour party!
This reminds me of the three monkeys of hear no evil,see no evil and speak no evil when it came to any thing to do with these Islamist.
The political correct Labour party reaps what it sowed!
- Joe, Swanley Kent, 08/01/2010 11:18
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