Author: L. K. Sharma
Publication: The Times
of India
Date: November 20, 2000
Birmingham has emerged
as one of the training centres of Mujahideen. Two arrests, seizure
of explosives and a media interview by a Mujahideen trained in Britain,
confirm this. It has brought to focus the fact that UK is being used
by Islamic terrorists.
Veteran Mujahideen, trained
and equipped in the past by the western agencies to fight the Soviet Union,
are now part of a global network which, in the words of a young recruit,
would fight "the Indians in Kashmir, the Russians in Chechnya, Christians
in the former Yugoslavia and the Israelis in Palestine".
The West Midlands police
arrested two persons under powers given to them by the Prevention of Terrorist
Act. The seized explosive susbtance was blown up.
Islamic fundamentalists
are regarded as a threat to "Britain's national security" even though this
official stance has not always convinced the courts hearing appeals by
the suspected terrorists.
According to The Sunday
Telegraph, MI5, the security service, was tipped off earlier this year
that a group of Algerians had gone to Birmingham to recruit and train supporters
of Osama bin Laden, the Islamic fundamentalist wanted for the bombings
of American embassies in Africa. The security agency was warned 10
months ago about their arrival in Birmingham from Yemen. At least
two of them are wanted in Algeria, where they have been convicted for terrorist
murders. They entered Britain using false passports.
These men are members
of the Islamic Armed Group and live in Birmingham, using religious centres
to recruit and train supporters of the holy war. Some of the young
British Muslims being trained to use bombs and Kalashnikov rifles have
talked to The Observer about their anger against Israel. as part
of a fresh operation against Israel, the first batch of Mujahideen fighters
trained in military-style camps around Britain, flew out this month for
Lebanon and Jordan.
One black Muslim convert
trained in Britain and in Pakistan said he was willing to die for the cause.
The camps in Britain prepare the fighters with training in the use of weapons.
The recruitment being handled by some so-called security agencies has become
more secretive after the new legislation which makes it an offence to conspire
to commit terrorist acts abroad.
Meeting an Observer representative
at a secret location, these men in their mid-twenties said it was their
duty to fight the Israelis. Anyone in Britain who backed Israel and
companies such as Marks and Spencer which had connections with Israel were
also legitimate targets. The Koran told them to fight against the
occupation of Arab lands, they said.
