Al Qaeda tells British cells to carry out wave of beheadings

[Woodmonkey]

Al Qaeda tells British cells to carry out wave of beheadings


LAHORE: Terrorist cells in Britain have been instructed to carry out a series of kidnappings and beheadings of the kind allegedly planned by nine terrorist suspects arrested in Birmingham last week, The Sunday Times reports.

The “strategic” assassination instruction was issued by Al Qaeda’s leaders in Pakistan and Iraq to their followers in Britain and was uncovered by the intelligence agency MI5 last autumn, senior security sources told David Leppard of the Sunday Times. Police are on standby for attempts by terrorists to kidnap and then behead people across Britain. The alleged attempt to kidnap and behead a Muslim soldier or soldiers in Birmingham was just the first of a series of planned attacks, security sources said. Muslim police officers serving in London may also be given extra protection.

One well placed source said: “Cells in the UK have been alerted to carry out this type of attack as opposed to the more sophisticated type of bombing in which you place a large number of volunteers at risk. All you need for a beheading is a bit of courage and a sharp knife.”

The order to encourage “low-tech” assassinations is said to follow a review by senior Al Qaeda planners after an alleged plot to smuggle bombs onto airlines was foiled by police last August.

After learning of the alleged Birmingham plot to behead a British Muslim soldier returning from Iraq or Afghanistan last autumn, the Ministry of Defence spent several months trying to establish how many soldiers fitted into this category, and whittled the list of potential targets down to fewer than 10.

These soldiers were warned about the threat and advised on protection measures, or given the means to protect themselves. Sources said several of the suspects were personally acquainted with the Muslim soldier who was said to have been lined up as their first victim.

The decision to arrest the nine suspects is said to have been made after one of them was seen buying a video camera last weekend.

The Source

[EdNigma]

The tiny minority get's its orders