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| Britain |
| Al-Qaeda suicide bomber lived in the UK |
| 2005-06-22 |
| AN AL-QAEDA suicide bomber lived in a terraced house in a British suburb before travelling to Iraq to blow himself up, police revealed yesterday. Detectives refused to name him but said he was a 41-year-old French national who died during an attack on coalition forces in February. The news of the bomber's link to Britain came as officers arrested an alleged associate of the man during a dawn raid on a house in Manchester. A suspect, 40, was held under the Terrorism Act and taken to a police station in Greater Manchester where he was being interviewed last night. Forensic experts carried out a search of the house, in the middle of a terrace in Moss Side, for clues about the other man's journey to the Gulf and his contacts. The two men, who are not believed to be related, were described by a police source as "associates" who had lived in the same house. Dave Whatton, an assistant chief constable with Greater Manchester Police, said yesterday's 5am raid had been carried out by the force's anti-terrorist unit. "The action was taken, as it was believed that one of the previous residents of the house may have died during an attack against coalition forces in Iraq in February 2005," he said. "Inquiries have been carried out in Iraq and the UK to establish the circumstances, and to positively identify the individual and the details surrounding his travelling to Iraq." Police stressed the operation was not connected to any terrorism activity in this country. "Since the beginning of the year, there has been a series of suicide bomb attacks against coalition forces in Iraq and it appears that one of the suicide bombers may have travelled from the UK," a spokeswoman said. After the raid, police issued leaflets to people in neighbouring houses and streets, explaining that the action followed an allegation that "an individual who once lived in the area was involved in a terrorist incident in Iraq earlier this year". The leaflets added: "There is nothing to indicate that at any time there has been any threat to the community of Greater Manchester." The raid, only 50 yards from the Al Furqan Islamic Centre, stunned neighbours. Andrew Holmes, 43, said: "What I heard first was 30 coppers or thereabouts making a lot of noise and kicking someone's front door in, next door but one. About half an hour later, someone was arrested. This was about 4:30am or 5am. "It was a well planned operation, with a lot of police in the vicinity blocking off streets and so on." He added: "I knew of the man but didn't really speak to him. He kept himself to himself. I certainly didn't know him well. He was an average-looking guy. I think he had lived there for about two years." An Iranian man, 33, who did not want to be named, said of the house targeted by police: "I think there are a couple of Arabic guys living there. I think they could have been Kurdish. They kept themselves to themselves." It is not the first time extremist Islamic terrorists have used Britain as a base before going on suicide missions. A British suicide bomber blew himself up outside a bar in Israel in April 2003. Asif Hanif, 21, from London, detonated a bomb strapped to his body in Mike's Place, a bar on the Tel Aviv seafront. Three people were killed and 60 injured. An accomplice, Omar Sharif, 27, from Derby, tried to blow himself up, too, but his device failed to detonate and he fled. His body was found in the sea 12 days later. Sharif's wife, sister and brother were put on trial at the Old Bailey in London accused of failing to disclose information to the authorities that could have prevented the act of terrorism. His wife was acquitted last year, but the jury failed to reach a verdict on the bomber's brother and sister. They face a retrial later this year. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |