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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Three Britons in Zarqawi's gang |
| 2004-09-26 |
| Three British men who travelled to Iraq to fight coalition forces have joined the terrorist group holding the Liverpool engineer Ken Bigley, according to a resistance leader with close links to the organisation. The men were accepted by followers of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most ruthless terrorist chief in Iraq, on the recommendation of "clerics abroad". The claim, which followed Tony Blair's warning last week that Iraq had become the "crucible of global terrorism", came amid concern among Labour officials that the hostage crisis and the wider conflict could overshadow this week's party conference. Abu Muawiya, who spent eight months in Zarqawi's Tawhid wal Jihad (TWJ) group, claimed it had attracted fighters from other Arab nations. "Three Muslim British citizens are among a handful of non-Arab foreigners who have joined Zarqawi in his war against the coalition forces," he said. As well as the Britons, a number of Taliban and Chechens were also said to be in the group, which beheaded Bigley's American companions Jack Hensley and Eugene Armstrong last week. A claim attributed to TWJ yesterday saying Bigley had also been executed was dismissed by the Foreign Office because it appeared on a website that was "not credible". But the rumour intensified his family's anguish. "It gave me the shivers," said Paul Bigley, a 54-year-old businessman. "I'm going through purgatory. I wake up every five minutes in the night." He fears the kidnappers may execute his brother during the Labour conference for maximum impact, just as it killed one of the Americans the day President Bush gave a speech to the United Nations. The Muslim Council of Britain, which sent two envoys to Iraq to press for Bigley's release, said Blair had assured its leaders that incitement to religious hatred would soon be outlawed. So is Blair allowing the situation to influence British domestic policy rather than foreign policy? |
| Posted by:Bulldog |
| #11 Whereabouts are you going to be celebrating Bonfire Night, Tony? Perhaps it's time for a Rantburgers UK convention in, say, London. The holes? Moths, most probably. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-09-26 7:07:24 PM |
| #10 Aw gawd - don't tell me we're responsible for the holes? ;) |
| Posted by: Tony (UK) 2004-09-26 7:03:42 PM |
| #9 Have a good time Tony! Don't miss the big flag with lots of holes in the Museum of National History. :) |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-09-26 6:59:21 PM |
| #8 Fred - Guy Fawkes day (Nov 5th) is very well celebrated over here. No, I don't think too many Muslims know the story... I'm hoping to have a very good Nov 5th this year, as it will be hopefully the 3rd day of Bush's second term. It also coincides with it being a Friday night, so much ale will be consumed. If Kerry wins I'll get pissed 'cos we're all in trouble and I'll be dead worried. If Bush wins I'll get pissed because we'll be able to move into phase II of the WoT - putting the squeeze on the money men - yes SA, I'm looking at you! Now y'all Americans do the right thing on Super Tuesday y'hear? :) (although I've got enough respect for the Americans on RB to respect any voting decision you make, unlike some countries on the continent I could mention...) I'll actually be in DC for the first time a week before the election, and will be trying to see some of the monuments (although the schedule for the event is pretty hairy so that might be difficult) and that will be pretty cool. I guess the place is going to be buttoned down tighter than a nuns drawers though - s'ok, we're in a war situation after all (it'll be the first time I've ever had my prints taken BTW...). SPoD - it would be funny if it weren't so bloody true... |
| Posted by: Tony (UK) 2004-09-26 6:56:09 PM |
| #7 No death penalty in the U.K. Howard. It's against the E.U. human rights charter. …incitement to religious hatred would soon be outlawed. This will only go one way. If you say anything against Muslims or Islam the peelers will be around to see you. If Muslims rail against Christians and Jews nothing will be done. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-09-26 4:14:47 PM |
| #6 Do you still celebrate Guy Fawkes Day? Have you told the Muslims the story? |
| Posted by: Fred 2004-09-26 4:04:49 PM |
| #5 PD, at the moment we are bringing a knife to a gunfight. That may not be the case for ever. As for Blair assuring the Muslims that incitement to religious hatred will soon be outlawed ... well, I just wonder if that is going to be applied to Muslims (Al-Mahajouroun, Al Hamza come to mind) as well as to those suicide-bombing-inciting presbyterians and quakers... I really like the idea of bull-dozing their houses though, in times gone by we had some special ways of dealing with traitors... |
| Posted by: Tony (UK) 2004-09-26 3:43:52 PM |
| #4 British? bulldoze their family homes. better yet, kill their family. (oops...did I say that out loud?) alas, that's simply wishful thinking. the problem is, we bring a knife to a gunfight. |
| Posted by: PlanetDan 2004-09-26 1:09:12 PM |
| #3 We still have the death sentence for treason? Nope. Best solution all round would be for the fuckwits to 'attempt escape' when they inevitably try to surrender over in Iraq. I wonder if they've had any interaction with Bigley. If so, Bigley's surely got zero chance of getting out alive (down slightly from next-to-zero). |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-09-26 10:48:05 AM |
| #2 As for these three.. if found, deal with them appropriately. We still have the death sentence for treason? |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2004-09-26 8:31:37 AM |
| #1 Oh Jebus.. the Muslim community will play that for all it's worth. Pork in butcher's shop windows, statues of pigs - we're being persecuted!! |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2004-09-26 8:11:59 AM |