Difference between revisions of "Operation Gamble"
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The plot allegedly involved abducting a British Muslim soldier, beheading him and posting the video of the beheading online. According to a ''senior security source:'' if the group had "not found a suitable Muslim soldier to kill, it is quite possible they would have plucked an innocent member of the public off the streets and beheaded him."<ref name="Daily Mail 1">Stephen Wright and Ben Taylor, 'Al Qaeda was behind plot to behead soldier; British gang planned to kidnap British Muslim serviceman', ''The Daily Mail'', 1 February 2007, accessed via LexisNexis on 08.09.10 </ref> | The plot allegedly involved abducting a British Muslim soldier, beheading him and posting the video of the beheading online. According to a ''senior security source:'' if the group had "not found a suitable Muslim soldier to kill, it is quite possible they would have plucked an innocent member of the public off the streets and beheaded him."<ref name="Daily Mail 1">Stephen Wright and Ben Taylor, 'Al Qaeda was behind plot to behead soldier; British gang planned to kidnap British Muslim serviceman', ''The Daily Mail'', 1 February 2007, accessed via LexisNexis on 08.09.10 </ref> | ||
| − | It eventually emerged that the plot to kidnap a soldier was a grave exaggeration by the press and ''security oficials.'' Five men appeared in court, facing 12 terrorism charges, however only one of the men - [[Parviz Khan]] - was accused on "intention to kidnap and kill a member of the British armed forces". The other four men were convicted with "supplying and funding terrorists" abroad or "withholding information". <ref name="Mirror 1"> Rod Chaytor, [http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/tm_headline=12-terror-charges-----&method=full&objectid=18601654&siteid=115875-name_page.html 12 Terror Charges..only one mentions kidnap and kill plot], ''The Mirror,'' 10 February 2007, accessed on 08.09.10</ref> | + | It eventually emerged that the plot to kidnap a soldier was a grave exaggeration by the press and ''security oficials.'' Five men appeared in court, facing 12 terrorism charges, however only one of the men - [[Parviz Khan]] - was accused on "intention to kidnap and kill a member of the British armed forces". The other four men were convicted with "supplying and funding terrorists" abroad or "withholding information". <ref name="Mirror 1"> Rod Chaytor, [http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/tm_headline=12-terror-charges-----&method=full&objectid=18601654&siteid=115875-name_page.html 12 Terror Charges..only one mentions kidnap and kill plot], ''The Mirror,'' 10 February 2007, accessed on 08.09.10</ref> Four men were released without any charges being brought against them. |
The operation was overshadowed by allegations that the plot was moved forward to move attention away from the intense criticism surrounding the 'cash for honours' inquiry that had engulfed Downing Street and the reports that Britain's prisons were over-populated due to [[John Reid]], the then Home Secretary. The lead agency in the investigation, the West Midlands counter-terrorism unit believed that such misinformation and leaks were made specifically to "deflect attention from the prisons crisis and the cash for honours inquiry." | The operation was overshadowed by allegations that the plot was moved forward to move attention away from the intense criticism surrounding the 'cash for honours' inquiry that had engulfed Downing Street and the reports that Britain's prisons were over-populated due to [[John Reid]], the then Home Secretary. The lead agency in the investigation, the West Midlands counter-terrorism unit believed that such misinformation and leaks were made specifically to "deflect attention from the prisons crisis and the cash for honours inquiry." | ||
Revision as of 09:15, 9 September 2010
This article is part of the Counter-Terrorism Portal project of Spinwatch. |
Operation Gamble was the codename given to a counter-terrorism operation undertaken on 1 February 2007 in which nine Muslim men were arrested in dawn raids in Sparkhill, Washwood Heath, Kingstanding and Edgbaston – all areas of Birmingham. The operation was headed by the regional anti-terrorism command - the West-Midlands Counter-Terrorism Unit.
The plot allegedly involved abducting a British Muslim soldier, beheading him and posting the video of the beheading online. According to a senior security source: if the group had "not found a suitable Muslim soldier to kill, it is quite possible they would have plucked an innocent member of the public off the streets and beheaded him."[1]
It eventually emerged that the plot to kidnap a soldier was a grave exaggeration by the press and security oficials. Five men appeared in court, facing 12 terrorism charges, however only one of the men - Parviz Khan - was accused on "intention to kidnap and kill a member of the British armed forces". The other four men were convicted with "supplying and funding terrorists" abroad or "withholding information". [2] Four men were released without any charges being brought against them.
The operation was overshadowed by allegations that the plot was moved forward to move attention away from the intense criticism surrounding the 'cash for honours' inquiry that had engulfed Downing Street and the reports that Britain's prisons were over-populated due to John Reid, the then Home Secretary. The lead agency in the investigation, the West Midlands counter-terrorism unit believed that such misinformation and leaks were made specifically to "deflect attention from the prisons crisis and the cash for honours inquiry." [3] The misinformation that was disseminated was alleged to have come from Whitehall and Home Office officials.[4]
See Also
- Operation Crevice
- 2008 Counter-Terrorism advertising campaign
- Counter-Terrorism Timeline
- CONTEST
- PREVENT
Notes
- ↑ Stephen Wright and Ben Taylor, 'Al Qaeda was behind plot to behead soldier; British gang planned to kidnap British Muslim serviceman', The Daily Mail, 1 February 2007, accessed via LexisNexis on 08.09.10
- ↑ Rod Chaytor, 12 Terror Charges..only one mentions kidnap and kill plot, The Mirror, 10 February 2007, accessed on 08.09.10
- ↑ Ian Cobain, Steven Morris, Michael White and Sandra Laville, ‘Police fear lurid terror briefings being used to divert attention from Whitehall problems, The Guardian, 3 February 2007, accessed on 08.09.10
- ↑ 'Setting the Record Straight: The Dangers of 'Off-the Record' Briefings to the Media During Police Counter-Terror Operations', Liberty, May 2007, accessed 08.09.10
