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91Èȱ¬ investigation finds banned cleric using internet to support terrorism in UK
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A 91Èȱ¬ investigation has found that Omar Bakri Mohammed - a cleric banned from
this country - is now using a variety of pseudonyms to broadcast his support
for terrorism in the UK via the internet.
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As well as praising the 7/7 bombers on the internet, the joint investigation by
91Èȱ¬ Radio 4's File on 4 and 91Èȱ¬ Two's Newsnight also found that, in a chatroom
conversation with an undercover operative, Bakri appears to advocate a terrorist
attack on Dublin Airport.
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Bakri was excluded from the UK last August on the grounds that his presence was "not conducive to the public good".
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However, in a recent internet broadcast he
said the 7/7 London bombers were "in paradise".
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Bakri also says: "How can you condemn those great men - it's not something so
bad, something so good. Something so good to be involved in."
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Omar Bakri Mohammed ran the radical al-Muhajiroun group from Tottenham, north
London, until it was proscribed last year.
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The then 91Èȱ¬ Secretary Charles
Clarke barred him from returning to Britain while he was out of the country in
August 2005.
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But the 91Èȱ¬ has learned that he broadcasts online most evenings -
a voice recognition expert confirmed that the voice was that of the radical
preacher.
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Bakri's chatroom has been infiltrated by a group called Vigil, a group which
includes ex-police and security service people and which aims to disrupt extremist
activity.
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Asked by one of its undercover operatives whether Dublin Airport
should be a terrorist target because United States troops transit there on the way to
Iraq, Bakri says in response: "Hit the target and hit it very hard, that issue
should be understood. Your situation there is quite difficult therefore the
answer lies in your question."
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The chatroom Bakri uses has strong connections to a group which security
analysts believe evolved from the banned al-Muhajiroun organisation.
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Vigil claims the UK authorities have been slow to deal with the broadcasts.
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One
academic, who is a member of Vigil, contacted the Metropolitan Police's anti-terrorist hotline saying he had more than 100 hours of material from the
chatroom only to be told to contact his local police station.
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He said: "The
anti-terrorist office showed no sense of urgency to get this information."
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91Èȱ¬ Office Minister Tony McNulty said he would examine the details of the
claim.
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He also said: "Glorifying terrorism on the internet is an offence and we
are trying to deal with it and keep up with it."
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Mr McNulty added: "We do have to keep these things under review."
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The 91Èȱ¬ investigation also reveals evidence that young British Muslims are
being radicalised by extremists on university campuses.
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Despite recent calls
from Communities Minister Ruth Kelly for universities to challenge
radicalisation, the investigation found that an event advertised on an
extremist website took place at Staffordshire University and was attended by
Abu Raatib, who has been linked to Omar Bakri Mohammed's group Al Muhajiroun.
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Raatib denies having been a member.
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Staffordshire University told the 91Èȱ¬ that they knew nothing about Abu Raatib's
track record before he spoke at the debate.
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In a statement they said: "The university is obviously concerned to learn of reports that this debate was
advertised on an extremist website and attended by a known extremist and this
is subject to investigation.
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"We will work with students, the Students' Union,
the police and local communities to encourage even greater vigilance and
actively prevent Staffordshire University being used as a platform by
extremists."
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Notes to Editors
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Any use of the above must be credited to a joint File on 4/Newsnight investigation.
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Hear the full story on File on 4, Radio 4, Tuesday 14 November, 8pm; or see the full story via
the Newsnight website.
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MB
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