(AFP) – 1 hour ago
LONDON — Police on Monday arrested 12 men on suspicion of plotting an act of terrorism, swooping in major pre-dawn raids across the country.
The dozen, aged between 17 and 28, were detained “on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism in the UK,” police said in a statement.
Britain is on high alert after upgrading its perceived terror threat level earlier this year.
“This is a large-scale, pre-planned and intelligence-led operation involving several forces,” said Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who is in charge of counter-terrorism policing.
“The operation is in its early stages so we are unable to go into detail at this time about the suspected offences. However, I believe it was necessary at this time to take action in order to ensure public safety.”
The BBC cited sources saying the operation was related to an investigation into Al-Qaeda-inspired terrorism.
Four of the men were from Cardiff, four from Stoke-on-Trent, and three from London.
They were all arrested by unarmed officers at or near their home addresses at around 5:00 am, apart from one suspect from Stoke who was detained at a house in Birmingham.
They are being held at police stations in central London, northwest England and the West Midlands.
Police said searches were under way at their homes, the Birmingham address and another residence in London.
Home Secretary Theresa May was fully briefed on the raids before they took place, the Home Office confirmed.
Britain’s current terror threat level is “severe”, the second-highest on a five-level grading.
“This means that a terrorist attack is highly likely,” the Home Office says.
The threat level was hiked in January after a six-month spell at “substantial” — the only time it has dipped below the two highest levels since it was set up in 2006 following the London bombings in July 2005.
Those attacks on three Underground trains and a bus killed 52 people, plus the four suicide bombers, who were all British.
Quote: The BBC cited sources saying the operation was related to an investigation into Al-Qaeda-inspired terrorism.
And may one ask what inspires Al-Qaeda, and why such inspiration finds appeal to totally and absolutely peaceful moderate Muslims.
Jihad on Earth, ill-will toward infidels – Islam’s war on Christmas.
You got that right Moss, but the MSM won’t tell us that.
Oh man, this is so dangerous. Those guys are probably British citizens and could not have been deported, but they should have been. It’s so complicated, but in a sense it is simple. All you need is a one-minute tape of a Muslim talking the “Jihad in the cause of Allah” talk, and you know damn well what you are dealing with. How about every single guy at one of those “British troops, burn in hell!” rallies? They’re all enemy. Deport them all, no exceptions. Anyone within ten feet of Anjem Choudary is a good bet. It’s complicated, but at the same time quite simple. The western nations have to outlaw the presence of enemy soldiers on their soil, no matter what is written on their passports. We could offer them a choice: Permanent incareration in a cinder-block warehouse, or a one-way ticket to sunny Somalia. Hell, there’s no government there to complain, is there? How about ten grand and a ticket to Somalia? It could be a lot worse than that.
Chris we have one problem, we are suppose to have freedom of religion, this came about slowly and in many nations it was after WWII when freedom of religion became the law. As to deporting them if they are citizens you can’t, but you can try them for treason and if in the US execute them, what the Europeans need to do is the same thing we need to do. The politicians in both regions need to understand that we are in a war of survival and stop treating the attacks as crimes. Then they need to stop attacking the idea of patriotism and punish the traitors who betray our country, in the US treason has no statute of limitations and everyone who betrayed the nation during Nam could be tried if the political will was there. We have to elect politicians who will have that political will, and who push through the legislation that Islam will not be recognized as a religion until it allows other religions to operate in Saudi, and Churches and Temples of other religions can be build in Mecca and Medina. Italy is doing this and the rest of the West should follow them.