Operation Pathway

Dawn : Pakistani students accuse UK of ill-treatment

2009-08-23T02:06:00.002-04:00

Pakistani students accuse UK of ill-treatment

By Baqir Sajjad Syed | August 23, 2009

ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani students arrested in Britain in connection with an alleged terror plot returned home on Saturday after dropping a legal battle against their deportation and accusing British authorities of ill-treatment during detention.

Abdul Wahab Khan and Shoaib Khan were among the 12 Pakistani students arrested in April during the Operation Pathway.

The British authorities later failed to bring up charges against them, but decided to deport them for being ‘security risk’.

The two students, along with others detained during the terror raids, had appealed against the deportation decision and the Special Immigration Appeals Commission was scheduled to take up their appeal in March next year.

However, Wahab and Shoaib subsequently decided to leave UK voluntarily after a court rejected their plea for bail, while their appeal against deportation was being heard.

Mr Amjad Malik, the lawyer for both students, told reporters on arrival in Islamabad that his clients were frequently strip-searched, subjected to searches by dogs and served contaminated food.

One of the students, Wahab, described his detention as ‘hell’ and said it showed that the British had no concept of justice. The allegations were rejected by the British High Commission as ‘unfounded’.

‘Whilst in detention, these individuals were afforded the full protection of the UK justice system,’ the statement said, adding the UK Government treats all those in detention in UK prisons fairly and humanely, regardless of their nationality, race or religion.

It said except for one complaint by their lawyer on Aug 14 about contaminated food, there were no complaints by any of the detainees.

Speaking particularly about the two students, the British High Commission said: ‘In the case of these individuals one took up the opportunity to take part in an education course; and both used the prison gymnasium, exercised frequently and were free to worship and undertake other activities in accordance with Islamic teachings.’

BBC : Terror raid duo back in Pakistan

2009-08-22T13:38:00.001-04:00

Terror raid duo back in Pakistan

August 22, 2009

Two Pakistani students arrested over an alleged terror plot have returned to Pakistan after deciding to leave the UK voluntarily, the Home Office has said.

Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, were among 12 people held by police after raids in north-west England in April, but the pair were never charged.

The Home Office tried to deport them, saying they remained a security threat.

It is understood the men decided to leave after being denied bail while appealing against deportation.

The appeal was due to be heard by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) in March next year.

Both students, who had been Category A prisoners at HMP Manchester, arrived in Islamabad on Saturday.

Abdul Khan said his detention had been "like a hell" and his treatment showed the British authorities "do not know what justice means".

The men's solicitor, Amjad Malik, said his clients should have been freed instead of being held for months.

He said the students would continue to fight their case in Britain and had taken up the issue with Pakistan's interior ministry.

Mr Malik claimed both men had been frequently strip-searched, subjected to "searches by dogs" and served tainted food.

The British High Commission in Pakistan has rejected the allegations as "unfounded".

It said that apart from one incident of allegedly contaminated baked beans, no other complaints had been made during their detention.

"The UK government treats all those in detention in UK prisons fairly and humanely, regardless of their nationality, race or religion," a statement said.

'Visa irregularities'

Twelve students were arrested in the terror raids in Manchester and Liverpool as part of Operation Pathway, with three subsequently released.

The anti-terror operation had to be brought forward after Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer, Bob Quick, was photographed with a secret document. He subsequently resigned.

The Home Office is attempting to deport two others, Sultan Sher and Janus Khan, on the grounds of visa irregularities after dropping claims that they posed a threat to national security.

Five more, referred to only as VE, UF, ZA, YB and XC, are to appear before Siac for their deportation appeal hearing on March 10.

Evidence passed to the tribunal claimed one of the men, who cannot be identified, exchanged e-mails with an associate of al-Qaeda.

MI5 analysis also suggested girls' names were used as code for bomb ingredients and that the mention of a wedding hinted at a planned attack.

Lawyers for the men said the emails were innocent and the security services' interpretation of the emails was "far-fetched".

Times : Pakistani students held in anti-terror raids abandon deportation fight

2009-08-21T17:44:00.000-04:00

Pakistani students held in anti-terror raids abandon deportation fight

Andrew Norfolk | August 22, 2009

Two Pakistani students arrested during counter-terrorism raids in Manchester and Liverpool were due to fly home last night after giving up their fight against deportation.

Abdul Wahab Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, were among 12 people — ten of them Pakistanis on student visas — detained in April when the security services claimed to have foiled an al-Qaeda bomb plot.

None of the 12 was charged with a criminal offence. One, a British citizen, was released without charge and a young Afghan man is awaiting deportation for being in Britain illegally.

After their release from police custody, the ten Pakistanis were held in category A prisons pending appeals against the Home Office’s decision to deport them on the grounds of national security.

Last month Janas Khan and Sultan Sher, in their mid-20s, were released after it was accepted that there was no evidence that they were involved in terrorism. They are facing deportation because of visa irregularities.

One of the remaining eight, Tariq ur Rehman, 38, returned voluntarily to Pakistan in June after withdrawing his appeal against deportation. Another man took the same step this week.

They will be joined in Pakistan by the two Khans, who were due to fly to Islamabad yesterday evening, leaving four men in prison pending a hearing before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission next March. They include the so-called ringleader of the group, who allegedly exchanged e-mails with an al-Qaeda associate intercepted by M15. They were said to include coded references to a planned terrorist strike in Britain between April 15 and 20 this year.

The e-mails referred to a forthcoming nikah, an Islamic wedding, which was taken to mean the proposed bomb attack, and mentioned girls’ names thought to represent explosive ingredients. Solicitors for the men say that the e-mails were innocent exchanges about social matters.

The detention without charge of the Pakistanis has created tensions between Britain and Pakistan. When the remaining men’s appeals are heard next March they will have been held in custody or prison for 11 months.

A campaign group, Justice for the North West 10, has fought for their release on bail. Their families in Pakistan say that the men were genuine students. In May The Times revealed that eight of the arrested men were enrolled at a bogus college set up in 2006 as a front for a mass immigration fraud.

The Manchester College of Professional Studies, a converted pub south of the city centre, claimed to have 50 students but had secretly enrolled 1,797. It had two classrooms and three teachers.

Abdul Wahab Khan, from the North West Frontier province, and Shoaib Khan, from Punjab, were on its books. Their solicitor, Amjad Malik, said yesterday that they had decided to return to Pakistan after the failure of their bail applications last week.

Mr Malik said that they had been treated at Manchester prison like murderers or rapists.

He demanded an inquiry into their allegations that they had gone on hunger strike after being given meals containing human faeces.

“They have been in detention for 134 days. They are in category A conditions and are strip-searched,” he said.

“They realised that they were going to remain in custody when they haven’t committed any crime.”

“Also, Ramadan is coming nearer and they are not happy with the facilities in place in prison, so they wish to spend their Eid [the Muslim festival Eid al-Adha] with their families in Pakistan.”

Europe News : Terror raid students to leave UK

2009-08-21T17:43:00.000-04:00

Terror raid students to leave UK

BBC News | August 21, 2009

Two Pakistani students arrested over an alleged terror plot are to fly home after deciding to leave the UK voluntarily, their solicitor has said.

Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, were among 12 people held by police after raids in north-west England in April, but the pair were never charged.

The Home Office tried to deport them, saying they remained a security threat.

The men decided to leave after being denied bail while appealing against deportation, their solicitor said.

The appeal was due to be heard by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) in March next year.

The men's solicitor, Amjad Malik, said his clients would leave on an evening flight to Islamabad on Friday night (...)

Fleetwood Today : Pakistanis held in terror raids to fly home

2009-08-21T17:42:00.001-04:00

Pakistanis held in terror raids to fly home

August 21, 2009

Two Pakistani students arrested in a major anti-terror operation in the north west are to fly home after deciding to leave the UK voluntarily.

Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, were among 12 people arrested by police in April as part of Operation Pathway.

They were never charged but remained in custody as the Home Office attempted to deport them on the grounds they were a threat to national security.

Their appeal against deportation was due to be heard by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission in March.

But after they were denied bail last month, the men decided to drop the appeal and return to Pakistan.

Their solicitor, Amjad Malik, said the men would leave on a Friday evening flight to Islamabad.

Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2009, All Rights Reserved.

APP : Two detained Pakistani students returning home Saturday

2009-08-21T17:40:00.000-04:00

Two detained Pakistani students returning home Saturday

August 21, 2009

LONDON, Aug 21 (APP)- Two detained Pakistani students would return home Saturday of their own volition after the British authorities agreed to drop deportation charges against them.Abdul Wahab Khan and Shoaib Khan will leave Manchester by a regular PIA flight (PK 702), which lands in Lahore early Saturday morning, their lawyer Amjad Malik said Friday.

Malik will accompany the pair, who were among ten Pakistani students arrested in a terror raid in April across north west England. As no evidence was found, the charges were dropped but they were handed over to UK Border Agency for deportation.

Last month Special Immigration Appeals Commission turned down their bail applications with the final hearing set for March 10 next year.

Disappointed Wahab and Shoaib then decided to return home voluntarily as they found remaining incarcerated for ten months under unpleasant circumstances difficult.

According to Malik, the two students expressed their unhappiness with the facilities in place in prison and with the approach of Ramazanul Mubarik, they expressed their wish to be with their families and spend Eid with them.

Earlier, another student Tariq-ur-Rehman returned to Pakistan in early June after deportation charges were waived. Two students Janas Khan and Sultan Sher have been released after the Home Office withdrew deportation charges.

BBC : Terror raid students to leave UK

2009-08-21T17:39:00.000-04:00

Terror raid students to leave UK

August 21, 2009

Two Pakistani students arrested over an alleged terror plot are to fly home after deciding to leave the UK voluntarily, their solicitor has said.

Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, were among 12 people held by police after raids in north-west England in April, but the pair were never charged.

The Home Office tried to deport them, saying they remained a security threat.

The men decided to leave after being denied bail while appealing against deportation, their solicitor said.

The appeal was due to be heard by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) in March next year.

The men's solicitor, Amjad Malik, said his clients would leave on an evening flight to Islamabad on Friday night.

'Ramadan approaching'

The pair, who are Category A prisoners at HMP Manchester, were "devastated" by the decision to deny them bail, he said, and could no longer face further incarceration.

"They realised that they are going to remain in custody for another 10 months when they haven't committed any crime - that amounts to a sentence of three years," Mr Malik said.

"Also, Ramadan is coming nearer and they are not happy with the facilities in place in prison, so they wish to spend their Eid [Muslim festival for the end of the fasting month, due on 20 September] with their families in Pakistan."

He added that the men would be allowed to continue their UK studies from Pakistan.

Abdul Wahab Khan, from Tank, in the North West Frontier, was studying for a masters degree in computer studies at John Moores University in Liverpool.

Shoaib Khan, from Narowal in the Punjab, was taking an accountancy course at Kaplan Financial, which has training centres across the UK.

Mr Malik said the UK Border Agency, part of the Home Office, had withdrawn its "intention to deport" orders to allow his two clients to return home.

'Visa irregularities'

Twelve students were arrested in the terror raids in Manchester and Liverpool as part of Operation Pathway, with three subsequently released.

The Home Office is attempting to deport two others, Sultan Sher and Janus Khan, who are in immigration detention, on the grounds of visa irregularities after dropping claims that they posed a threat to national security.

Five more, referred to only as VE, UF, ZA, YB and XC, are to appear before Siac for their deportation appeal hearing on March 10.

Last week, Mr Justice Mitting ruled that Abdul Khan and Shoaib Khan, along with three others who applied for bail, should be held in custody until then.

Evidence passed to the tribunal claimed one of the men, who cannot be identified, exchanged e-mails with an associate of al-Qaeda.

MI5 analysis also suggested girls' names were used as code for bomb ingredients and that the mention of a wedding hinted at a planned attack.

The Home Office has refused to comment.

Asian Image : Students held in terror raids to fly home

2009-08-21T17:38:00.000-04:00

Students held in terror raids to fly home

August 21, 2009

Two Pakistani students arrested in a major anti-terror operation will fly home after deciding to leave the UK voluntarily, their solicitor said.

Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, were among 12 people arrested by police in the north west of England in April as part of Operation Pathway.

They were never charged but remained in custody as the Home Office attempted to deport them on the grounds that they remained a threat to national security.

Their appeal against deportation was due to be heard by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) in March.

But after they were denied bail last month, the men decided to drop the appeal and go back to Pakistan.

Their solicitor, Amjad Malik, said the men would leave on an evening flight to Islamabad tonight.

Mr Malik said his clients were “devastated” at the decision to deny them bail.

The men, who are Category A prisoners at HMP Manchester, formerly Strangeways, could not bear the circumstances of their imprisonment, he said.

Both have been told they will be allowed to continue their studies from Pakistan.

Abdul Wahab Khan, who is from Tank, in the North West Frontier, was studying for a masters degree in computer studies at John Moores University in Liverpool.

Shoaib Khan, from Narowal in the Punjab, was studying for an accountancy qualification at the Kaplan Financial Institute.

He said: “They have been in detention for 134 days. They are in Category A conditions and are strip-searched.

”We are expecting them to stay in Category A conditions for another 10 months.

”They realised that they are going to remain in custody for another 10 months when they haven’t committed any crime - that amounts to a sentence of three years.

”Also, Ramadan is coming nearer and they are not happy with the facilities in place in prison, so they wish to spend their Eid (Muslim festival) with their families in Pakistan.”

He added: “The college establishment have said they will accommodate their education from Pakistan.”

Last week Mr Justice Mitting said the pair, and three others who applied for bail, would be held in custody until the hearing next year.

Evidence passed to the tribunal suggested one of the men, who cannot be identified, exchanged emails with an al Qaida associate.

Analysis by MI5 suggested references to girls’ names were code for bomb ingredients and mention of a wedding hinted at a planned attack.

Mr Malik said the UK Border Agency, part of the Home Office, had withdrawn its “intention to deport” orders to allow the men to return home.

A Home Office spokesman refused to comment.

TeleText : Suspects Pakistan-bound

2009-08-21T17:36:00.001-04:00

Suspects Pakistan-bound

August 21, 2009

Two Pakistani students arrested in a major anti-terrorism operation in the north west are to fly home after deciding to leave the UK voluntarily.

Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, were among 12 people arrested by police in April as part of Operation Pathway.

They were never charged but remained in custody after the Home Office attempted to deport them.

Click Liverpool : Liverpool terror suspects denied bail

2009-08-17T12:35:00.000-04:00

Liverpool terror suspects denied bail

by Simon Boyle | August 17, 2009

Five suspects accused of terrorism in the North-West have had their applications for bail denied.

The suspects were arrested in April, after emails detailing an al-Qaida bomb plot on addresses in Liverpool and the North-West were intercepted by police.

The 12 men - 11 from Pakistan and one Briton - were arrested during raids on their homes by Special Branch police officers. All but the Briton were then placed in the custody of the UK Border Agency.

The arrests came as part of Operation Pathway, with raids taking place at Toxteth, Wavertree, Edge Hill, and Liverpool's John Moore's University, but none of the suspects were ever charged with a criminal offence.

Seven of the accused are now fighting government attempts to deport them, while five - including two from Liverpool - have applied for bail.

However, all five bail requests have been declined by High Court Judge Mr Justice Mittings, who said that a series of emails between the suspects and a known al-Qaida associate remained central to an ongoing investigation.

Defending one of the unnamed accused, Richard Hermer, QC, told a hearing of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), that the police interpretation of the emails sent between suspects was "far-fetched", and in fact were no more than "innocent social discussions".

But Mr Justice Mitting disputed this claim, saying that a final assessment would have to wait until the next SIAC hearing takes place next year. He said; "On the information, open and closed, which we have now, we are not satisfied that the assessment by the security service of their likely meaning is clearly wrong."

Just two of the suspects, Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, who are both students from Liverpool, have declined their right to anonymity.

Teletext : Men used codewords: judge

2009-08-15T08:28:00.001-04:00

Men used codewords: judge

Five Pakistani men arrested in the North West over an alleged bomb plot were denied bail because of a series of suspicious emails, a judge has said.

The five men - among 12 held by police in April's Operation Pathway - were never charged with any offence.

Justifying the decision, Mr Justice Mitting said the men used suspicious codewords in email correspondence.

Liverpool Echo : Liverpool terror suspects held over ‘intercepted email plot’

2009-08-15T08:23:00.001-04:00

Liverpool terror suspects held over ‘intercepted email plot’

by Ben Rossington, Liverpool Echo | August 15, 2009

ANTI-TERROR police swooped on addresses in Liverpool and the North- West after intercepting emails suspected of detailing an al-Qaida bomb plot.

More details about the April raids, which saw 12 men – 11 Pakistani nationals and one Briton – arrested by Special Branch officers, were revealed by a judge who denied some of the suspects bail.

The suspects were arrested as part of Operation Pathway, but never charged with any criminal offences.

Instead, all but the Briton were released into the custody of the UK Border Agency.

Seven are now fighting government attempts to deport them and five applied for bail, including at least two from Liverpool, while their cases are heard.

But High Court Judge Mr Justice Mittings refused their application.

He said a series of emails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men and another attributed to an al-Qaida associate were “central to the open case against the appellants”.

The emails from the man, identified only as XC, to “Sohaib” appear to refer to a “nikah”, or wedding.

In a written statement, Mr Justice Mitting said: “They appear to refer to XC’s interest in named girls and to a nikah (wedding) after 15th and before 20th April, 2009, with one of them, Nadia.

“The assessment of the security service is that references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made, and that the reference to the nikah is ‘most likely’ reference to an intended attack.”

Richard Hermer, QC, for XC, told last month’s hearing of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) the security service’s account of the emails was “far-fetched” and the emails were no more than “innocent social discussions”.

Mr Justice Mitting said the final interpretation of the emails would have to wait until a full SIAC hearing takes place next year.

He said: “On the information, open and closed, which we have now, we are not satisfied that the assessment by the security service of their likely meaning is clearly wrong.”

Mr Justice Mitting added that the “undisputed fact” that no explosive materials have been recovered was “at least a significant gap” in the Government’s case against the men.

“Ultimately, it may prove to be more than that,” he said.

“On any view, it assists the appellants in their denial of participation in attack planning. But at present it does no more than that.”

The Home Secretary’s case also rests on evidence that the five men attended one or both of two meetings on March 23 and April 1 in which the “nikah” was also discussed.

Of the suspects, students Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, from Liverpool, have waived their right to anonymity.

Raids took place in Toxteth, Wavertree, Edge Hill and at John Moores University.

Hope University student Janas Khan, 25, was also among those arrested.

Sunday Express : MI5 Foil Bombers By Cracking Email Code

2009-08-15T01:47:00.000-04:00

MI5 FOIL BOMBERS BY CRACKING EMAIL CODE

By Brendan Abbott | August 15, 2009

MI5 believes it foiled an Al Qaeda attack in Britain after intercepting emails using “wedding” as code word for bomb, it was revealed yesterday.

Intelligence officers were convinced a series of ordinary-sounding messages actually referred to a planned terrorist strike around Easter, and that references to the bride “Nadia” was code for a vital component in an explosive device.

The emails were sent to one of 12 Pakistani men arrested in raids across the north-west of England in April.

None of the 12 was charged with any criminal offence but they remain in custody pending deportation to Pakistan. No explosives were found.

The emails were disclosed as Mr Justice Mitting – at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission – gave his reasons for refusing bail to five of the men at a hearing last month. There will be a full hearing later.

Fleetwood Today : 'Al Qaida emails' suspects denied bail

2009-08-15T01:37:00.000-04:00

'Al Qaida emails' suspects denied bail

August 15, 2009

Five Pakistani men arrested in the North West over an alleged bomb plot were denied bail because of a series of suspicious emails, a judge has said.
The five - among 12 held by police in April's Operation Pathway - were never charged with any offence and are challenging attempts by the Government to deport them on the grounds that they pose a threat to national security.

Giving the reasons for the decision to deny bail at a hearing of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), Mr Justice Mitting said a series of emails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men and another attributed to an al Qaida associate were "central to the open case against the appellants".

The emails from the man, identified only as XC, to "Sohaib" appear to refer to a "nikah", or wedding.

In a written statement, Mr Justice Mitting said: "They appear to refer to XC's interest in named girls and to a nikah (wedding) after 15th and before 20th April 2009 with one of them, Nadia. The assessment of the security service is that references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made and that the reference to the nikah is 'most likely' reference to an intended attack."

Mr Justice Mitting said the final interpretation of the emails would have to wait until a full SIAC hearing takes place next year, adding the "undisputed fact" that no explosive materials have been recovered was "at least a significant gap" in the Government's case against the men.

The Home Secretary's case also rests on evidence that the five men attended one or both of two meetings on March 23 and April 1 in which the "nikah" was also discussed.

Lawyers for the men have sought assurances that they will not be arrested and detained indefinitely if they are forced to go back to Pakistan.

Mr Justice Mitting said: "The Secretary of State's case on the issue of safety on return is far from complete. All we can say, for present purposes, is that is it not clear that the Secretary of State will not be able to demonstrate that it is safe to return the appellants to Pakistan."

Of the five men, students Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, from Liverpool, have waived their right to anonymity.

Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Regional Times : Five Pakistanis denied bail over Al-Qaeda suspicion: judge

2009-08-15T01:36:00.000-04:00

Five Pakistanis denied bail over Al-Qaeda suspicion: judge

RT Monitoring Desk | August 15, 2009

LONDON: Five Pakistani men arrested in a major anti-terror swoop in Britain were denied bail due to a series of emails which could have implicated them in an Al-Qaeda plot, a judge revealed on Friday.

The five were among 12 men -- 11 Pakistanis and one Briton -- who were arrested in raids in April but not subsequently charged with any criminal offences. Along with two other men who did not apply for bail, the five are challenging attempts by the British government to deport them on the grounds that they posed a threat to national security. The five were denied bail at a hearing of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) at the end of last month -- the reasons for which were revealed Friday. Judge John Mitting said a string of emails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men -- identified only as XC -- and another attributed to an Al-Qaeda associate were "central to the open case of the appellants".

The emails XC sent to "Sohaib" seemed to refer to a "nikah", or wedding, but the security services believe otherwise. "They appear to refer to XC's interest in named girls and to a nikah after 15th and before 20th April 2009 with one of them, Nadia," Mitting said in a written statement. "The assessment of the Security Service is that references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made and that the reference to the nikah is 'most likely' reference to an intended attack." The judge said the final interpretation of the emails would have to wait until a full SIAC hearing next year.

News Track (India) : Pak-origin terror suspects used wedding code words for al-Qaeda bombing plot: MI5

2009-08-15T01:32:00.001-04:00

Pak-origin terror suspects used wedding code words for al-Qaeda bombing plot: MI5

August 15, 2009

London, Aug. 15 (ANI): British intelligence service MI5 has arrested a group of Pakistan-origin terror suspects who were using code words about a wedding in their emails for an al-Qaeda bomb plot, it has emerged.

One e-mail referred to a girl called Nadia who would be involved in a nikah, or wedding, between April 15 and 20 this year.

MI5 officers who were intercepting their emails concluded that the girls' names were code for explosive ingredients and the wedding was the date of a planned attack, The Times reports.

Details of the claims were revealed as part of a hearing last month of five Pakistani men seeking bail from the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.

None of the men, among 12 seized by police in raids across the North West of England in April, has been charged with any criminal offences.

They are challenging government attempts to deport them on the ground that they threaten national security.

Giving the reasons for the decision to refuse bail for the first time yesterday, Justice Mitting said a series of e-mails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men and another attributed to an al-Qaeda associate were "central to the open case against the appellants."

The e-mails from the man, identified only as XC, were written to "Sohaib." In a written statement, Justice Mitting said: "The assessment of the security service is that references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made and that the reference to the nikah is 'most likely' reference to an intended attack."

Justice Mitting said the final interpretation of the e-mails would have to wait until a full hearing takes place next year.

He said that the "undisputed fact" that no explosive materials have been recovered was "at least a significant gap" in the Government's case against the men.

Lawyers for the men have sought assurances that they will not be arrested and detained indefinitely if they are forced to go back to Pakistan. (ANI)

Times : Terror suspects used wedding e-mails as 'bomb plot code’ MI5 claims

2009-08-15T00:02:00.000-04:00

Terror suspects used wedding e-mails as 'bomb plot code’ MI5 claims

David Brown | August 15, 2009

A group of terror suspects were arrested after MI5 intercepted e-mails about a wedding that officers believe contained codewords for an al-Qaeda bomb plot, a judge revealed yesterday.

One e-mail referred to a girl called Nadia who would be involved in a nikha, or wedding, between April 15 and 20 this year. MI5, which had been monitoring the men, decided that the girls’ names were code for explosive ingredients and the wedding was the date of a planned attack.

Details of the claims were revealed as part of a hearing last month of five Pakistani men seeking bail from the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.

None of the men, among 12 seized by police in raids across the North West of England in April, has been charged with any criminal offences. They are challenging government attempts to deport them on the ground that they threaten national security.

Giving the reasons for the decision to refuse bail for the first time yesterday, Mr Justice Mitting said a series of e-mails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men and another attributed to an al-Qaeda associate were “central to the open case against the appellants”.

The e-mails from the man, identified only as XC, were written to “Sohaib”.

In a written statement, Mr Justice Mitting said: “The assessment of the security service is that references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made and that the reference to the nikah is ‘most likely’ reference to an intended attack.”

Richard Hermer QC, for XC, told last month’s hearing that the security service’s account of the e-mails was far-fetched and they were no more than innocent social discussions.

Mr Justice Mitting said the final interpretation of the e-mails would have to wait until a full hearing takes place next year.

He said that the “undisputed fact” that no explosive materials have been recovered was “at least a significant gap” in the Government’s case against the men.

Lawyers for the men have sought assurances that they will not be arrested and detained indefinitely if they are forced to go back to Pakistan.

Of the five men, students Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, from Liverpool, have waived their right to anonymity.

Mirror : Coded mail bar to bail

2009-08-15T00:01:00.003-04:00

Coded mail bar to bail

August 15, 2009

SUSPECTS

Five men arrested in an anti-terror operation but never charged were refused bail because they exchanged coded emails, officials said yesterday.

Each has been in custody since they were picked up in a series of raids across the North-West in April.

The Government is trying to deport the men, all Pakistanis, who were refused bail last month.

No explosives were found but detainee Shoaib Khan, 27, is said to have emailed an al-Qaeda man with words "most likely" referring to terror acts.

Daily Mail (Pak) : UK court denies bail to Pakistanis

2009-08-15T00:01:00.002-04:00

UK court denies bail to Pakistanis

Foreign Desk Report | August 15, 2009

LONDON—Five Pakistani men arrested in a major anti-terror swoop in Britain were denied bail due to a series of emails which could have implicated them in an Al-Qaeda plot, a judge revealed Friday. The five were among 12 men — 11 Pakistanis and one Briton — who were arrested in raids in April but not subsequently charged with any criminal offences.

Along with two other men who did not apply for bail, the five are challenging attempts by the British government to deport them on the grounds that they posed a threat to national security. The five were denied bail at a hearing of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) at the end of last month — the reasons for which were revealed Friday.

Judge John Mitting said a string of emails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men — identified only as XC — and another attributed to an Al-Qaeda associate were “central to the open case of the appellants”. The emails XC sent to “Sohaib” seemed to refer to a “nikah”, or wedding, but the security services believe otherwise.

“They appear to refer to XC’s interest in named girls and to a nikah after 15th and before 20th April 2009 with one of them, Nadia,” Mitting said in a written statement. “The assessment of the Security Service is that references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made and that the reference to the nikah is ‘most likely’ reference to an intended attack.”

The judge said the final interpretation of the emails would have to wait until a full SIAC hearing next year.

Daily Times : Pakistanis denied British bail over Qaeda suspicions

2009-08-15T00:01:00.001-04:00

Pakistanis denied British bail over Qaeda suspicions

AFP | August 15, 2009

LONDON: Five Pakistani students arrested in a major anti-terror swoop in Britain were denied bail due to a series of emails, which could have implicated them in an Al Qaeda plot, a judge revealed on Friday. Judge John Mitting said a string of emails were exchanged between one of the men – identified only as XC – and an Al Qaeda associate. The emails XC sent to “Sohaib” seemed to refer to a “nikah” but the security services believe otherwise. The Security Service believes references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made and reference to nikah is ‘most likely’ reference to an intended attack.

Telegraph : Judge says 'al-Qaeda emails' could refer to bomb plot

2009-08-14T23:59:00.001-04:00

Judge says 'al-Qaeda emails' could refer to bomb plot

By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | August 14, 2009

Five Pakistani students have been denied bail after a judge decided they may have used coded emails about girls and cars to plan an Easter bombing campaign in Manchester.

The emails, disclosed by the Daily Telegraph last month, appear to use girl’s names to allude to bomb-making chemicals and a planned wedding as code for the attack.

Mr Justice Mitting, a high court judge, chairing the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), said, “unless that assessment is clearly wrong we must, for present purposes, accept it.”

He said the commission had examined further evidence about the emails behind closed doors and was refusing bail until a full hearing next year.

The Government is trying to deport the students saying they are a risk to national security because they were members of a “UK-based network involved in terrorist operational activity in the UK, most likely attack planning.”

MI5 claims that the terrorist network was “co-ordinated” by a 23-year-old student who can only be referred to as “XC”, who sent and received the emails, and that it was “directed by al-Qaeda based overseas.”

They believe he was using girl’s names to allude to chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide and phrases such as “weak and difficult to convince” or “crystal clear” to the strengths of the chemicals available.

In one email the alleged commander in Pakistan referred to a “new car” which MI5 believed could refer to car bombs.

An email sent by XC on the afternoon of April 3 sparked fears that an attack was imminent when he said he had “agreed to conduct the nikah [wedding] after 15th and before 20th of this month” adding: “We will have many guests attending the party…I wished you could be here as well to enjoy the party.” It was this that led to police raids across the north west in which 11 men were arrested.

Four of the students attended one or both meetings with XC held on March 23 and April 1 this year when the “wedding” was allegedly discussed.

Mr Justice Mitting said the commission did not find MI5’s assessment of the meetings was “clearly wrong.”

Referring to the emails, he added: “On the information, open and closed, which we have now, we are not satisfied that the assessment by the Security Service of their likely meaning is clearly wrong.”

Robin Tam, QC for the government, said the emails were “central to the open case against the appellants” but Richard Hermer QC for XC told the commission that the assessment was far fetched and that when the emails were examined in the context of all the others stored on the hard drive of the man’s computer, they would be shown to be no more than innocent social discussions.

The commission said XC had submitted a “belated, as yet unsigned, statement” which made the same claim and suggested that the emails refer to “girls, though not by their own names, and that he hoped to marry in April 2009.”

All the appellants have pointed to the fact that no explosives were recovered and that there is nothing to link any of those arrested with explosives.

Of the 11 men initially arrested, eight are appealing against deportation on national security grounds, including XC, Abdul Wahab Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammed Ramzan, Ahmed Faraz Khan and Tariq ur-Rehman, who has returned to Pakistan voluntarily. Five had their application for bail turned down.

Two others, Janas Khan and Sultan Sher, have been bailed pending deportation for visa irregularities although the government still maintains they were “involved in an extreme Islamist network.”

A British man, Hamza Shinwari, was released without charge.

The three unnamed men, including XC, have declined to waive their anonymity under the rules that govern SIAC.

The News (Pak) : Pakistanis denied bail over Qaeda suspicion: judge

2009-08-14T23:55:00.000-04:00

Pakistanis denied bail over Qaeda suspicion: judge

August 14, 2009

LONDON: Five Pakistani men arrested in a major anti-terror swoop in Britain were denied bail due to a series of emails which could have implicated them in an Al-Qaeda plot, a judge revealed Friday.

The five were among 12 men -- 11 Pakistanis and one Briton -- who were arrested in raids in April but not subsequently charged with any criminal offences.

Along with two other men who did not apply for bail, the five are challenging attempts by the British government to deport them on the grounds that they posed a threat to national security.

The five were denied bail at a hearing of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) at the end of last month -- the reasons for which were revealed Friday.

Judge John Mitting said a string of emails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men -- identified only as XC -- and another attributed to an Al-Qaeda associate were "central to the open case of the appellants".

The emails XC sent to "Sohaib" seemed to refer to a "nikah", or wedding, but the security services believe otherwise.

"They appear to refer to XC's interest in named girls and to a nikah after 15th and before 20th April 2009 with one of them, Nadia," Mitting said in a written statement.

"The assessment of the Security Service is that references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made and that the reference to the nikah is 'most likely' reference to an intended attack."

The judge said the final interpretation of the emails would have to wait until a full SIAC hearing next year.

Geo TV (Pak) : Pakistanis denied bail over Qaeda suspicion: judge

2009-08-14T23:53:00.002-04:00

Zee News : Pakistanis denied British bail over Qaeda suspicions: Judge

2009-08-14T23:51:00.001-04:00

Pakistanis denied British bail over Qaeda suspicions: Judge

Bureau Report | August 14, 2009

London: Five Pakistani men arrested in a major anti-terror swoop in Britain were denied bail due to a series of emails which could have implicated them in an Al-Qaeda plot, a judge revealed on Friday.

The five were among 12 men -- 11 Pakistanis and one Briton -- who were arrested in raids in April but not subsequently charged with any criminal offences.

Along with two other men who did not apply for bail, the five are challenging attempts by the British government to deport them on the grounds that they posed a threat to national security.

The five were denied bail at a hearing of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) at the end of last month -- the reasons for which were revealed today.

Judge John Mitting said a string of emails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men -- identified only as XC -- and another attributed to an Al-Qaeda associate were "central to the open case of the appellants".

The emails XC sent to "Sohaib" seemed to refer to a "nikah", or wedding, but the security services believe otherwise.

"They appear to refer to XC's interest in named girls and to a nikah after 15th and before 20th April 2009 with one of them, Nadia," Mitting said in a written statement.

Fleetwood Today : Terror suspects denied bail because of 'al Qaida emails'

2009-08-14T23:49:00.001-04:00

Terror suspects denied bail because of 'al Qaida emails'

August 14, 2009

Five Pakistani men arrested in the North West over an alleged bomb plot were denied bail because of a series of suspicious emails, a judge has said.
The five - among 12 held by police in April's Operation Pathway - were never charged with any offence and are challenging attempts by the Government to deport them on the grounds that they pose a threat to national security.

Giving the reasons for the decision to deny bail at a hearing of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), Mr Justice Mitting said a series of emails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men and another attributed to an al Qaida associate were "central to the open case against the appellants".

The emails from the man, identified only as XC, to "Sohaib" appear to refer to a "nikah", or wedding.

In a written statement, Mr Justice Mitting said: "They appear to refer to XC's interest in named girls and to a nikah (wedding) after 15th and before 20th April 2009 with one of them, Nadia. The assessment of the security service is that references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made and that the reference to the nikah is 'most likely' reference to an intended attack."

Mr Justice Mitting said the final interpretation of the emails would have to wait until a full SIAC hearing takes place next year, adding the "undisputed fact" that no explosive materials have been recovered was "at least a significant gap" in the Government's case against the men.

The Home Secretary's case also rests on evidence that the five men attended one or both of two meetings on March 23 and April 1 in which the "nikah" was also discussed.

Lawyers for the men have sought assurances that they will not be arrested and detained indefinitely if they are forced to go back to Pakistan.

Mr Justice Mitting said: "The Secretary of State's case on the issue of safety on return is far from complete. All we can say, for present purposes, is that is it not clear that the Secretary of State will not be able to demonstrate that it is safe to return the appellants to Pakistan."

Of the five men, students Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, from Liverpool, have waived their right to anonymity.

Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Lancashire Telegraph : Emails led to North West terror arrests

2009-08-14T23:48:00.002-04:00

Emails led to North West terror arrests

August 14, 2009

A GROUP of men arrested in a major anti-terrorist operation were denied bail because of a series of emails which could implicate them in an al Qaida bomb plot, a judge has revealed.

The five, including one man arrested in Clitheroe, were among 12 people held by police in raids across the north west of England in April as part of Operation Pathway.

They were never charged with any criminal offences.

Two of the 12 suspects were arrested at the Clitheroe Homebase store where they were working as security guards.

They were not from the area and were staying at the Brooklyn Guest House, Pimlico Road while in the town.

Along with two other Pakistani men, who did not apply for bail, they five are challenging attempts by the Government to deport them on the grounds that they pose a threat to national security.

At a hearing of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) at the end of last month the men were denied bail.

Giving the reasons for the decision for the first time, Mr Justice Mitting said a series of emails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men and another attributed to an al Qaida associate were "central to the open case against the appellants".

The emails from the man, identified only as XC, to "Sohaib" appear to refer to a "nikah", or wedding.

In a written statement, Mr Justice Mitting said: "They appear to refer to XC's interest in named girls and to a nikah (wedding) after 15th and before 20th April 2009 with one of them, Nadia.

"The assessment of the security service is that references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made and that the reference to the nikah is 'most likely' reference to an intended attack."

Mr Justice Mitting continued: "The first, and ultimately determinative issue, is, therefore: is the assessment of the security service plainly wrong?"

Richard Hermer QC, for XC, told last month's hearing the security service's account of the emails was far-fetched and the emails were no more than innocent social discussions.

Mr Justice Mitting said the final interpretation of the emails would have to wait until a full SIAC hearing takes place next year.

The Home Secretary's case also rests on evidence that the five men attended one or both of two meetings on March 23 and April 1 in which the "nikah" was also discussed.

Lawyers for the men have sought assurances that they will not be arrested and detained indefinitely if they are forced to go back to Pakistan.

Of the five men, students Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, from Liverpool, have waived their right to anonymity.

This Is Lancashire : Emails led to North West terror arrests

2009-08-14T23:46:00.000-04:00

Metro.co.UK : UK terror suspects 'in Al Qaida bomb plot'

2009-08-14T23:44:00.002-04:00

UK terror suspects 'in Al Qaida bomb plot'

August 14, 2009

A group of Pakistani men arrested in a major anti-terrorist operation were denied bail because of a series of emails which could implicate them in an al Qaida bomb plot, a judge revealed today.

The five were among 12 men held by police in raids across the north west of England in April as part of Operation Pathway, but never charged with any criminal offences.

Along with two other Pakistani men who did not apply for bail, they are challenging attempts by the Government to deport them on the grounds that they pose a threat to national security.

At a hearing of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) at the end of last month the men were denied bail.

Giving the reasons for the decision for the first time today, Mr Justice Mitting said a series of emails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men and another attributed to an al Qaida associate were "central to the open case against the appellants".

The emails from the man, identified only as XC, to "Sohaib" appear to refer to a "nikah", or wedding.

In a written statement, Mr Justice Mitting said: "They appear to refer to XC's interest in named girls and to a nikah (wedding) after 15th and before 20th April 2009 with one of them, Nadia.

"The assessment of the security service is that references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made and that the reference to the nikah is 'most likely' reference to an intended attack."

Mr Justice Mitting continued: "The first, and ultimately determinative issue, is, therefore: is the assessment of the security service plainly wrong?"

Richard Hermer QC, for XC, told last month's hearing the security service's account of the emails was far-fetched and the emails were no more than innocent social discussions.

Mr Justice Mitting said the final interpretation of the emails would have to wait until a full SIAC hearing takes place next year.

He said: "On the information, open and closed, which we have now, we are not satisfied that the assessment by the security service of their likely meaning is clearly wrong."

Mr Justice Mitting added that the "undisputed fact" that no explosive materials have been recovered was "at least a significant gap" in the Government's case against the men.

"Ultimately, it may prove to be more than that," he said.

"On any view, it assists the appellants in their denial of participation in attack planning. But at present it does no more than that."

The Home Secretary's case also rests on evidence that the five men attended one or both of two meetings on March 23 and April 1 in which the "nikah" was also discussed.

Lawyers for the men have sought assurances that they will not be arrested and detained indefinitely if they are forced to go back to Pakistan.

Mr Justice Mitting said: "The Secretary of State's case on the issue of safety on return is far from complete. All we can say, for present purposes, is that is it not clear that the Secretary of State will not be able to demonstrate that it is safe to return the appellants to Pakistan."

He said there was no reason to doubt the men came from respectable families and that each of them were undertaking legitimate study.

Of the five men, students Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, from Liverpool, have waived their right to anonymity.

London Evening Standard : Wedding emails sparked terror swoop

2009-08-14T23:32:00.001-04:00

Wedding emails sparked terror swoop

Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor | August 14, 2009

Seven Pakistani terror suspects were arrested after MI5 decided that their emails contained codewords for a deadly bomb plot.

One email suggested that a girl called "Nadia" would be involved in a "nikah", a wedding, between 15 and 20 April this year - part of an exchange which defence lawyers claim was entirely innocent.

The message, and others sent between the alleged plotters, triggered a major anti-terrorist operation after MI5, which had been monitoring the men for some time, decided that the girls' names were code for explosive ingredients and the "wedding" was the intended attack.

The details were disclosed today following a hearing at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission last month at which five of the men, who are all facing deportation on the grounds that they pose a threat to national security, applied to be released on bail.

The judge in the case, Mr Justice Mitting, refused their application, saying there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate that MI5's view was "plainly wrong", in a decision which means that the men will stay in custody until next year.

Giving the reasons for his decision today, Mr Justice Mitting said a series of emails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men and another attributed to an al Qaeda associate were "central to the open case against the appellants".

The emails from the man, identified only as XC, to "Sohaib" appear to refer to a "nikah".

Mr Justice Mitting added: "They appear to refer to XC's interest in named girls and to a nikah (wedding) after 15th and before 20th April 2009 with one of them, Nadia.

The assessment of the security service is that references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made and that the reference to the nikah is 'most likely' reference to an intended attack."

He continued: "The first, and ultimately determinative issue is, therefore: is the assessment of the security service plainly wrong?"

Richard Hermer QC, for XC, told last month's hearing the security service's account of the emails was far-fetched and the emails were no more than innocent social discussions.

Mr Justice Mitting said, however, that he could approve the men's release only if it was clear that MI5's judgment was "plainly wrong" and because this was not currently the case, the detainees would have to remain in custody.

He said the final interpretation of the emails would have to wait until a full Special Immigration Appeals Commission hearing takes place next year and added: "On the information, open and closed, which we have now, we are not satisfied that the assessment by the security service of their likely meaning is clearly wrong."

The men's bail application was opposed by the Home Office, which submitted evidence that the five attended one or both of two meetings on 23 March and 1 April in which the "nikah" was also discussed.

Of the five men, students Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, from Liverpool, have waived their right to anonymity.

They were among 12 terror suspects arrested in April in a high-profile police operation across the North-West.

Three of the other men originally arrested were later released. A further two have also since been freed but have been electronically tagged and are due to be removed from the country for alleged visa irregularities.

The raids had been rushed forward after the Met's then anti-terror chief, Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, was photographed carrying details of the planned operation into Downing Street.

He resigned the following day because of the blunder.

The failure of the raids to result in any prosecutions led to concern from some critics that police and MI5 had overreacted and unfairly targeted the men detained.

But security sources insist that the raids successfully disrupted a potentially major plot.

Asian Image : Emails led to North West terror arrests

2009-08-14T23:30:00.000-04:00

AFP : Pakistanis denied bail over Qaeda suspicions: judge

2009-08-14T23:28:00.001-04:00

Pakistanis denied bail over Qaeda suspicions: judge

August 14, 2009

LONDON — Five Pakistani men arrested in a major anti-terror swoop were denied bail due to a series of emails which could have implicated them in an Al-Qaeda plot, a judge revealed on Friday.

The five were among 12 men -- 11 Pakistanis and one Briton -- who were arrested in raids in April but not subsequently charged with any criminal offences.

Along with two other men who did not apply for bail, the five are challenging attempts by the government to deport them on the grounds that they posed a threat to national security.

The five were denied bail at a hearing of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) at the end of last month -- the reasons for which were revealed Friday.

Judge John Mitting said a string of emails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men -- identified only as XC -- and another attributed to an Al-Qaeda associate were "central to the open case of the appellants".

The emails XC sent to "Sohaib" seemed to refer to a "nikah", or wedding, but the security services believe otherwise.

"They appear to refer to XC's interest in named girls and to a nikah after 15th and before 20th April 2009 with one of them, Nadia," Mitting said in a written statement.

"The assessment of the Security Service is that references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made and that the reference to the nikah is 'most likely' reference to an intended attack."

The judge said the final interpretation of the emails would have to wait until a full SIAC hearing next year.

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.

BBC : Cleared terror man fights to stay

2009-08-14T23:26:00.000-04:00

Cleared terror man fights to stay

August 14, 2009

One of the men arrested in north-west England accused of being part of an alleged terror plot has told a tribunal he is a genuine student.

Pakistani Janas Khan was one of 12 men who were arrested and released without charge in the raids in April.

The Home Office is trying to deport him, saying he had falsely stated on his visa he was not working while studying, when in fact he was.

He disputed the hours they said he was working and said he was a good student.

At the tribunal, the Home Office produced a form on which Mr Khan had stated he was not working while studying.

'Ordinary student'

But they said he was working part time as a security guard in Clitheroe, Lancs, and produced time sheets showing he was working up to 50 hours a week, when the maximum students can work is 20 hours per week.

Mr Khan said he did not work all of the shifts and often subcontracted the work to other people.

His barrister, John Nicholson said it was a very loose form of employment without a contract or terms and conditions.

Mr Nicholson said: "He is not a terrorist, he is not an asylum seeker, he is an ordinary student who's done very well in his classes, getting very good marks. He has got a lot of support from the Liverpool Hope University here today."

Mr Khan said: "If I don't get my degree I will go home with empty hands and I won't have a future."

The tribunal also heard if he returned to Pakistan without his degree, the cloud of suspicion would remain over him because of the fact he was arrested in the counter terrorism operation.

The judge's decision should be relayed to Khan within the next 10 days.

Reuters : Pakistani suspects refused UK bail due coded email

2009-08-14T23:25:00.000-04:00

Pakistani suspects refused UK bail due coded email

August 14, 2009

LONDON (Reuters) - Five Pakistani men arrested in a British anti-terrorism operation but never charged have been refused bail because they had exchanged a series of coded emails, officials said.

The five were among 12 men, mostly students, arrested in high profile counter-terrorism raids across northwest England in April but never formally charged with any criminal offence because of insufficent evidence.

They are being detained while the government tries to deport them and were refused bail at their hearing last month, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), which deals with such cases, revealed on Friday.

A series of seven emails exchanged between Shoaib Khan, 27, and an associate alleged to be an al Qaeda operative detailed a 'nikah' or wedding which the British Security Service said "most likely" referred to an intended attack.

The emails also included girls' names such as 'Nadia' which might refer to ingredients used in an explosive device, the ruling said.

Khan's lawyer said the emails referred to girls, though not by their own names, that Khan hoped to marry in April 2009. Final interpretation of the emails will be addressed at a hearing next year.

The five Pakistanis, who will remain in custody until that hearing, have not been linked to anyone arrested with explosives, and no explosives have been found, SIAC said.

Several hundred officers took part in the raids, which had to be hurriedly brought forward after Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer was photographed openly carrying a secret document detailing plans for the arrests.

Britain has demanded Pakistan do more to combat terrorism. Most terrorist plots in Britain since Sept. 11, 2001 have had links to Pakistan, including suicide bombings in July 2005 which killed 52 people on London's underground and bus network.

Pakistan criticised Britain over the April arrests, saying more could have been done to check the background of foreign students.

(Reporting by Farah Master, editing by Tim Pearce)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Daily Mail : Terror suspects denied bail by judge because of emails 'linking them to Al Qaeda bomb plot'

2009-08-14T15:27:00.003-04:00

Terror suspects denied bail by judge because of emails 'linking them to Al Qaeda bomb plot'

By Daily Mail Reporter | August 14, 2009

Seven Pakistani men were arrested in a major anti-terrorist raid because MI5 believed emails they sent contained codewords referring to a planned attack.

One email suggested that a girl called 'Nadia' would be involved in a 'nikah', a wedding, between 15th and 20th April this year - part of an exchange which defence lawyers claim was entirely innocent.

The message triggered a major anti-terrorist operation after MI5, which had been monitoring the men for some time, decided that the girls’ names were code for explosive ingredients and the 'wedding' was the intended attack.

Giving the reasons for his decision today, Mr Justice Mitting said a series of emails exchanged between an address attributed to one of the men and another attributed to an al Qaeda associate were 'central to the open case against the appellants'.

The emails from the man, identified only as XC, to 'Sohaib"'appear to refer to a 'nikah', or wedding.

In a written statement, Mr Justice Mitting said: 'They appear to refer to XC's interest in named girls and to a nikah (wedding) after 15th and before 20th April 2009 with one of them, Nadia.

'The assessment of the security service is that references to named girls could be to ingredients from which an explosive device could be made and that the reference to the nikah is "most likely" reference to an intended attack.'

Mr Justice Mitting continued: 'The first, and ultimately determinative issue, is, therefore: is the assessment of the security service plainly wrong?'

Richard Hermer QC, for XC, told last month's hearing that the security service's account of the emails was far-fetched and the emails were no more than innocent social discussions.

Mr Justice Mitting said the final interpretation of the emails would have to wait until a full SAC hearing takes place next year.

He said: 'On the information, open and closed, which we have now, we are not satisfied that the assessment by the security service of their likely meaning is clearly wrong.'

Mr Justice Mitting added that the 'undisputed fact' that no explosive materials have been recovered was 'at least a significant gap' in the Government's case against the men.

'Ultimately, it may prove to be more than that,' he said.

'On any view, it assists the appellants in their denial of participation in attack planning. But at present it does no more than that.'

The Home Secretary's case also rests on evidence that the five men attended one or both of two meetings on March 23 and April 1 in which the 'nikah' was also discussed.

Lawyers for the men have sought assurances that they will not be arrested and detained indefinitely if they are forced to go back to Pakistan.

Mr Justice Mitting said: 'The Secretary of State's case on the issue of safety on return is far from complete. All we can say, for present purposes, is that is it not clear that the Secretary of State will not be able to demonstrate that it is safe to return the appellants to Pakistan.'

He said there was no reason to doubt the men came from respectable families and that each of them were undertaking legitimate study.

Of the five men, students Abdul Khan, 26, and Shoaib Khan, 27, from Liverpool, have waived their right to anonymity.

Teletext : Bail denial to be explained

2009-08-14T03:38:00.001-04:00

Bail denial to be explained

August 14, 2009

The reasons why a group of Pakistani men held in an anti-terror operation in the North West were denied bail by an immigration court are to be revealed.

The five men - among 12 held by police in April's Operation Pathway - were never charged with any offence.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission is to give the reasons behind the decision.

Telegraph : Manchester 'terror plot' emails

2009-07-30T23:08:00.001-04:00

Manchester 'terror plot' emails

Extracts from emails intercepted by MI5 in connection with an alleged al-Qaeda plot in Manchester

July 30, 2009

Dec 3 11.33am

from humaonion@xxxxx.com (student in Manchester) to sana_pakhtana@xxxxx.com (contact in Pakistan called Sohaib)

I saw a slight glimpse of Huma day before yesterday but she was very weak and difficult to convince.

Nadia is more gorgeous than Huma at the moment and she is easy to befriend….Nadia is crystal clear girl and it wont take long to relate with her.

Dec 14 12.18pm

from Pakistan to Manchester

Hmm tell me that how is ur sweety girl friend I miss her a lot

Dec 15 8.47pm

From Manchester to Pakistan

About my Girl friend. As I told you about Huma’s affair. Nadia is still waiting for my response. She is very loyal and She has created a place in my heart. You know Gulnaz and Fozia. WOW man. I would love to get them in my friends list but you know I have been thinking about their abilities. Gulnaz sounds ok but she is found [sic] of money. Fozia is some times bull shit. She lets you down sometime.

I am still keeping my car because most of the jobs they ask for it and other reason is you know girls mostly like guys with car.

Jan 15 2009 12.41pm

from Pakistan to Manchester

hmmmm so u have a lot of girl friendsss me also like girlsssss pay my salam [greetings] for ur girls friend ok

when ever u will mariii soo plz first see ur girl friend how is she…is she nice and beautiy and honest bec [because] we marii in life on [only] one time

Feb 16 1.35pm

from Manchester to Pakistan

You know what girls are like. I am bore of being bachelor now LOL [laughs out loud] so I would try to make it happen in the near future. I will be careful about my choice because your whole family life depends upon the decision.

April 3 4.19pm

from Manchester to Pakistan

I met with Nadia family and we both parties have agreed to conduct the nikah [wedding] after 15th and before 20th of this month.

I am delighted that they have strong family values and we will have many guests attending the party. Anyways I wished you could be here as well to enjoy the party.

THE CODE

MI5 believe that the student was using the girls’ names Huma, Nadia, Gulnaz and Fozia to refer to different bomb-making chemicals.

“Weak and difficult to convince” is thought to refer to the strength of hydrogen peroxide available, and “crystal clear” to the strength of another chemical.

Their “abilities” and “letting you down” refer to how efficient the chemicals were, to which the answer from Pakistan comes that that the girl should be “nice and beautiful and honest because we marry in life only once.”

The security service feared that a reference to “girls mostly like guys with car” referred to a possible car bomb and the constant reference to weddings and parties, to the attack itself.

Telegraph : Cars and girls: email 'codewords’ that put MI5 on terrorist alert

2009-07-30T23:01:00.000-04:00

Cars and girls: email 'codewords’ that put MI5 on terrorist alert

By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | July 30, 2009

A Muslim terrorist suspect sent coded emails to an al-Qaeda commander in which references to his impending marriage were in fact details of a planned bomb attack in Britain, MI5 has claimed.

The messages, intercepted by the security service, allegedly showed that an extremist cell in Manchester was communicating with a commander in Pakistan to execute an Easter bombing campaign.

The emails, written by a 23-year-old Pakistani student, appeared to refer to several girlfriends and plans to buy a car. But the Home Office claimed that the text was code for a car-bomb attack intended to take place within days.

It led to the largest terrorist alert in Britain for two years and a series of arrests, which were brought forward after Bob Quick, the then head of counter-terrorism at the Metropolitan Police, was pictured walking into Downing Street holding a piece of paper disclosing details of the operation, code-named Pathway.

Police across the North West moved in to arrest 11 students on April 8. During subsequent raids, officers found an A-to-Z with streets marked, photographs of shopping centres and a video of the men on a trip to the Welsh countryside. However, they found no evidence of bomb-making and none of the men was charged with terrorism offences.

On Monday, the eight emails were presented in evidence to a special hearing before a high court judge to decide whether the men should be deported.

MI5 believed that girls’ names were used to refer to chemicals and that talk of a “wedding” was actually a reference to the bombing itself. In one of the messages, allegedly sent to an al-Qaeda commander in Pakistan, the student, alleged to have been the leader of the cell, wrote that he planned to get married in 12 to 17 days. That caused alarm among the security services who feared an attack was imminent.

The Government is now attempting to have 10 men, who entered the country on student visas, deported to Pakistan, claiming they are a threat to national security.

In legal documents submitted by Robin Tam QC, for the Home Secretary, the Government maintained that the men were members of a “UK-based network involved in terrorist operational activity in the UK, most likely attack planning” and that the network was “directed by al-Qaeda based overseas”.

MI5 believes that the 23-year-old student, who cannot be named but is referred to as XC, was the “linchpin” of the group.

Eight men are appealing against deportation at the tribunal, including XC, Abdul Wahab Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammed Ramzan, Ahmed Faraz Khan and Tariq ur-Rehman, who has returned to Pakistan voluntarily.

Two others, Janas Khan and Sultan Sher, have been bailed pending deportation for visa irregularities, although the Government still maintains that they were “involved in an extreme Islamist network”. A British man, Hamza Shinwari, was released without further action being taken.

The men claim they were just friends and the trip to Wales was for sightseeing and playing cricket. Pictures in which they posed as “commandos” were just for fun, they said.

Richard Hermer QC, for XC, said that the Government’s evidence was of a “pitiful quality” and that the investigation by MI5 had been “at best incompetent”. “Despite what we assume was the most rigorous of counter-terrorism investigations, not one jot of evidence was found of bomb-making,” he said.

The Government’s case would “dissolve” if a thorough examination was made of XC’s internet use, which comprised hundreds of emails and visits to Muslim chat rooms in connection with a relationship, Mr Hermer said.

He added that, through text messages on XC’s mobile phone, police had traced a young woman who confirmed they were in a relationship and considering marriage.

The men were all denied bail yesterday pending a full hearing in March or April next year.

Telegraph : Manchester 'terror plot': problems MI5 face with intercepting emails

2009-07-30T22:11:00.000-04:00

Manchester 'terror plot': problems MI5 face with intercepting emails

By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | July 30, 2009

On the face of it a series of emails that compare the merits of girls who are “gorgeous” or “weak and difficult to convince” would not be the kind of thing to spark a nationwide terrorist alert.

The difficulty MI5 and GCHQ have always faced is trying to sift innocuous communications from those that may contain vital information on a potential attack and then to de-code them.

Their starting point has to be in identifying their targets and these days that is followed by a request for warrants to tap into emails.

Once that is done all the email traffic requested is diverted from the internet server to an analyst whose job it is to sift the humdrum from crucial intelligence.

In some cases they can spot a series of give away indications that are supposed to flag up to the recipient that this is an important email.

These emails contain some of those, although we cannot reveal what they are.

Another indication is a series of exchanges that do not seem to discuss anything, often sandwiched between platitudes and meaningless greetings.

The analysts are well practiced at attempting to decode the cryptic language used by al-Qaeda.

In the past terrorist have used the words “come over” even though they were on different continents – meaning “go on-line” – while others have talked in street slang using the term “nigga” and “BigDawg” to disguise their purpose.

The use of girls’ names is also a popular device designed to persuade anyone intercepting the emails that the senders are more interested in earthly pursuits than terrorism.

The problem is that the emails may not contain incriminating information at all, and in this case the decision to move in has resulted in a tussle in the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) rather than the courts.

SIAC has the advantage of being able to hear information such as these emails behind closed doors but the crucial information they will want to know is who was receiving them.

Despite the lack of convictions and the men’s vehement protestations of innocence in Britain and Pakistan, MI5 feel vindicated. They maintain these men were connected to al-Qaeda and were planning an attack, and the fact that did not go ahead is enough for them.

Dawn : Bail pleas of seven students rejected in Britain

2009-07-30T12:27:00.000-04:00

Bail pleas of seven students rejected in Britain

By M. Ziauddin | July 30, 2009

LONDON: The Special Immigration Appeals Commission on Wednesday rejected bail applications of all seven Pakistani students originally arrested along with three of their other countrymen on suspicion of being involved in terrorism activities but later released for want of actionable evidence and ordered to be deported on the grounds of national security.

Their appeals against deportation orders will now come up for hearing not before April 2010 when they would be completing almost one full year in detention since their arrest in April this year.

Out of the 10 arrested students one has already left for Pakistan voluntarily and two were released earlier this month on bail but are under police surveillance round the clock.

Soon after it was found that the students were arrested without any hard evidence, the British Home Office, looking for a face-saver, tried to rush the Pakistan government into signing a MoU under which it would be obliged not to arrest or torture any Pakistani the British government would deport on grounds of national security.

Islamabad refused to sign any such document on the grounds that if anyone was deported for being a threat to UK’s national security he would be as much a threat to its security because Pakistan was a front-line state in the war against terrorism.

Sibghatullah Kadri QC, who appeared pro bono on behalf of one of the detainees, told Dawn after the bail application was rejected that this was the first time in his legal career in the UK spanning over almost half a century that he found the ‘fair-minded’ British legal system trying to hide behind highly unfair rules.

‘It is nothing but pure pique on the part of British Home Office,’ he said. ‘Having failed to obtain a face saver from Pakistan the HO was now bent upon destroying the lives and the careers of the seven students,’ he added.

He was not sure if the appeals against deportation orders would come up for hearing even in April 2010, ‘I think they don’t have any intention of releasing them on bail and under the law they cannot deport them unless Pakistan agrees to sign an unfair agreement so I suspect that they would shut the doors on these students and throw the keys.’

Top News (India) : Britain denies bail to cleared Pakistani ''terror suspect'' students

2009-07-30T01:42:00.000-04:00

Britain denies bail to cleared Pakistani ''terror suspect'' students

Submitted by Mohit Joshi | July 30, 2009

July 30 : British authorities have denied bail to Pakistani students detained earlier this year on national security grounds in simultaneous raids conducted across the country.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission after hearing the bail pleas of two students, Muhammad Ramazan and Ahmad Faraz at the Royal Courts of Justice here, refused to grant bail in all seven cases levied against them, The Daily Times reports.

The commission also turned down the application filed by other two students, Abdul Wahab Khan and Shoaib Khan filed earlier in the week.

Hearing the bail pleas, Justice Mitting said that none of the applications were viable for bail, and said: "Full reasons will be given in due course'.

It may be recalled that 12 students were arrested in raids across Britain in April. Ten out of the 12 taken into custody were Pakistanis, who had come to Britain on student visas.

After three weeks of intense interrogation all charges against the students were dropped in May due to lack of evidence.

However, they have been kept locked in high-security prisons under immigration laws, and handed over to the UK Borders Agency for deportation. (ANI)

Pakistan Times : Bail plea of Pakistani students in UK rejected

2009-07-30T01:41:00.000-04:00

Bail plea of Pakistani students in UK rejected

'Pakistan Times' UK Bureau | July 30, 2009

LONDON (UK): The bail applications moved by incarcerated Pakistani students - detained by the British authorities on reasons of national security - have been refused by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.

The Commission at the Royal Courts of Justice in Central London heard bail applications of Muhammad Ramazan and Ahmad Faraz in open and secret sessions and refused bail in all the seven cases.

The bail applications on behalf of Abdul Wahab Khan and Shoaib Khan which were moved Tuesday by Barrister Sigbhatullah Kadri and solicitor Amjad Malik were also turned down and as that of Abid Naseer which was submitted on Monday.

The solicitors for Rizwan Sharif and Muhammad Farooq did not apply for bail today but according to Amjad Malik, Justice Mitting turned all applications down saying “none admitted to bail and full reasons will be given in due course.”

The students were among 12 persons arrested last April in a security swoop across north west England by the British anti-terror units.After three weeks, the charges were dropped on lack of evidence but the students - ten of whom hailing from NWFP - were handed over to the UK Borders Agency for deportation.

One of them Tariq-ur-Rehman returned home last month on his own after the British authorities agreed to withdraw deportation charges. The authorities have already released two other students Janas Khan and Sher Khan from detention.

Daily Times : Britain refuses bail to Pakistani students

2009-07-30T01:29:00.000-04:00

Britain refuses bail to Pakistani students

APP | Thursday, July 30, 2009

LONDON: The Special Immigration Appeals Commission on Wednesday refused bail applications moved by Pakistani students, detained by the British authorities for "posing a high risk" to the UK national security.

The commission at the Royal Courts of Justice in Central London heard bail pleas by Muhammad Ramazan and Ahmad Faraz in open and secret sessions and refused bail in all seven cases. The bail applications on behalf of Abdul Wahab Khan and Shoaib Khan, which were moved on Tuesday by Barrister Sigbhatullah Kadri and solicitor Amjad Malik, and that of Abid Naseer – submitted on Monday – were also turned down.

The attorneys for Rizwan Sharif and Muhammad Farooq did not apply for bail on Wednesday but according to Amjad Malik, Justice Mitting turned all applications down saying "none admitted to bail and full reasons will be given in due course".

The students were among 12 people arrested last April in a security swoop across north-west England by the British anti-terror units. After three weeks, the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence but the students, 10 of whom hailing from the NWFP, were handed over to the UK Borders Agency for deportation. One of them, Tariqur Rehman, returned home last month on his own after the British authorities agreed to withdraw deportation charges. The authorities have already released two other students – Janas Khan and Sher Khan.

Sky News : 'High Risk' Pakistani Students Refused Bail

2009-07-29T13:07:00.002-04:00

'High Risk' Pakistani Students Refused Bail

Tom Rayner, home affairs producer | July 29, 2009

Seven Pakistani students who "pose a high risk" to UK national security have been refused bail while they await deportation hearings next year.

The men were arrested during anti-terror raids as part of Operation Pathway, which took place across the North West of England in April.

The operation had to be brought forward when Britain's then anti-terrorism chief Bob Quick was photographed carrying clearly visible secret papers relating to the raids.

None of the men has been charged with terror offences, due to insufficient evidence.

Lawyers representing them argued it was unacceptable to remand them in custody while they awaited an appeal next spring, which will consider whether they can be deported to Pakistan.

But Mr Justice Mitting has delivered the judgement of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission which ruled in favour of the Government, agreeing that bail should not be granted.

Anonymity restrictions have been lifted in the cases of Ahmed Faraz Khan, Mohammed Ramsen, Abdul Wahab Khan and Shoaib Khan.

Three other men cannot be identified.

A Home Office spokesperson welcomed the decision, saying: "Protecting the public is the Government's top priority and we argued that this is best served by not granting these men bail while we seek their deportation on national security grounds."

Earlier this month it was revealed that two of the 11 men arrested in the raids across the North West were no longer considered a security risk.

Sultan Sher and Janus Khan, who have been bailed, now face deportation on the grounds of "visa irregularities".

The Hindu : Pak student was days away from terror attack: U.K. govt. London (PTI): A U.K.-based Pakistani student, one of the 12 alleged terror suspe

2009-07-29T12:30:00.000-04:00

Pak student was days away from terror attack: U.K. govt.

July 29, 2009

London (PTI): A U.K.-based Pakistani student, one of the 12 alleged terror suspects arrested in April, was just "days away" from launching a major terror attack in the country, a secret immigration court has heard.

All the 12 suspects, including 10 Pakistani men, were released without any charge after the Scotland Yard could not produce enough evidence against them.

The Pakistanis were transferred to the custody of the U.K. Borders Agency and await deportation.

Details of the attack as planned by the Pakistani student were revealed during the immigration hearing here.

The student, identified only as 'XC', had used coded emails to discuss a terror plot, the government said.

The police had seized 64 computers in the operation and a number of "oddly-phrased emails" to and from 'XC' were noticed during investigation.

Some emails used the terms "crystal clear", which officials said referred to chemicals, and "weak and difficult to convince" referred to the concentration of the bomb-making chemical hydrogen peroxide, according to reports.

The terror arrests in April were embroiled in controversy even before they could begin. Britain's senior most counter-terrorism officer Bob Quick had to quit after he accidentally revealed details of a major anti-terror operation during a visit to Downing Street on April 8.

This forced the police to advance the planned anti-terror raids in northwest England, to thwart a possible al-Qaeda-linked terror plot.

No signs of any explosive material were found despite extensive searches in Liverpool, Manchester and Lancashire.

APP : Bail applications of Pakistani students refused

2009-07-29T12:24:00.001-04:00

Bail applications of Pakistani students refused

July 29, 2009

LONDON, July 29 (APP)‑The bail applications moved by incarcerated Pakistani students, detained by the British authorities on reasons of national security, were refused Wednesday by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. The Commission at the Royal Courts of Justice in Central London heard bail applications of Muhammad Ramazan and Ahmad Faraz in open and secret sessions and refused bail in all seven cases.

The bail applications on behalf of Abdul Wahab Khan and Shoaib Khan which were moved Tuesday by Barrister Sigbhatullah Kadri and solicitor Amjad Malik were also turned down and as that of Abid Naseer which was submitted on Monday.

The solicitors for Rizwan Sharif and Muhammad Farooq did not apply for bail today but according to Amjad Malik, Justice Mr.Mitting turned all applications down saying “none admitted to bail and full reasons will be given in due course.”

The students were among 12 persons arrested last April in a security swoop across north west England by the British anti‑terror units. After three weeks, the charges were dropped on lack of evidence but the students, ten of whom hailing from NWFP, were handed over to the UK Borders Agency for deportation.

One of them Tariq‑ur‑Rehman returned home last month on his own after the British authorities agreed to withdraw deportation charges. The authorities have already released two other students Janas Khan and Sher Khan from detention.

Telegraph : Easter bomb plot 'leader' sent coded emails

2009-07-28T23:57:00.000-04:00

Easter bomb plot 'leader' sent coded emails

By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | July 28, 2009

The leader of an alleged terrorist cell said to be plotting an Easter bomb attack in Manchester sent emails about his girlfriend which were actually coded messages about the plot, it has been claimed.

The Pakistani student, referred to only as XC who lived in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, was the "lynchpin" of a gang that was only seven to 12 days from "executing a major terrorist bomb attack in the UK" when he was arrested on April 8, it was claimed.

Although he was not charged with any offence the Home Office is trying to deport him on the grounds he was a member of a "UK based network linked to al-Qaeda involved in attack planning."

It had been suggested that the targets were shopping centres in the city but the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) in London heard that the attack was against an "unspecified target."

SIAC was also told that police seized 64 computers and found a number of "oddly phrased emails" to and from XC, some of which used the terms "crystal clear," said to refer to chemicals, and "weak and difficult to convince" said to refer to the concentration of the bomb-making chemical hydrogen peroxide.

The commission heard that police had also found an A to Z map of Manchester on which a number of streets had been marked.

The gang, not including XC, were said to be under observation as they were "running and dancing" in the hills of Wales.

They were also seen meeting together on a number of other occasions.

Further details were heard behind closed doors as part of a bail hearing for XC but Richard Hermer QC for the appellant said the open evidence was of a "pitiful quality" and that the investigation by MI5 had been "at best incompetent."

"Despite what we assume was the most rigorous of counter-terrorism investigations, not one jot of evidence was found of bomb-making," he added.

He said the attempt by the security service to interpret the emails had failed to find any regular euphamisms in what they claimed was a "code" and they had admitted that the terms could also refer to weapons or recruiting other extremists.

"Context is everything and what needs to be done is to look at the totality of the respondent's use of the internet. If this is done the case will dissolve."

Mr Hermer said XC had sent hundreds of emails and been a regular visitor to Muslim websites and chat rooms in connection with a relationship.

He said police had been able to trace a young woman through XC's text messages who confirmed that she was in a relationship with him and they were talking about marriage.

Mr Hermer added that if there had been any evidence of a link to al-Qaeda, the government would have been obliged to have added the men's names to a United Nations list.

"He is a 23-year-old who has been branded as a terrorist with the intent to kill others and he wants to clear his name," Mr Hermer said.

Out of the 11 men arrested, a British man was released without charge, one has returned to Pakistan voluntarily, six others are also appealing against deportation and two have been bailed pending deportation for visa irregularities, although Robin Tam QC for the Home Secretary, claimed they were "involved in an extreme Islamist network."

APP : Judgement on Pakistan students bail application reserved

2009-07-28T12:02:00.000-04:00

Judgement on Pakistan students bail application reserved

July 28, 2009

LONDON, July 28 (APP)‑The bail applications moved by two Pakistani students, detained by the British authorities on reasons of national security, has been reserved till Wednesday by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. The bail applications on behalf of Abdul Wahab Khan and Shoaib Khan were moved at the Royal Courts of Justice in Central London Tuesday by Barrister Sigbhatullah Kadri and solicitor Amjad Malik.

A similar application filed by Abid Naseer on Monday was also reserved pending decision later this week.

The students were among 12 persons arrested last April in a security swoop across north west England by the British anti‑terror units.

After three weeks, the charges were dropped on lack of evidence but the students, ten of whom came from the Frontier Province, were handed over to the UK Borders Agency for deportation.

One of them Tariq‑ur‑Rehman returned home last month on his own after the British authorities agreed to withdraw deportation charges. The authorities have already released two other students Janas Khan and Sher Khan from detention.

APP : Judgement on Pakistan students bail application reserved

2009-07-28T01:30:00.000-04:00

Channel 4 News Student was 'days away' from terror attack

2009-07-27T12:35:00.000-04:00

Student was 'days away' from terror attack

By Channel 4 News | July 27, 2009

A secret immigration court hears evidence that a Pakistani student used coded emails to plan a major terrorist attack in Britain.

A Pakistani student was just "days away" from a major attack, an immigration court heard today, as intelligence officials alleged the man - named only as XC - had used coded emails to discuss a terror plot.

The student was detained during police raids in April, which were suddenly brought forward after former police chief Bob Quick inadvertently revealed the details on a document he was photographed carrying into Downing Street.

At a bail hearing, lawyers for XC said the case against him was "pitiful", with no evidence linking him to bomb making.

Asian News : 'Terror' arrest student tells of shock at arrest

2009-07-21T15:27:00.000-04:00

'Terror' arrest student tells of shock at arrest

July 21, 2009

A student who had been accused of being part of an alleged terror plot spoke of his shock at being arrested.

Janus Khan from Pakistan was among 12 men held during raids in the north west in April.

He and another man, Sultan Sher who was arrested while working in an internet cafe in Cheetham Hill, were released from custody on Friday.

Mr Khan was arrested in Liverpool, where he lived.

He must now wear an electronic tag and is facing deportation.

He told how police officers burst in adding: "It was a scary and shocking moment."

The 26-year-old, who was studying at Liverpool Hope University, was friends with six of the original 12 detained.

He denied holding extremist views or discussing extremism among the group, he said.

Staying in a Manchester hostel following his release from prison, Mr Khan said he was interviewed by officers more than 10 times.

Mr Khan and Mr Sher, who was living in Manchester, were detained as the Home Office sought to deport, claiming they were a threat to national security.

But that allegation was dropped last week a solicitor for one of them has said.

Home Office officials said the government would seek to deport them for alleged visa irregularities.

Mr Sher and Mr Khan were arrested as part of Operation Pathway, which was launched early, after a senior police officer exposed details of the plans.

Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, who resigned from the Metropolitan Police over the incident, was photographed with a secret document on his way to Downing Street.

Local campaigning group, Justice for the North West 10 has welcome the release of the two men and has urged the Home Office to immediately release the seven students still in prison.

National co-ordinator of the j4nw10 campaign, Tariq Mehmood said: "The government now admits they are innocent and they are not ‘a threat to national security’.

"Why then are Janus and Sultan being humiliated by being tagged like animals? This is a clear breach of their human rights and an attempt to save face by the authorities, since it is now obvious to the public that there was no ‘terror plot’."

He said: "The deportation orders were to hide government and police embarrassment at the lack of evidence against the students and control orders will perform the same function. This government acts as though it is above the law and refuses to admit it has ruined innocent lives in this appalling affair.

"It's now clear that Gordon Brown has misled the nation. There was never any terror plot. He should publicly apologise and resign."

The group also want the government to apologise to all the students and their families and to compensate all the students for the time and money they have lost as a result of the disruption of their studies and for the 13 weeks they were held Category A prisoners.

Added Mr Rehman: "We will continue to campaign for these demands and for the immediate, unconditional release of all the students."

Guardian : Britain downgrades al-Qaida terror attack alert level

2009-07-20T14:14:00.000-04:00

Britain downgrades al-Qaida terror attack alert level

Officials reduce assessment of threat from 'severe' to 'substantial', its lowest level since 9/11

Alan Travis, home affairs editor | July 20, 2009

The official assessment of the threat level of an al-Qaida terrorist attack on Britain has been lowered from "severe" – where an attack is deemed highly likely – to "substantial", where an attack is considered a strong possibility.

The decision to lower the official threat level follows a new assessment by MI5 and the joint terrorism analysis centre, based on intelligence gathered in Britain and abroad on how close terrorist groups may be to staging an attack.

The designation of a "substantial" threat level is the lowest since 9/11. It confirms that the swine flu pandemic is now a bigger threat to the life of the nation than terrorism.

The home secretary, Alan Johnson, acknowledged that fact on Sunday, when he told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that swine flu came "above terrorism as a threat to this country". He said the long-term preparations had involved the whole "Cobra machinery", a reference to the Cabinet's emergency committe that handles major disasters.

The decision reportedly follows an official assessment of Operation Pathway, one of MI5's biggest counterterrorism campaigns, which led to the arrest of 11 Pakistani men in April. All those arrested were released without charge, and no explosives or weapons were found.

The system of threat levels is made up of five stages. At "critical", an attack is expected imminently. At "severe", an attack is regarded as highly likely. At "substantial", an attack is a strong possibility. At "moderate" an attack is possible but not likely. And at "low", an attack is deemed unlikely.

The home secretary said in a statement: "We still face a real and serious threat from terrorists and the public will notice little difference in the security measures that are in place, and I urge the public to remain vigilant. The police and security services are continuing in their thorough efforts to discover, track and disrupt terrorist activity."

Telegraph : Pakistani student arrested during terror raids 'to be deported for visa irregularities'

2009-07-20T09:34:00.001-04:00

Pakistani student arrested during terror raids 'to be deported for visa irregularities'

By Ian Johnston | July 20, 2009

A Pakistani student arrested at gunpoint during an anti-terrorism operation is facing deportation for "visa irregularities" despite not being charged after the raids, it was claimed.

Janas Khan, 26, was arrested along with 11 other foreign students in April during 'Operation Pathway'.

It had to be brought forward by police after Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick was photographed as he walked into Downing Street, holding a file displaying details of the planned operation.

Despite being released without charge Mr Khan, who was studying for a Masters of Business Administration at Liverpool Hope University, is now facing deportation because of "visa irregularities".

He has also been forced to wear an electronic tag.

Mr Khan, who also works as a part-time as a security guard, protested his innocence during a series of interviews at the weekend.

He said: "Growing up we heard that the UK was the one place that respected human rights and justice, which is why I wanted to study here. I'm shocked and angry. I am innocent and I still can't believe I was arrested on no evidence.

"We came to this country to make our future, not to ruin it, not to destroy it. Our family sent us to do our degrees so when we go back to our country we get a good job."

He denied he and the six other arrested men he knows had ever been involved in extremism and when asked if they had even talked about it, he told Channel 4 News: "No, not too much.

"It was the best of life we were mostly discussing - about girls and class fellows and about our studies."

He said when he was arrested armed officers burst in, saying "don't move" and "put your hands up".

"I don't have words to describe that moment. It was a scary and shocking moment for us," he said.

Mr Khan, originally from Peshawar, and another man, Sultan Sher, were released from custody on Friday.

Now staying in a Manchester hostel following his release from Woodhill Prison, Mr Khan said he was interviewed by officers more than 10 times.

"They were asking me about my friends," he said.

"There was some pictures put in front of me and they were asking 'who's this guy?', 'who's this guy?'...'how did you meet with him?"

Mr Khan and Mr Sher, from Manchester, were detained as the Home Office sought to deport them, claiming they posed a threat to national security.

But that allegation was dropped last week, a solicitor for one of the men said.

Home Office officials said the Government would now seek to deport them for visa irregularities.

A spokesman said: "These individuals no longer meet the required criteria for detention on the grounds of national security.

"They are currently detained pending removal on immigration grounds, but legally we cannot hold them indefinitely.

"We are therefore putting in place suitable and robust measures to ensure we are fully aware of their whereabouts as we progress their cases for removal."

Lawyer Mohammed Ayub said the terror allegations against his client were "groundless" and he would oppose the continuing attempts to deport him.

He said: "It beggars belief that the Secretary of State could behave like this. Why was my client held in custody for all this time?

"I wish to state my client is entitled to an unreserved apology and no further action should be taken against him."

Of the remaining men held during the raid, one has joint British and Pakistani citizenship and has been released.

Another has returned to Pakistan voluntarily and an Afghan man is in custody pending deportation for allegedly being in the UK illegally.

The remaining seven still face deportation on the grounds of national security.

Their case returns to court later this month.

Belfast Telegraph : Pakistani student 'shocked' at terror arrest

2009-07-20T09:25:00.001-04:00

Pakistani student 'shocked' at terror arrest

July 20, 2009

A Pakistani student accused of being part of an alleged terror plot has spoken of his shock at being arrested.

Janus Khan was among 12 men held during raids in the north west of England in April.

He and another man, Sultan Sher, were released from custody on Friday.

Mr Khan, who has been made to wear an electronic tag and is facing deportation following his three-month ordeal, told Channel 4 News police officers burst in, saying "don't move" and "put your hands up".

He said: "I don't have words to describe that moment.

"It was a scary and shocking moment for us."

The 26-year-old, who was studying at Liverpool Hope University and worked part-time as a security guard, was friends with six of the original 12 detained, he told the programme.

He denied holding extremist views or discussing extremism among the group, chatting instead about girls and their studies, he said.

Now staying in a Manchester hostel following his release from Woodhill Prison, Mr Khan said he was interviewed by officers more than 10 times.

"They were asking me about my friends," he said. "There was some pictures put in front of me and they were asking 'who's this guy?', 'who's this guy?'...'how did you meet with him?"

Mr Khan and Mr Sher, from Manchester, were detained as the Home Office sought to deport them, claiming they posed a threat to national security.

But that allegation was dropped last week, a solicitor for one of the men said.

Home Office officials said the Government would now seek to deport them for visa irregularities.

A spokesman said: "These individuals no longer meet the required criteria for detention on the grounds of national security.

"They are currently detained pending removal on immigration grounds, but legally we cannot hold them indefinitely.

"We are therefore putting in place suitable and robust measures to ensure we are fully aware of their whereabouts as we progress their cases for removal."

Lawyer Mohammed Ayub said the terror allegations against his client were "groundless" and he would oppose the continuing attempts to deport him.

He said: "It beggars belief that the Secretary of State could behave like this.

"Why was my client held in custody for all this time?

"I wish to state my client is entitled to an unreserved apology and no further action should be taken against him."

Of the remaining men held during the raid, one has joint British and Pakistani citizenship and has been released.

Another has returned to Pakistan voluntarily and an Afghan man is in custody pending deportation for being in the UK illegally.

The remaining seven still face deportation on the grounds of national security.

Their case returns to court on July 27.

Mr Sher and Mr Khan were arrested on April 18 as part of Operation Pathway, which was launched early after a senior police officer exposed details of the plans.

Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, who resigned from the Metropolitan Police over the incident, was photographed with a secret document on his way in to Downing Street.

La'eeq : MCB Writes to Lord Carlile and Operation Pathway

2009-07-19T14:53:00.004-04:00

MCB Writes to Lord Carlile and Operation Pathway

Sunday, July 19, 2009

~~~

24 April 2009

The MCB has written to Lord Carlile, the independent reviewer of counter terrorism legislation, commending his initiative to launch an inquiry into "Operation Pathway". The resentment and anger caused by this particular case of 12 innocent men's detention and trial by media should not be underestimated, but the MCB's is particularly concerned that this is not an isolated case and incidents damaging to community relations are being repeated, with the lessons not being learned.

"While the media coverage may bring kudos in high circles, it is Muslims in Britain who bear the consequences. It is they who are emerging as the "suspect community" and who are viewed with suspicion by their neighbours. The reports are exploited by the extreme right wing and fascists. Each time there are tabloid headlines demonising Muslims, verbal and physical attacks follow. There is a real human price being paid", noted Dr Bari, MCB Secretary General in the letter.

In the letter, the MCB also urges Lord Carlile to critique the "intelligence gathering" aspects of counter-terrorism. Operation Pathway, it is believed, involved members of the public who had "undergone a crash course in surveillance techniques" (Sunday Express, 19th April 2009). Affiliates of the MCB have confirmed the climate of snooping. Are not the authorities mindful of the breakdown of trust and the impact on matters of ordinary civil policing? The MCB also hopes that his inquiry would analyse the flawed nature of recent anti-terrorism legislation, such as the reduction in the burden of proof and the provision for blanket stop and search powers.

Much rests on Lord Carlile to bring back our law enforcement agencies back into line, restore public confidence as a matter of urgency, and ensure that the lessons are being taken on board.

[Ends]

The Muslim Council of Britain is an umbrella body of some 500 mosques, charities and schools. For further information please contact:

The Muslim Council of Britain
PO Box 57330
London E1 2WJ

Tel: 0845 26 26 786
Fax: 0207 247 7079

media@mcb.org.uk

Please read the full text of the letter sent to Lord Carlile from the following link provided:

http://www.mcb.org.uk/uploads/LetterToLordCarlile.PDF

posted by Muhammad Maalik La'eeq @ Sunday, July 19, 2009

Channel 4 News : Interview with released terror suspect

2009-07-19T09:40:00.000-04:00

Interview with released terror suspect

July 19, 2009

Arrested by armed officers on suspicion of terrorism, then held for three months in a high-security jail, a Pakistani student rounded up in April as part of an alleged terror plot has spoken exclusively to Channel 4 News about his ordeal.

Janus Khan was one of 12 students arrested in a police swoop suddenly brought forward after former anti-terrorism chief Bob Quick was photographed in Downing Street with documents revealing details of the operation.

No charges have been brought, and Janus Khan was told on Friday that he was no longer considered a threat to national security.

But he is still being made to wear an electronic tag and is facing deportation.

[video link]

Independent : Pakistani students launch legal action over arrests

2009-07-19T09:37:00.000-04:00

Pakistani students launch legal action over arrests

By Emily Dugan | July 19, 2009

Janas Khan, one of two Pakistani students released from prison yesterday months after terrorism charges against them were dropped, has told The Independent on Sunday he was "shocked and angry" at his treatment by the UK Government. Lawyers acting for the remaining seven Pakistani students still held in prison have also announced they will launch a legal challenge against the Government this week.

The 26-year-old business student began to cry as he said: "Growing up we heard that the UK was the one place that respected human rights and justice, which is why I wanted to study here. I'm shocked and angry. I am innocent and I still can't believe I was arrested on no evidence."

Sultan Sher was also released from prison yesterday. The two were among 12 students who were arrested in April after the UK's most senior counterterrorism officer was photographed walking into Downing Street carrying highly sensitive documents revealing details of the operation. The details were visible, and a premature police operation against an alleged al-Qa'ida plot ensued. The officer responsible, Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, resigned.

Criminal charges against all the students were dropped in May because of insufficient evidence, but they have been kept locked in high-security prisons under immigration laws. "They never told us what it was that we were supposed to have done," said Mr Khan. His studies were due to finish in September, but the limitations of his parole conditions means it will be impossible to travel from Manchester to meet his tutors in Liverpool.

Legal challenges for the remaining students will now add to the authorities' embarrassment following the bungled terror case. Two lawsuits will contest the legality of the Government's use of secret evidence in their continued imprisonment as well as the lawfulness of the initial arrest.

Times : Terrorist threat lowest since 9/11

2009-07-18T18:09:00.001-04:00

Terrorist threat lowest since 9/11

David Leppard | The Sunday Times | July 19, 2009

THE threat of an Al-Qaeda attack on Britain is lower than at any time since before the 9/11 attacks, MI5 has privately concluded.

Well-placed officials said there had been discussions in MI5 over the past month about whether to reduce the terrorist threat level from “severe” – where an attack is deemed highly likely – to “substantial”, where it is “a strong possibility”.

The assessment follows Operation Pathway, one of MI5’s biggest counterterrorist campaigns. It led to the arrest of 11 Pakistani men in April.

The men were released without charge. When no explosives or weapons were found, critics said the operation revealed the absence of any terrorist plot against the UK.

Although MI5 declined to comment, evidence of the perceived lower risk came last week when the US navy moored a warship, the Halyburton, in London.

“The Americans wouldn’t dream of [it] if the threat of an attack was high,” a security official said.

LittleAbout : Britain drops deportation orders for Pak students

2009-07-18T09:36:00.000-04:00

Britain drops deportation orders for Pak students

July 18, 2009

London, July 18 - ANI: Britain has withdrawn deportation orders on two of the nine Pakistani students who were detained on national security grounds earlier this year.

Both students, Sultan Sher and Janas Khan belong to the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in Pakistan and were arrested from Leeds and Milton Keynes respectively.

The students are expected to be released once authorities complete the legal formalities, The Nation reports.

Students attorney said that the officials would now go through the usual immigration process, and if their visas are found legal and valid, they will be allowed to continue their study in Britain.

It may be noted that 12 students were arrested in simultaneous raids across Britain in April. Ten out of the 12 taken into custody were Pakistanis, who had came to Britain on students visa.

However, after three weeks of intense interrogation all charges against the students were dropped due to lack of evidence. They were then handed over to the UK Borders Agency for deportation.

Meanwhile, two students Abdul Wahab Khan and Shoaib Khan, Amjad Malik have applied for further bail before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.

Their bail plea would be heard on July 27. - ANI

The Herald : ‘Terror plot’ pair to go free as MP calls police operation a catalogue of errors

2009-07-17T15:00:00.000-04:00

‘Terror plot’ pair to go free as MP calls police operation a catalogue of errors

July 17, 2009

Two Pakistani students accused of being part of an alleged terror plot are to be released from custody.

Sultan Sher and Janus Khan were among 12 men held during raids in the north west of England in April.

The pair, who are in their mid 20s, were detained as the Home Office sought to deport them, claiming they posed a threat to national security.

But that allegation was dropped yesterday, a solicitor for one of the men said.

Mohammed Ayub said the pair would be released subject to conditions, including wearing an electronic tag and reporting to police.

Home Office officials said the government would now seek to deport them for visa irregularities.

A Home Office spokesman said: "These individuals no longer meet the required criteria for detention on the grounds of national security.

"They are currently detained pending removal on immigration grounds, but legally we cannot hold them indefinitely.

"We are therefore putting in place suitable and robust measures to ensure we are fully aware of their whereabouts as we progress their cases for removal."

Mr Ayub said the terror allegations against his client were "groundless" and he would oppose the continuing attempts to deport him.

He said: "It beggars belief that the Secretary of State could behave like this.

"Why was my client held in custody for all this time?"

"I wish to state my client is entitled to an unreserved apology and no further action should be taken against him."

Of the remaining men held during the raid, one has joint British and Pakistani citizenship and has been released.

Another has returned to Pakistan voluntarily and an Afghan man is in custody pending deportation for being in the UK illegally.

The other seven face deportation on the grounds of national security. Their case returns to court on July 27.

Sher, living in Manchester, and Khan, living in Liverpool, were arrested on April 18 as part of Operation Pathway.

The operation was launched early after Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick of Metropolitan Police was photographed going in to Downing Street with a document giving details of the police plan. Mr Quick subsequently resigned.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, called for Home Secretary Alan Johnson to make an urgent statement over the matter.

He said: "The release of two Pakistani students who were alleged to have been part of terrorist activity begs a number of questions as to why they were detained in the first place.

"There appears to have been a catalogue of errors.

"It is important that the Home Secretary makes a statement as a matter of urgency to clarify exactly what happened."

© All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

APP : British authorities withdraw deportation orders on Pak students

2009-07-17T14:58:00.000-04:00

British authorities withdraw deportation orders on Pak students

July 17, 2009

LONDON, July 17 (APP)-The British authorities have decided to withdraw deportation orders on two of the nine Pakistani students detained on national security grounds. The students Sultan Sher and Janas Khan who both belong to NWFP, and detained in Leeds and Milton Keynes respectively, are expected to be released later on Friday after the completion of the normal process.

According to their lawyer, the students are now expected to be dealt with the usual immigration process and if their visas are found to be valid will be allowed to stay in the UK to continue their studies.

On April 8 this year, Manchester based police arrested 12 men in parallel raids at 10 addresses across Manchester, Liverpool and Lancashire.

Ten of those arrested were Pakistan-born nationals on student visas and one a UK-born British national. After three weeks, the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence, but they were handed over to the UK Borders Agency for deportation.

One student Tariq-ur-Rehman returned home voluntarily last month on the condition that the British authorities withdraw deportation orders.

Meanwhile, Amjad Malik, lawyer representing two students Abdul Wahab Khan and Shoaib Khan has applied for further bail before Special Immigration Appeals Commission which is due for hearing here on July 27.

Taiwan News : 2 students held in UK terror raids to be freed

2009-07-17T14:51:00.000-04:00

2 students held in UK terror raids to be freed

Associated Press | February 17, 20001

Britain's High Commission in Pakistan says two Pakistani men detained during a series of terrorism raids in northern England are due to be released.

The two men were among 12 students arrested in April and are being held in immigration detention. They had been due to be deported to Pakistan after the U.K. ruled they posed a risk to British national security.

British authorities had alleged the men were connected to an al-Qaida network based in the U.K., and intended to carry out a major terrorism attack.

The British High Commission in Islamabad said Friday that deportation proceedings had been dropped.

Lawyer Mohammed Ayub says his client Sultan Sher is one of the two men being released. Eight other men are awaiting deportation.

TeleText : Pair released without charge

2009-07-17T14:49:00.001-04:00

Pair released without charge

July 17, 2009

A man from Liverpool and a man from Manchester who the Home Office claimed were a threat to national security have been released without charge.

Sultan Sher and Janus Khan were among 12 men arrested in the north west and held in custody since April.

But they must now wear electronic tags and report to police as the Government seeks to deport them to Pakistan.

Canadian Press : Britain to free 2 Pakistani students detained during April terror raids in northern England

2009-07-17T14:47:00.000-04:00

Britain to free 2 Pakistani students detained during April terror raids in northern England

By David Stringer (CP) | July 17, 2009

LONDON — Two Pakistani men detained during a series of terrorism raids in northern England are no longer considered a threat and will be released, but they could still face deportation over immigration offences, British officials said Friday.

The two men were among 12 students arrested in high-profile April raids, and have been held for several months in immigration detention. They had been due to be deported to Pakistan after the U.K. ruled they posed a risk to British national security, but officials have concluded they are no longer a threat, Jennifer Wilkes, a spokeswoman for the British High Commission in Islamabad, said in a statement.

Judge John Mitting told a court hearing in May that Britain's Home Office alleged the arrested men were linked to al-Qaida and involved in planning terrorist attacks in Britain. The men have maintained their innocence.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the police operation had foiled a "very big terrorist plot," but law enforcement and security official have not disclosed any specifics of the alleged plans. Following the raids, police said there was insufficient evidence to charge any of the men with criminal offences. They have remained held for deportation since.

"Their case has been kept under constant review, and as soon as it became clear that these individuals did not meet the criteria for deportation, the decision was taken to drop deportation proceedings," Wilkes said.

"This has clearly been a difficult time for these individuals, which we regret. It was however necessary, given the reason for their arrest and detention, to carry out a rigorous investigation," she added.

The Home Office said the two men will be released on Friday, but that authorities will now attempt to deport the men on different grounds. One was refused a visa extension in March, and authorities will attempt to revoke the second man's student visa because they do not believe he is carrying out legitimate studies, the ministry said. Both will be fitted with electronic tags while their cases are considered.

Lawyer Mohammed Ayub, based in Bradford, northern England, said his client Sultan Sher is one of the two men being released. He said he represents two other men still detained.

"All our clients have maintained throughout their ordeal that they were here on lawful purposes as students. Our clients reiterate they are neither extremists nor terrorists," Ayub said.

In addition to the two students due to be released, eight other men are awaiting deportation - seven to Pakistan and one to Afghanistan. One other man has returned to Pakistan voluntarily and another is a British national who was freed following his arrest.

Families of the arrested students in Pakistan reacted with anger, and have demanded that the men either be charged with an offence, or freed and allowed to complete their studies in Britain.

The case rattled British-Pakistani relations, already under pressure after Brown said that at least three-quarters of all terrorist plots against the U.K. have links to Pakistan - and specifically the country's northwest, where al-Qaida and the Taliban have strongholds.

Ayub said Britain's government should consider holding an inquiry into the police operation, to review mistakes. "No other innocent person should have to suffer the ordeal that our clients have," he said.

"We appreciate that this case has caused concern to many people in Pakistan but want to make clear that the British government has at all times acted within U.K. law and in accordance with our duty to protect the safety of the public," Wilkes said.

Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Online News (Pakistan) : Two Pakistanis To Be Released From UK Immigration Detention

2009-07-17T14:46:00.000-04:00

Two Pakistanis To Be Released From UK Immigration Detention

July 17, 2009

ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistanis who were detained by the British Authorities on April 8, 2009 under the Terrorism Act would be released.

11 Pakistani students were arrested on April 8 on suspicion of being involved in hatching terrorist plots in the UK. The British High Commission spokesperson, Jennifer Wilkes said Friday, "I can confirm that two individuals of Pakistani nationality arrested under the Terrorism Act in the UK on 8 April 2009 are being released from immigration detention where they had been held pending deportation on national security grounds.

This has clearly been a difficult time for these individuals, which we regret. It was however necessary, given the reason, to carry out a rigorous investigation. Those detained were given the full protection of UK law throughout their detention. An independent judge approved their continued detention at a hearing in May. Their case has been kept under constant review, and as soon as it became clear that these individuals did not meet the criteria for deportation, the decision was taken to drop deportation proceedings.

We appreciate that this case has caused concern to many people in Pakistan but want to make clear that the British Government has at all times acted within UK law and in accordance with our duty to protect the safety of the public", she said.

Nine out of these 11 men were released on April 22, 2009 after their remand expired and no charges were proven against them. Two continued to remain in custody, which have now been released.

Manchester Evening News : Terror raids men freed

2009-07-17T14:44:00.000-04:00

Terror raids men freed

July 17, 2009

A MAN from Manchester and one from Liverpool who the Home Office claimed were a threat to national security have been released from custody without charge.

Sultan Sher and Janus Khan were among 12 men held during raids in the north west of England in April amid an alleged terrorism plot.

The pair, who are in their mid 20s, were detained as the Home Office sought to deport them.

But the "threat to national security" allegation has been dropped, a solicitor for one of the men said.

Groundless

Mohammed Ayub said the pair now have to wear an electronic tag and report to police, while the government seeks to deport them to Pakistan for "visa irregularities".

Mr Ayub said the terrorism allegations against his client are "groundless" and he will oppose the continuing attempts to deport him.

He said: "It beggars belief that the Secretary of State could behave like this. Why was my client held in custody for all this time?

"I wish to state my client is entitled to an unreserved apology and no further action should be taken against him."

Of the remaining men held during the raid, one has joint British and Pakistani citizenship and has been released.

A Home Office spokesman said of the two released men: "These individuals no longer meet the required criteria for detention on the grounds of national security.

"They are currently detained pending removal on immigration grounds but legally we cannot hold them indefinitely."

BBC : Two terror suspects to be freed

2009-07-17T14:40:00.000-04:00

Two terror suspects to be freed

July 17, 2009

Two Pakistani students arrested in north west England in April accused of being part of an alleged terror plot are to be released.

Sultan Sher and Janus Khan were never charged but were due to be deported on the grounds of national security.

Seven of the 12 men who were arrested remain in custody awaiting deportation.

Mr Sher's solicitor called for an independent inquiry, saying his arrest and detention had been a "very serious" breach of human rights.

The released pair will be required to wear electronic tags as the Home Office still wants to deport them due to visa irregularities, the BBC understands.

Twelve students were arrested in the terror raids in Manchester and Liverpool, with three subsequently released.

'Robust measures'

The rest were put in prison pending deportation on the grounds of national security and their case, involving secret evidence they have not seen, is due back in court on 27 July.

The Home Office said it was not allowed to detain the men indefinitely.

"These individuals no longer meet the required criteria for detention on the grounds of national security. They are currently detained pending removal, but legally we cannot hold them indefinitely.

"We are therefore putting in place suitable and robust measures to ensure we are fully aware of their whereabouts as we progress their cases for removal."

Mohammed Ayub, solicitor for Sultan Sher, said the men had maintained they were not extremists or terrorists.

"Our clients were originally arrested in a blaze of publicity at gunpoint by the police. They were interviewed for 13 days and released into immigration detention without any criminal charges brought against them," he said.

"Our clients' plea of innocence is confirmed by the decision of the Home Office to firstly withdraw the intention to deport one of our clients on the grounds of national security and secondly to release him shortly.

"We believe that our original call for an independent inquiry into Operation Pathway has now been strengthened.

"We are of the opinion that lessons should be learnt as to how this investigation could have got it so terribly wrong and so that no other innocent person should have to suffer the ordeal that our clients have."

Times : Oops! Building firm blurts out secrets of hush-hush MI5 HQ

2009-06-13T17:13:00.000-04:00

Oops! Building firm blurts out secrets of hush-hush MI5 HQ

David Leppard | June 14, 2009

DETAILS of one of Britain’s most sensitive spy bases have been revealed after they were posted on the internet by the company that built it.

In a security blunder that has irritated MI5, a publicity brochure placed online contains the address and full-colour pictures of its northern operations centre.

The building was opened amid great secrecy last year. It was used as a base for Operation Pathway, when 12 terror suspects thought to have been planning attacks on shopping centres in Manchester, were arrested. They were later released for lack of evidence.

In recent years MI5 has been happy to acknowledge the existence of its headquarters in London and Northern Ireland. They are large and located in cities, so spy chiefs considered it impractical to pretend they did not exist. By contrast the agency had been hoping to keep the existence of its £20m northern headquarters a secret.

MI5 decided to build the spy base after a review of the intelligence failures leading up to the suicide bombings in London on July 7, 2005.

Three of the four bombers came from the Leeds area and MI5 realised its coverage of regions outside London was inadequate.

Jonathan Evans, the director-general of MI5, disclosed the existence of the centre in secret testimony to the parliamentary intelligence and security committee last year.

Evans said it would have helped to speed up its response to incidents such as the Glasgow airport attack in June 2007. “If we had forward-mounted some of the equipment and surveillance in the north . . . our response would have been considerably quicker in getting to Scotland, particularly some of the equipment, because we had to find some way of getting the stuff up to Glasgow,” he told the MPs.

The committee’s report omitted the cost of the building on the grounds that it was a secret. The builders’ website reveals that it cost £20.2m.

The company describes the development as “a high specification state-of-the art commercial office” completed in February last year. “It’s a very nice building,” a senior Whitehall security official said this weekend.

That view is not shared by local residents who objected on the grounds that it was “an eyesore”. Planning files at the local council, which The Sunday Times has agreed not to name for security reasons, show that more than 60 local people raised objections.

A council official said information about the project was “classified” and it had no record of the plans. In fact, they were withdrawn from the council last year after MI5 discovered they had been publicly available for several months.

Guardian : Met police: six officers accused of torturing drug suspects

2009-06-10T00:02:00.000-04:00

Met police: six officers accused of torturing drug suspects

James Sturcke | June 10, 2009

Six Metropolitan police officers have been suspended from duty following allegations they used a form of water-based torture on suspected drugs smugglers, it emerged last night.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it was investigating the conduct of officers based in Enfield, north London, during drugs raids in the borough last November.

Neither the IPCC nor Scotland Yard would comment on the nature of the allegations but sources said the officers were accused of pushing suspects' heads into buckets of water.

One IPCC document is said to use the word "waterboarding" – the CIA technique condemned as torture by Barack Obama – in connection with the allegations.

The torture claims are part of an investigation which also includes accusations that evidence was fabricated and suspects' property was stolen. It has already led to the abandonment of a drug trial, it was reported last night.

The IPCC is examining the conduct of six officers connected to drug raids in November in which four men and a woman were arrested in Enfield and Tottenham, north London.

Police said they found a large amount of cannabis and the suspects were charged with importation of a class C drug. The case was abandoned four months later when the Crown Prosecution Service said "it would not have been in the public interest to proceed".

Last night the Times reported that any trial, by revealing the torture claims, would have compromised the criminal investigation into the six officers.

None of the officers under suspicion has been arrested, but the IPCC said last night: "This is an ongoing criminal investigation and as such all six officers will be criminally interviewed under caution."

A Scotland Yard spokesman said a police employee had raised concerns about the conduct of officers during an internal investigation into allegations of mishandling of property.

He described the allegations as serious and raising real concern, saying they would be treated seriously."The Met does not tolerate conduct which falls below the standards that the public and the many outstanding Met officers and staff expect. Any allegations of such behaviour are treated very seriously, as this case illustrates, and if found true the strongest possible action will be taken."

Pakistan Times : Detained student decides to leave Britain voluntarily

2009-05-30T14:24:00.002-04:00

Detained student decides to leave Britain voluntarily

'Pakistan Times' UK Bureau | May 31, 2009

LONDON (UK): Accepting the offer from the British Home Secretary to leave the UK voluntarily on the condition that the deportation order against him is withdrawn, a detained Pakistani student Tariq-ur-Rehman is likely to return home next week.

His lawyer Amjad Malik said on Saturday that he would meeting with the concerned British officials on Monday to finalise the arrangements whereby Tariq is flown home by Wednesday from Manchester where is currently detained.

“The British authorities have offered him a one way ticket to Pakistan and there are some other legal matters that would come under discussion at the meeting,” Malik said. The Miran Shah-based student has decided to accept the offer to leave the UK of his own volition in view of the family matters and can no longer afford to remain under detention, he said.

“Rahman has lost his mother and wife and has five children to look after therefore he has decided to accept the Home Secretary offer.”

Meanwhile, an independent Reviewer of terrorism legislation Lord Alex Carlyle has met three Pakistani students Abdul Wahab Khan, Shoaib Khan and Tariq Ur Rehman in appeal before Special Immigration Appeals Commission.

Lord Carlyle, who is a member of British Parliament Upper House reports on terrorism legislation as a monitor to improve its operation and is currently reviewing Operation Pathway conducted between April 8 to 21 that led to the arrest of 12 persons including 10 Pakistani students on terror charges which were subsequent dropped due to lack of evidence.

All students raised high handedness of Liverpool police who used armed response unit to arrest them during which few students sustained injuries and bruises, said lawyer Malik. According to him, they raised issues on their treatment and and questioned the wisdom as to why they are being deported when no charges were made.

Lord Carlyle earlier had a detailed meeting with Malik at his Rochdale Chamber who briefed him about students plight and their concerns. Malik also highlighted the legal lacuna that all detained under terrorism legislation must be afforded an opportunity to make a bail application after 7 days of their arrest.

Both Malik and Lord Carlyle also met Prison Governor Richard Vince and were assured that as these detainees are not criminals facing trial, they are being provided best facilities as possible including prayer time, 3 free times, halal food and leisure and training facilities.

Lord Carlyle assured the lawyer and the detainees that he will raise all these issues in his independent report and also will contact higher officials to relax some conditions regarding books and telephone access to their families forthwith.

Telegraph : Taliban target Britain on 'orders' from al-Qaeda

2009-05-30T00:03:00.001-04:00

Taliban target Britain on 'orders' from al-Qaeda

By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | May 30, 2009

A Taliban-trained terrorist was part of a cell sent to bomb Britain as revenge for their presence in Afghanistan, it has emerged.

The terrorist informant has told prosecutors he was trained by Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistan Taliban, and was planning a series of suicide attacks with 11 other men.

The informant, known as "Ahmed", told investigators the bombers were to work in pairs using a "device carried in a backpack with a third person to detonate a remote control" in order to ensure the bombers went through with their mission.

Details of the attempted attacks emerged in papers submitted to the Spanish authorities in a case against the alleged bombers, who were arrested in raids in the Raval district of Barcelona in January last year.

It is claimed the attacks were to begin on the Barcelona underground system and then spread to the other European countries with a presence in Afghanistan, thought to include Britain, according to new documents.

The information echoed claims made by British security services that a terrorist cell was sent to Manchester from the Taliban heartland in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas.

British investigators believe that the cell, which was allegedly planning attacks on the Trafford and Arndale shopping centres over the Easter holidays, had connections with al-Qaeda, and Spanish prosecutors say their cell may also have had links with al-Qaeda.

The terrorist group is believed to have formed a "holy alliance" with the Taliban to launch terrorist attacks on foreign soil.

Instead of relying on British-born men travelling to Pakistan for training, al-Qaeda is now recruiting "ready made" terrorists from among the Taliban, investigators believe.

The 10 men arrested in the north west are fighting deportation on national security grounds after Government lawyers accused them of being members of a "UK-based network linked to al-Qaeda involved in attack planning".

Spanish police found chemicals including nitrocellulose and potassium perchlorate along with batteries, timers and cables in the raids.

They also found "materials for indoctrination" relating to attacks against Nato forces in Afghanistan and books and DVDs.

Spanish prosecutors submitted documents laying out their case earlier this month and Dolores Delgado Garcia, a prosecutor at Spain's National Court, told the Daily Telegraph she believed the Barcelona cell was inspired by speeches by Osama bin Laden about the "loss of Andalucia" once part of the Muslim Ottoman empire.

"Al-Qaeda has been targeting Spain because of its historic associations with Andalucia," she said. "But other cities in Europe where countries have troops in Afghanistan were also targets."

Explaining her case at a top-level conference organised by New York University's Centre for Law and Security, she said "Ahmed" had become a "protected witness" and had told them that "Baitullah Mehsud would make demands and when they were not complied with, they would launch their attacks".

Ahmed told them he had trained at a terrorist camp in Waziristan, in Pakistan's tribal areas, and met Mehsud.

The men allegedly arrived in Spain via Germany using false travel documents.

Ahmed, a member of the fundamentalist group Tablighi Jamaat which is popular in the tribal areas, had second thoughts about launching a suicide attack when he was among those told to call his family and "say goodbye".

He is said to have refused to participate and contacted French intelligence, who in turn got in touch with the Spanish.

They have named Maroof Ahmed Mirza, 40, an imam at a mosque in Raval, as the leader of the cell along with Elia Mohammad Ayud Bibi, 64, while three others, Afees Ahmed, Qadeer Malik and Iqbal Sabih, were allegedly the bomb-makers.

The suicide bombers are said to have included Mohammed Shoaib, Mehmooh Khalid, Imran Cheema and ur-Rehman Aqeel Khalid.

Their other targets are said to have included Germany, France and Portugal.

Muslim News : Apologise for terror arrests Labour MP tells Govt

2009-05-29T19:16:00.000-04:00

Apologise for terror arrests Labour MP tells Govt

By Elham Asaad Buaras and Ahmed J Versi | May 29, 2009

Labour MP for Glasgow Central, Mohammad Sarwar, has asked the Government to apologise for its part in the recent high-profile arrests of innocent Muslim students under anti-terror laws on April 8. The case against 12 men involved in what Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, called a “major terrorist plot” amounted to no more than an email and a few telephone conversations, it emerged; all the men were subsequently released without charge on April 22.

Eleven Pakistani students and one British man were freed after extensive searches of 14 properties in north-west England failed to locate any evidence of terrorist activity.
However, nine of the men are due to be deported after being handed over to the UK Border Agency. A spokesman for 10 Downing Street said, “We are seeking to remove these individuals on grounds of national security. Where a foreign national poses a threat to the country we will seek to exclude or deport them where appropriate.”

Sarwar, who issued an Early Day Motion on the subject, urged the Government to apologise over the arrests. He told The Muslim News, “High profile arrests give a bad name to not only those who were arrested but to the whole Pakistani community as well. There is no evidence that they were involved in any terrorist activities. The Government should do the right thing and apologise to the young people who were arrested.” “What has disturbed me in this case is that after they were released without charge, they were handed over to the UK Borders Agency so that they can be deported to Pakistan. This is an unfair treatment to these young people. People and political leaders in Pakistan are very angry and very unhappy with the whole scenario and feel very strongly that they are marginalised and given a bad name,” said Sarwar
Lawyers say the deportation orders are based on their clients being involved in extremist activity and therefore their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good on the grounds of National Security. Lawyers are calling for an independent inquiry into Operation Pathway.

Councillor Afzal Khan who was briefed by the police shortly before the release of the Pakistani nationals, told The Muslim News he was “deeply concerned” by the arrests and the way the arrests were made. “Too many times the police are getting wrong. This affects public confidence in the police and adversely affecting intercommunity relationships. So it is vital for an independent inquiry into the arrests so that lessons are learnt,” said Khan, in whose area some of the suspects were arrested.
Muslim Council of Britain spokesman, Inayat Bunglawala, said the Prime Minister’s comments on the arrests had been prejudicial and premature. “These arrests took place in very dramatic circumstances with students being pulled from universities and thrown to the floor. Instead of releasing them with good grace and making clear a mistake has been made the Government is seeking to deport them citing a very vague national security threat.”

The operation was launched after the interception of telephone calls and emails which pointed towards a bombing campaign by al-Qa’ida. A senior Pakistani official said the British authorities had failed to consult them before carrying out the arrests and greater co-operation would have avoided “embarrassing mistakes” for the British Government.

Mohammed Ayub, lawyer of three of the young men wrongfully arrested, told The Muslim News his clients who were arrested with “no evidence of any wrongdoing” and in “a blaze of publicity” deserve to have their name cleared “by a similar amount of publicity”.
He added, “Our clients have no criminal history, they were here lawfully on student visas and all were pursuing their studies and working part-time.

“Their arrest and detention has been a very serious breach of their human rights. Now, adding insult to injury, attempts are being made to deport them. We intend to challenge the deportation orders and, if necessary, will take our fight to the highest courts.”
Assistant Chief Constable Dave Thompson, in charge of the raids for Greater Manchester Police, said, “The operations the GMP and North West Counter Terrorism Unit carry out have one objective to protect the public. They are not targeted at any particular groups or communities.”

However, Amjad Malik, representing three of the men arrested told The Muslim News the threat of deportation was nothing more than a face saving exercise based on “stereotyping and Islamophobia”.

“That allegation of involving ‘Islamic extremist activity’ is vague and too farfetched and requires a definition by courts as to what is classed as ‘extremist activity’ as to some reading prayer, fasting, keeping a beard, going on Blogs, sharing flat, arranging meals could be an Islamic extremist activity…to the appellants it’s stereotyping and Islamophobia.”

He added that had there been “any extreme element of suspicion and evidence, they would have been charged and brought before a court of law to face trial. However, using immigration process seems an ‘eye wash’ to divert attention from their ‘innocence’ and claims of ‘foiling a big terrorist plot’.”

Labour MP for Glasgow Central Mohammad Sarwar and Perry Bar MP Khalid Mahmood warned the government against removing the men whom it has failed to charge.

In a letter to Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, the MPs said the raids and deportation would inflict “irreparable damage” to race relations. Efforts to win the “hearts and minds” of British Muslims had been undermined by the raids, they said.

The British Government has rejected the appeal, suggesting that all had been freed only because of a lack of evidence. “The reason we are taking deportation action is that we considered that there is sufficient evidence to believe the particular individuals concerned represent a threat to the national security of this country but against whom we’ve been advised that we can’t bring charges,” Smith said.

“We are able to seek deportation as the criteria we must meet are set at a lower threshold than those in a prosecution,” she said in a copy of the letter to Sarwar obtained by The Muslim News. The arrests were made on “credible intelligence to suggest there was an imminent threat,” she insisted.

The MPs said they had been urged to intervene by members of the Pakistani community. The decision to seek their deportation also provoked a diplomatic row with Pakistan, highlighted when President Asif Ali Zardari pulled out of a joint press conference with Brown during a visit to Islamabad at the end of April.

The students are appealing against their deportation orders to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, the country’s most secret court that was established after the Government lost a case at the European Human Rights Court in 1996.

On May 14, the court refused bail on the basis that they are deemed “high risk” to national security as submitted by the Secretary of State. The next hearing is on July 27. The whole arrests saga is currently being separately investigated by the Government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Lord Carlile, whose findings are due in the next few weeks.

Asian News : Terror arrest student going home

2009-05-23T23:02:00.000-04:00

Terror arrest student going home

May 23, 2009

ONE of the Manchester students who were arrested after a series of terror raids has agreed to go back to Pakistan.

Tariq Ur Rehman has accepted deportation saying he could not handle the stress of being locked up in a category A prison.

He is amongst 10 students who are currently being detained and threatened with deportation despite not being charged during police raids last month where 12 people where arrested in Manchester, Liverpool and Lancashire under the terror act.

The students were released without charge but then handed over to UK Borders Agency for deportation.

Four of the students were kept at Strangeways and three have now been moved to high security prison Belmarsh - the home of Britain's toughest criminals and often described as Hellmarsh.

Said campaigner Tariq Mehmood who helped set up Justice for the North West Ten following their imprisonment: "It is understandable why someone should wish to leave a country that wants to incarcerate him as a top security prisoner without charge, without knowing when he will be released, without having the chance to talk to any of his loved ones, but what does it say of the system that is doing this?

"It is outrageous that young men who came here to study or anyone else for that matter should be forced into this choice. We must act together to get justice for Tariq Ur Rahman and all the others in his situation."

Parents of four of the students have also written a letter to PM Gordon Brown condemning the arrests and the following imprisonment.

In the letter they say: "Our children are still being punished for crimes that they never committed...We are a poor people and some of the parents have arranged loans for their kids to send them abroad for education," and have asked for their immediate release.

Since the arrests there have been many high profile meetings in Manchester condemning the terror raids and what campaigners have said to be "criminalisation of the Muslim community."

Councillor Afzal Khan from Cheetham, who met up with some of the parents of the detained students during a recent trip in Pakistan spoke of his visit at a public meeting at Saffron Restaurant in Cheetham Hill.

Said Mr Khan: "Some of these parents are very old and come from remote areas in Pakistan and don't fully understand what's going on.

"As far as they are concerned they have spent their life savings to send their sons to the UK for study and now they are being detained despite not being charged with anything.

"They are obviously worried. One parent told me that his son had never been in trouble in his life and he just couldn't understand why an innocent man was locked up in prison.

"They don't have any news and have not heard from their sons and have been kept in the dark by the authorities. They are also worried about the future of their sons and these arrest have basically put the students and their families in turmoil."

A petition, collected by Muslim Labour councillors and candidates in the city with over 4,000 signatures mainly from residents in Longsight and Cheetham asking for the release of the students, has been sent to the Home Secretary.

Added Mr Khan: "The huge number of people that have signed the petition goes to show the overwhelming support for these students.

"The local community feel very strongly about their detention and feel they should be set free."

TeleText : Terror raid student 'trapped'

2009-05-18T22:47:00.000-04:00

Terror raid student 'trapped'

May 18, 2009‎

A student detained pending deportation after being arrested in the North West but not charged over a suspected terror plot is trapped, his lawyer said.

Tariq ur Rihman was among 12 people held in police raids in April in Lancs, Greater Manchester and Liverpool.

Rihman's solicitor Amjad Malik said his client is not coping well after being moved between high security prisons.

The Nation : Pak HC goes thru humiliating search

2009-05-17T21:34:00.001-04:00

Pak HC goes thru humiliating search

By Asif Mehmood | May 17, 2009

LONDON-Pakistan High Commissioner to UK, Wajid Shamsul Hassan had to go through a painful process during his meeting with Pakistani students at UK high security Belmarsh prison on Saturday, entirely unlike what his counterpart enjoys in Pakistan, The Nation has learnt.

High Commissioner, Wajid Shamsul Hassan went to see the Pakistani students Shoaib Khan, Abdul Wahab Khan and Tariqur Rehman on reports that one of them was seriously disturbed during detention at notorious category A prison Berlmarsh and wanted to go back to Pakistan.

While talking to The Nation, he confirmed that he had to go through the same process what one goes through at the airport.

According to a source, he may have been reportedly photographed, fingerprinted and physically searched by taking off his shoes, belt and jacket before entering category A to see his country’s citizens.

According to a source, the same process was applied to lawyers and Consul Generals of Pakistan Masroor Junejo and Chaudhry Arif Mehmood at Manchester and Milton Keynes on their visits to prison on April 28, 2009 but Pakistani authorities did not raise any voice against it.

The humiliation with Pakistani diplomats is the violation of 1964 Vienna Convention and Counsellor Relations against the diplomatic norms.

Daily Express : One In 14 Terror Suspects Convicted

2009-05-17T01:07:00.001-04:00

ONE IN 14 TERROR SUSPECTS CONVICTED

By Gabriel Milland | May 14, 2009

JUST one in 14 people arrested for alleged terror offences is convicted, official figures showed yesterday.

Government data showed that less than a third of those arrested are even charged with a terror-related offence.

The figures are a major embarrassment to ministers who fought a long battle to increase the time terror suspects can be held without charge. Currently, suspects can be held for up to 42 days.

They also come just weeks after raids on a supposed major terror plot in Liverpool and Manchester resulted in no one being charged.

Shadow security minister Baroness Neville-Jones said courts should get the right to use phone-tap intelligence as evidence. She said: “The Government needs to allow intercept evidence in court so real terrorists don’t get let off for lack of admissable evidence.”

The figures showed almost 230 people are arrested for terrorism offences every year. Between September 11 2001, and March 31 2008, there were 1,471 arrests for terrorism. Of these, 521 resulted in a charge, with 222 people charged with terror offences, and 118 charged with terror-related offences.

Of the 340 people charged in relation to terrorism, 196 were eventually convicted – 102 for terrorism offences and 94 for terrorism-related offences.

So of 1,471 arrests, 102 were convicted under terror laws.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, said it was “worrying” that “the overwhelming majority” of those arrested were not guilty of any charge.

Daily Times : Pak students shifted to hardened criminals’ cell in UK

2009-05-16T21:33:00.000-04:00

Pak students shifted to hardened criminals’ cell in UK

daily times monitor | Saturday, May 16, 2009

LAHORE: Three Pakistani students arrested in the UK have been shifted to the hardened criminals’ cell in the jail, Dunya News reported on Friday. The men were among a group of 12 picked up in a highly publicised counter-terrorism operation across northern England earlier this month. The channel quoted the British interior secretary as saying that the investigation was under progress against the students, Tariq Rehman, Abdul Wahab and Shoaib Khan.

APP : Lawyer attack denial of bail to four Pak students

2009-05-14T10:51:00.000-04:00

Lawyer attack denial of bail to four Pak students

May 14, 2009

LONDON, May 14 (APP)- Lawyer representing four of the ten Pakistan students facing deportation after they were arrested in anti-terror raids has spoken against the denial of bail to his clients.

Rochdale based lawyer Amjad Malik for four of them said his clients were shocked at the decision as they are eager to carry on with their studies.

Their application for bail was turned down by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.

Barrister Malik said; “The CPS found no shred of evidence against these men yet they are being treated like criminals by being detained at a high security prison as Category A detainees.

“These men who have never been in trouble with the law are now having to roam around with murderers and rapists. We were told the Home Secretary is convinced that there is concern they may abscond or that they will carry on with ‘Islamist extremist’ activities”, he said.

Barrister Amjad Malik went on to say; “We want to now what constitutes as Islamist activities. Is it because they wear beards, go to mosque and read their prayers and because they have other Muslim friends who they meet up with and socialise with as do many people in the UK?

“The clients are really upset about the decision as one of my clients has missed a major exam and another client has an exam coming up.

“All they wanted was to be able to carry on with their studies as their families in Pakistan have paid thousands of pounds to send their sons to the UK for decent education.”

The students were amongst 12 who were recently arrested in north west England as terrorist suspects but subsequently released without charge.

They are now facing deportation by order of the Home Secretary, which ten of them are appealing. The next hearing will take place on July 27.

Telegraph : Pakistani men 'part of al-Qaeda network planning attacks in Britain'

2009-05-13T22:54:00.000-04:00

Pakistani men 'part of al-Qaeda network planning attacks in Britain'

By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | May 13, 2009

Ten Pakistani men released without charge after an investigation into an alleged plot to bomb shopping centres in Manchester were part of an al-Qaeda network planning attacks in Britain and should be deported, a tribunal has heard.

The men were arrested on April 8 after former Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick entered Downing Street with details of the operation against the men visible under his arm.

None of the men were charged with any crime but the government launched an attempt to have the men deported. ?THIS OK? [sic!]

Their lawyers are objecting to the deportation orders, arguing that they should be freed to continue their studies.

Robin Tam QC for the Home Secretary told the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) in London: "All the applicants were members of a UK based network linked to al-Qaeda involved in attack planning.

"Each therefore poses a risk to national security and deportation would be considered in the national good."

Mr Tam said there was a "high risk they would re-engage in their former activity to the detriment of national security" and there was a risk they would abscond if granted bail.

All the group were "young single men with no close family ties to the UK and each claims to have been a student", Mr Tam added.

Three of the men, Abdul Wahab Khan, Shoaib Khan and Tariq ur-Rehman, waived their rights to anonymity at the hearing.

The SIAC panel considered evidence behind closed doors before refusing bail for the three named men, along with a fourth, "XC."

Sibghat Kadri QC for Abdul Wahab Khan, 26, said the Pakistani High Commissioner in London had claimed the operation against the men was a "hoax" and added: "Other than what he was told upon arrest, that he was suspected to be a terrorist, he has never been informed of the substance of any allegations against him.

"During various interviews he was subjected to intensive interrogation. He was asked mostly about his association with friends, going to the mosque, meeting various friends and taking photographs."

He added that despite the police seizing computers, a TV and clothing which were subjected to forensic examination, "not a shred of evidence was found."

He added: "This case does not involve the liberty of the applicant but the wider question of trust that the community can repose in the security services in a multi-racial society and the subsequent faith in the Secretary of State to make a decision based on justice rather than fear of political failure."

Dawn : Al Qaeda trying to establish links with jihadi groups

2009-05-13T19:47:00.000-04:00

Al Qaeda trying to establish links with jihadi groups

By Our Special Correspondent | May 13, 2009

LONDON: Al Qaeda is trying to establish links inside Pakistan with jihadi groups, rather than Taliban, to exploit the current instability in the country and also to relieve some of the pressure that has been put on them by continuing strikes by the US drones, says The Guardian correspondent Jason Burke in a report (Al Qaeda’s push into Pakistan) on Tuesday.

Quoting sources inside intelligence agencies but without naming them he said that the group led by several dozen senior militants from Central Asia had already set up links with Lashkar-i-Taiba and was now probing others like Jaish-i-Mohammad, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen Islami and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi.

For international militants, he said, Pakistan had a particular significance as the birthplace of the new wave of modern Islamic militancy in the 1980s during the war against the Soviets.

‘The battle against Pakistan’s secular elected government – and thus indirectly against its western backers – is being cast as the continuation of the successful struggle against the Soviets,’ he added.

According to Mr Burke, the militants have little chance of actually taking power as Islamists remain on the fringe in Pakistan, ‘and the Pakistani Taliban are a fringe of that fringe’.

‘But inserting themselves onto the home-grown campaign of local jihadis can boost al Qaeda’s flagging jihadi credentials after the failure to create a new base in Iraq or to repeat a 9/11-scale spectacular. It might also provide some breathing space for regrouping and rethinking: planning for a major strike in the West continues.’

In the meantime, according to Mr Burke, al Qaeda strategists see no harm in getting involved in someone else’s local war. ‘After all, it has worked for them before.’ As for al Qaeda contacts with the Pakistani Taliban itself, Mr Burke says quoting sources in Islamabad and Kabul, these are personal rather than organisational, much as many would like to paint the latter organisation as an offshoot of the former.

‘During recent fighting in Bajaur, senior Pakistani officers repeatedly insisted that the local villagers had been led astray by shadowy international militants,’ the correspondent said.

He said there were indeed a few senior figures moving through Bajaur but the main dynamics behind the fighting had little to do with al Qaeda and a lot to do with disintegration of local tribal social hierarchies and values in recent decades, the radicalising effect of western operations in Afghanistan, generalised mobilisation in much of the Islamic world, collateral damage resulting from US drone strikes and a very local dynamic pitting one valley and one tribe against another.

He said the prisoners that he interviewed confirmed that the conflict was essentially a local one, though sometimes framed by participants within a global narrative.

‘The Mohmands, more commercially minded, more radical, more mobile and with a history of militancy and criminal involvement, were never likely to be on the same side as the Salarzai, their more agricultural, more stable, more sedentary and government loyal neighbours. Similar local dynamics are the determining factors behind the violence in Swat as much as new radicalism, new opportunities for young men denied status, authority and employment and of course radical propaganda.’

‘So, as they have done elsewhere for a decade or more, al Qaeda’s leadership are trying to exploit this and to graft their international campaign aimed at sapping regimes in their home countries — including Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Maghreb — onto local campaigns, through striking at the west and its allies.’

‘The same thing happened in Iraq, leading to an intensity of violence in 2006 and 2007 which few had predicted. The end only came for al Qaeda’s Iraq adventure when Iraqis themselves sickened of the atrocities perpetrated by outsiders coming into their country — just as young foreign militants are reported to be moving to Pakistan — and turned against them. Agencies have tracked the movement of active extremist fighters from Iraq to the new theatre: AfPak.’

Times : Ten arrested in anti-terrorism raids 'linked to al-Qaeda planning'

2009-05-13T19:43:00.000-04:00

Ten arrested in anti-terrorism raids 'linked to al-Qaeda planning'

Fran Yeoman | May 13, 2009

The men arrested during anti-terror raids across the North West last month included members of a British-based network linked to al-Qaeda attack planning, an immigration hearing was told yesterday.

All 12 of those who were detained in Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Lancashire over a suspected bomb plot were released without charge.

The Home Office, however, is seeking to deport ten of them, all Pakistani nationals who are currently in immigration custody, on the ground that they pose a risk to national security.

Robin Tam, QC, representing the Home Secretary, said that there was a “high risk that they would re-engage in their former activities” if the men were released.

The ten are appealing against that decision. Four appeared before a Special Immigrations Appeals Commission hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice yesterday, at which their lawyers applied unsuccessfully for bail and claimed that despite an extensive police investigation there was no evidence that the men were involved in extremism.

The arrests, on April 8, were brought forward after Bob Quick, the Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner and Britain’s most senior anti-terrorism officer, revealed details of the operation by accident.

Stephanie Harrison, representing one of the men, who can be identified only as XC, told the commission that given the high profile of the arrests and the events before them “one cannot exclude political expediency as a factor” in the decision to deport the men rather than simply release them.

“Not a single piece of actual physical evidence has been produced” against her client, she said.

Sibghat Kadri QC, representing Abdul Wahab Khan, 26, said that he was a “genuine student” who is was in Britain with the sole purpose of obtaining a Masters degree. He said that during lengthy police interviews his client was never told of “the substance of any allegations against him”.

Mr Kadri said that Mr Khgan's arrest by the UK Border Agency immediately after he was released without charge by the police was causing a great deal of concern and unrest among both the Muslim community in the United Kingdom and the wider international community. He said: “Any miscarriage of justice will cause irreparable damage to race relations and consequently to the national security of the United Kingdom.”

Thaindian News : Arrested Pak students’ part Al-Qaeda network, claims British official

2009-05-13T19:42:00.000-04:00

Arrested Pak students’ part Al-Qaeda network, claims British official

by ANI | May 13, 2009

London, May 13 (ANI): All the 10 Pakistani students who were arrested last month from different parts of London on suspicion of plotting bomb attack across Britain were actually part of Al-Qaeda’s network, a British official has claimed.

Robin Tam QC for the Home Secretary told the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) in London that all the so-called students, who were arrested, had links with Al-Qaeda.

“All the applicants were members of a UK based network linked to al-Qaeda involved in attack planning,” Tam said.

He urged the commission to allow the officials to deport the suspects, as they pose a risk to the national security.

“Each therefore poses a risk to national security and deportation would be considered in the national good,” The Telegraph quoted Tam, as saying.

He also objected the idea of granting them bail, saying they could once again start their nefarious activities.

“There is a high risk that they would re-engage in their former activity to the detriment of national security,” he said.

Meanwhile, a court has rejected the bail applications of four Pakistani students currently detained at Manchester prison for deportation on national security grounds.

The Lawyer of the students, Sibghat Ullah Qadri argued that chief constable of Greater Manchester police Peter Fahy himself had said in a press statement that the students are innocent until proven guilty and free to walk away.

However, the court rejected his claims. (ANI)

Telegraph : Pakistani men 'part of al-Qaeda network planning attacks in Britain'

2009-05-12T23:14:00.001-04:00

Pakistani men 'part of al-Qaeda network planning attacks in Britain'

By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | May 12, 2009

Ten Pakistani men released without charge after an investigation into an alleged plot to bomb shopping centres in Manchester were part of an al-Qaeda network planning attacks in Britain and should be deported, a tribunal has heard.

The men were arrested on April 8 after former Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick entered Downing Street with details of the operation against the men visible under his arm.

None of the men were charged with any crime but the government launched an attempt to have the men deported.

Their lawyers are objecting to the deportation orders, arguing that they should be freed to continue their studies.

Robin Tam QC for the Home Secretary told the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) in London: "All the applicants were members of a UK based network linked to al-Qaeda involved in attack planning.

"Each therefore poses a risk to national security and deportation would be considered in the national good."

Mr Tam said there was a "high risk they would re-engage in their former activity to the detriment of national security" and there was a risk they would abscond if granted bail.

All the group were "young single men with no close family ties to the UK and each claims to have been a student", Mr Tam added.

Three of the men, Abdul Wahab Khan, Shoaib Khan and Tariq ur-Rehman, waived their rights to anonymity at the hearing.

The SIAC panel considered evidence behind closed doors before refusing bail for the three named men, along with a fourth, "XC."

Sibghat Kadri QC for Abdul Wahab Khan, 26, said the Pakistani High Commissioner in London had claimed the operation against the men was a "hoax" and added: "Other than what he was told upon arrest, that he was suspected to be a terrorist, he has never been informed of the substance of any allegations against him.

"During various interviews he was subjected to intensive interrogation. He was asked mostly about his association with friends, going to the mosque, meeting various friends and taking photographs."

He added that despite the police seizing computers, a TV and clothing which were subjected to forensic examination, "not a shred of evidence was found."

He added: "This case does not involve the liberty of the applicant but the wider question of trust that the community can repose in the security services in a multi-racial society and the subsequent faith in the Secretary of State to make a decision based on justice rather than fear of political failure."

The Nation (Pakistan) : Pak students denied bail

2009-05-12T20:37:00.003-04:00

Pak students denied bail

By: Asif Mehmood | May 13, 2009

LONDON - A British court on Tuesday rejected the bail applications of four Pakistani students currently detained at Manchester prison for deportation on national security grounds.

Abdul Wahab Khan, Shoaib Khan, Tariq-ur-Rehman and Abid Naseer were arrested in bungled operation PATHWAY on April 8 on suspicion of their involvement in a “terror plot”.

The Barrister of students, Sibghat Ullah Qadri QC in the Special Immigration Appeal Commission of the Royal court argued that National security should not be invoked in this case because no criminal charges were pressed by the crown prosecution service after 13 days of rigorous interrogation.

The Lawyer further argued that chief constable of Greater Manchester police Peter Fahy confirmed in a Press statement that these students are innocent until proven guilty and free to walk away.

Barrister Qadri and solicitor advocate Amjad Malik argued that commission should look at the secret evidence provided by MI5 and MI6 with great caution as there assessment has proven faulty here and abroad in cases of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and forest gate terror arrests.

It was further submitted to the court that Justice should be seen to be done as it is pivotal for British justice system to gain the confidence of Muslim and minority communities for the sake of national harmony and good race relations which has a direct impact on the national security of the UK.

Barrister Ms Harrison representing one student Abid Nasir said that the Secretary of State does not have clear indication that these boys can be sent back to Pakistan without fear of torture, therefore, power to make a deportation order is an administrative abuse of power.

George Brown and John Nicholson representing Tariq-ur-Rehman and Shoaib Khan said that their clients are lawful entrants and have the right to bail.

Earlier Robin Tam QC, arguing on behalf of the British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, opposed the bail for all four Pakistani students on the premise that no restriction can stop them from continuing unlawful activities and they, if released, will continue to be part of Al-Qaeda’s London-based network. He assured the court that talks are under way with Pakistani authorities to seek assurances that these students will not be tortured upon return.

Mr Justice Mitting and Mr Justice Daly of the Special Immigration Appeal Commission, while refusing the bail application, said the court has further directed the Secretary of State to produce open and secret evidence by July 6, 2009.

The next hearing of these appeals will be on July 27 at the Royal Courts of Justice.

Asian News : Terror arrest students launch bid to stay

2009-05-11T16:17:00.001-04:00

Terror arrest students launch bid to stay

May 11, 2009

TEN men facing deportation after they were arrested in anti-terror raids will launch a bid to stay in Britain today.

The news came as a Rochdale-based lawyer representing four of the men said they intended to remain in Manchester if attempts to send them back to Pakistan failed.

Amjad Malik said his clients were `shattered' but determined to clear their names.

The Home Office is deporting the men, who were not charged following the raids, on `national security' grounds.

Mr Malik said the men felt they had been picked out simply because they were `highly visible' Muslims and because of Taliban links to the area of Pakistan they come from.

The 10 men - who all had student visas - are fighting deportation and a bail hearing will be held at the High Court in London.

They were among 12 people arrested by armed police in locations across the north west - including Cheetham Hill, Manchester - last month. Another arrested man is a British citizen and the 12th is not contesting deportation.

Four of the men, who had been living in Manchester and are being held at Strangeways prison, are being represented by Mr Malik. He said: "They feel this is all because they come from an area of Pakistan where the Taliban is active. They feel this is because they happen to be in Manchester, are going to the mosque and have beards."

Meanwhile, Greater Manchester's Chief Constable Peter Fahy took the unusual step of defending the arrests in his online diary or `blog'.

He wrote: "We certainly did not arrest these people on account of their appearance or due to racial or religious stereotyping."

A public meeting, supported by the British Libyan Solidarity Campaign and the Respect Party, was also held at the Pakistani Community Centre in Longsight on Saturday condemning the arrests and the threat of deportation and seeking justice for the detained men.

A live telephone link was made to Pakistan so family of some of the detained men could speak about their fears over the detention.

The father of one student, Mohammed Abid Naseer said he used his family savings to send his son to England to study.

Nasrullah Khan told the meeting: "I fear for my son. He only came to England to study and I appeal to the government to give him the chance to finish his education.

"I have not been able to speak to my son since the arrest and we are very worried about him and his health. We are very distressed about the situation.

"We sent our son to study not to be oppressed."

Lawyer John Nicholson, who will be representing one of the students said: "We are living in a climate of fear where Muslims are being discriminated against.

"When one of the students was asked why he thought he was arrested. He said it was because he had a beard.

"These men still don’t know why they were arrested and why they are a 'threat to national security.'

"But we as a community can do something about it. We need to help these men clear their names and let them be students again."

He added: "It is not a crime to wear a beard or to talk to your Muslim fronds from Pakistan or socialise at the local Indian restaurant.

"If the government had anything on these men then they would have charged them and not have let them walk free from the police station."

Supporters of the 11 men also held a peaceful protest outside Strangeways prison denouncing the `criminalisation' of Muslims.

Telegraph : Sir Paul Stephenson: police are failing the public on organised crime

2009-05-10T22:00:00.001-04:00

Sir Paul Stephenson: police are failing the public on organised crime

Sir Paul Stephenson, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, believes Britain’s police forces are failing the public in their attempts to tackle organised crime.

By Andrew Alderson, Chief Reporter | May 9, 2009

The new Commissioner said the issue had to return to the political agenda because not enough progress had been made against crime gangs that cost the nation an estimated £40 billion a year.

“I am disappointed with the progress – or lack of progress – made since 2003 to impact significantly organised crime in the United Kingdom,” he said.

His research suggests that only six per cent of organised crime gangs have been disrupted by the “Police Service Plc” – all forces.

“We have to increase the national police capability to deal with serious organised crime. I don’t think we have made the progress that we should have done,” he added.

Violent organised crime gangs are involved in drugs’ rings, people smuggling, gun-running, fraud operations, prostitution and other offences. There are believed to be some 2,800 organised crime gangs in the UK.

Sir Paul accepts, however, that his suggestion in 2003, on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), that some of the 43 forces in England and Wales should be merged, has been debated and rejected.

Individual forces, supported by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), which is intelligence-led, currently tackle organised crime in the UK.

Some senior officers and politicians believe investigations need to be conducted by larger, more centralised crime-fighting units.

Sir Paul made his comments in a wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Telegraph to mark his first 100 days as Commissioner.

At his eighth floor office at New Scotland Yard, he shrugged off suggestions that he had taken on the most difficult – and politically sensitive – job in the country.

He was appointed by a Labour Home Secretary (Jacqui Smith) but is answerable to a Tory Mayor (Boris Johnson). Furthermore, in recent years, the largest police force in the country has been plagued by in-fighting, allegations of racism and low morale.

Sir Paul, 55, who took over as Commissioner from the embattled Sir Ian Blair, said of his £254,000-a-year post: "It's challenging, it's difficult, but I didn't expect anything else."

Those difficult and challenging moments have included the heavy-handed arrest of Damian Green, the shadow immigration spokesman; the death of a man at the G20 protests who appeared to have been manhandled by a police officer; and the careless – if accidental – leaking of a major investigation by Bob Quick, then the head of the Met's anti-terrorism unit.

Yet Sir Paul, 55, a straight-talking Lancastrian and undoubtedly more of a "coppers' copper" than his predecessor, is in no doubt that his greatest challenges lie ahead.

In three years' time, London will host the 2012 Olympics in the knowledge that al-Qaeda terrorists are almost certainly planning a "spectacular" strike when the eyes of the world will be on the capital for two months.

"We will be mounting the biggest security operation ever against what is uniquely the greatest terrorist threat. That is a very significant challenge," he said. "The chances of an attempt to commit further terrorist atrocities are high."

Sir Paul is adamant, however, that the Met can thwart any major terrorist strike, although he admits that some areas of policing may suffer as a result.

"I am confident that we will deliver a safe and secure Olympics. The issue for me will be how much of our 'business as usual' will be interfered with to do that. Undoubtedly, there will be significant interference."

Last month the Crown Prosecution Service ruled that Damian Green, the senior Conservative MP who was arrested over a series of Whitehall leaks, would not face charges.

Yet senior Tories remain incensed by the a manner in which Mr Green was detained by Scotland Yard. He was questioned for nine hours and had his homes and Commons office searched after being arrested.

Colleagues of Sir Paul have indicated privately that he was angered by the operation, once again headed by Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, especially as it happened while he was Acting Commissioner and still under consideration for the top job.

A report into the investigation by Ian Johnston, the head of the British Transport Police, is to be published soon in redacted form: he is believed to have concluded the arrest was legal but questioned whether it was a proportionate response.

"There will be lessons learnt from this. I think Ian's advice [conclusion] on this is wise," Sir Paul said.

Mr Quick was at the centre of controversy again last month when he was photographed entering Downing Street carrying a secret briefing note on which details of an undercover terrorist operation – code-named Pathway – could be seen.

As a result, the operation had to be brought forward – and Mr Quick resigned.

Sir Paul said that Mr Quick had been guilty of "a serious mistake" but added his departure was "a sad loss to policing".

"I have no information that would indicate that the decision to go in early undermined that operation," Sir Paul stressed.

In the end, all 12 suspects were released without charge.

Yet Sir Paul has faced his biggest criticism over the police handling of the G20 protest, which led to the death of Ian Tomlinson, 47.

Video footage appears to show the newspaper seller being assaulted from behind by a baton-wielding officer. Sir Paul said: "It is sad that someone died.

The family want answers and it is right that they should get those answers and that there should be an independent investigation [by the Independent Police Complaints Commission]."

He said the video images were "concerning" and that police tactics are being reviewed.

However, Sir Paul said the Met had followed the right investigative procedures, and had been open and honest about events.

"This was the most large-scale and complex security operation we have ever done.

"Some of our international colleagues – particularly in Australia – found it incredible that we had managed to pull this operation off in such a short period of time. Thousands of people in the Met did a fantastic job."

Sir Paul's interview with The Sunday Telegraph came the day after it was announced that the DNA profiles of some 850,000 innocent Briton would – over the next 12 years – be wiped off the national database.

Acknowledging that a balance was needed between civil liberty and crime detection, he indicated, however, that he was reluctant to lose the useful "tool" as a result of the European Court ruling.

"My raison d'être as the most senior cop in the country is to save life and to prevent and detect crime. I do know that the DNA database in its current form has saved life and been instrumental in detecting crime."

Unsurprisingly, Sir Paul does not like the label of "institutionally racist" that the Met was given by the Macpherson report after the murder of 18-year-old Stephen Lawrence in 1993.

"I do not think it is a useful definition to drive change," he said, adding that significant progress has been made in this area in the past 16 years.

Of internal infighting and claims of racism from the National Black Police Federation, he said: "My job is to work with everyone who wants to make the Met a better organisation. And that includes working with people who do not always agree with me.

"But I reserve the right – and indeed I have the responsibility and duty as Commissioner – to say things as I see them."

Sir Paul has only just started his tenure, but what does he hope, many years from now, will be his legacy when he steps down as Commissioner?

"I would want to have made an impact on the perception and reality of violence. I would want us to have communities that are confident that we are on their side and doing their bidding.

"And I want us to display the highest levels of professionalism and pride, so that people have the right to feel that working for the Met is something quite special."

Observer : G20 police 'used undercover men to incite crowds'

2009-05-10T01:04:00.001-04:00

G20 police 'used undercover men to incite crowds'

MP demands inquiry into Met tactics at demo

Jamie Doward and Mark Townsend | The Observer | May 10, 2009

An MP who was involved in last month's G20 protests in London is to call for an investigation into whether the police used agents provocateurs to incite the crowds.

Liberal Democrat Tom Brake says he saw what he believed to be two plain-clothes police officers go through a police cordon after presenting their ID cards.

Brake, who along with hundreds of others was corralled behind police lines near Bank tube station in the City of London on the day of the protests, says he was informed by people in the crowd that the men had been seen to throw bottles at the police and had encouraged others to do the same shortly before they passed through the cordon.

Brake, a member of the influential home affairs select committee, will raise the allegations when he gives evidence before parliament's joint committee on human rights on Tuesday.

"When I was in the middle of the crowd, two people came over to me and said, 'There are people over there who we believe are policemen and who have been encouraging the crowd to throw things at the police,'" Brake said. But when the crowd became suspicious of the men and accused them of being police officers, the pair approached the police line and passed through after showing some form of identification.

Brake has produced a draft report of his experiences for the human rights committee, having received written statements from people in the crowd. These include Tony Amos, a photographer who was standing with protesters in the Royal Exchange between 5pm and 6pm. "He [one of the alleged officers] was egging protesters on. It was very noticeable," Amos said. "Then suddenly a protester seemed to identify him as a policeman and turned on him. He legged it towards the police line, flashed some ID and they just let him through, no questions asked."

Amos added: "He was pretty much inciting the crowd. He could not be called an observer. I don't believe in conspiracy theories but this really struck me. Hopefully, a review of video evidence will clear this up."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has received 256 complaints relating to the G20 protests. Of these, 121 have been made about the use of force by police officers, while 75 relate to police tactics. The IPCC said it had no record of complaints involving the use of police agents provocateurs. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We would never deploy officers in this way or condone such behaviour."

The use of plain-clothes officers in crowd situations is considered a vital tactic for gathering evidence. It has been used effectively to combat football hooliganism in the UK and was employed during the May Day protests in 2001.

Brake said he intends to raise the allegations with the Met's commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, when he next appears before the home affairs select committee. "There is a logic having plain-clothes officers in the crowd, but no logic if the officers are actively encouraging violence, which would be a source of great concern," Brake said.

The MP said that given only a few people were allowed out of the corralled crowd for the five hours he was held inside it, there should be no problem in investigating the allegation by examining video footage.

Manchester Evening News : Muslims hit back over terror raids

2009-05-08T13:09:00.000-04:00

Muslims hit back over terror raids

Mark Hesford | May 8, 2009

PUBLIC meetings denouncing the 'criminalisation of Muslims' will be held in the wake of anti-terror raids in Manchester.

Two meetings have been arranged by community leaders in Cheetham Hill after last month's police swoop in which 12 men were arrested but never charged.

The meetings are being supported by the British Libyan Solidarity Campaign, The Respect Party, The Mule, Red Pepper and Manchester No Borders.

Organisers have branded the arrests, across the north west, as an example of 'shameful harassment' against the Muslim community. The allegations have been strongly refuted by Greater Manchester Police.

A leaflet publicising the meetings states: "In spite of no evidence of any terror plot being found, 11 of the 12 are still being held in custody, awaiting deportation. Instead of an apology, the police promised more such raids.

"We must unite to stop the deportation of Pakistani students and break the wall of fear that is being built around Muslim communities.

"The government must stop this shameful harassment and criminalisation of Muslim communities."

Legal representatives, campaigners and families of some of the men facing deportation are due to speak at the public meetings - tomorrow at the Pakistani Community Centre, Stockport Road, Longsight (2pm) and on Tuesday at the Saffron Restaurant, Cheetham Hill Road, Cheetham Hill (7.30pm). The meetings come as Greater Manchester Police continue their 18-month Counter Terrorism Consultation to let the public offer ideas on how to prevent terrorism.

Assistant Chief Constable Dave Thompson, in charge of the raids for GMP, said: "The operations the GMP and North West Counter Terrorism Unit carry out have one objective - to protect the public. They are not targeted at any particular groups or communities.

"We recognise that a number of people carrying out terrorist actions have purported to do this supporting Islam but we know Islam is a peaceful religion."

Last week, Greater Manchester Police Authority organised an event hosted by the Community Security Trust to allow people to share their views.

The CST is a charity that seeks to protect the Jewish community from threats of bigotry and terrorism.

BBC : Terror raid men 'fit stereotype'

2009-05-06T22:52:00.000-04:00

Terror raid men 'fit stereotype'

May 6, 2009

The lawyer for three men arrested in anti-terror raids said they were targeted as they fit the "terrorist" stereotype.

Solicitor Amjad Malik told BBC's Asian Network that the men felt discriminated against because they are Muslims and he says they are innocent.

He said: "Anybody who has a beard and goes to prayer cannot be considered a threat to national security."

The men held in Liverpool, Manchester and Clitheroe were not charged.

Of the 12 men arrested in the raids, 11 were Pakistani nationals, with 10 holding student visas. One was from Great Britain.

Deportation orders

Mr Malik, who was asked by Pakistan High Commission to represent the students, believes the government has been too quick to ask for their deportation.

He said he will help with the appeal against their deportation orders before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.

He said: "The secretary of state has a huge responsibility to protect the public but will have to create a balance between the interest of individuals as well as the state."

Faced criticism

He said because no charges had been brought against the men they should be allowed to continue their studies.

Police faced criticism after prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to justify bringing any charges against the men.

Lord Carlile of Berriew QC will look at the case as part of his ongoing role as independent reviewer of terrorism laws.

Greater Manchester Chief Constable Peter Fahy, defended the arrests, saying he was not "embarrassed".

Telegraph : Manchester 'bomb plot' accused appeal against deportation

2009-05-06T16:32:00.001-04:00

Manchester 'bomb plot' accused appeal against deportation

All ten of the Pakistani men released following an alleged Easter bombing plot to blow up shopping centers in Manchester have appealed against being deported.

By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | May 6, 2009

The men, most of whom arrived on student visas, have lodged cases with the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) arguing that they could be tortured if they were returned to Pakistan.

All the detainees, who can apply for bail, have requested anonymity which means the Daily Telegraph is now banned from using their names.

Their fight is likely to take several years and cost the tax payer millions of pounds as they take it through the SIAC system and then appeal to the House of Lords and the European Court of Human Rights.

It is understood the UK Borders Agency applied to have them deported on the grounds of national security and visa irregularities – several of the men were working as security guards although they had arrived on student visas.

SIAC is allowed to consider intelligence information that could not be put before the courts with a special advocate representing the detainees in closed hearings.

The security services insist they have intelligence, understood to be based on phone taps and intercepted emails, that would not be admissible in a normal court and that their investigation is continuing.

Police were hoping to find further information from the men's computers and searches of their homes that would narrow down the targets and their method of attack.

One man, who is a British citizen, was released without charge while the remaining ten, none of whom have been charged, are held in immigration custody.

APP : Detained Pakistani students seek bail

2009-05-05T11:27:00.000-04:00

Detained Pakistani students seek bail

May 5, 2009

LONDON, May 5 (APP)- Four out of 10 Pakistani national students currently detained at Manchester prison for deportation on national security grounds have lodged their bail applications with the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.

Those who have moved the bail application are Shoaib Khan, Abdul Wahab Khan, Tariq ur Rehman and Abid Naseer, the defence team announced Tuesday.

Special Immigration Appeals Commission which was set up in 1999 under an Act of Parliament is a specialist tribunal adjudicating appeals where a person is considered to be a threat to national security of the country, will hear their appeals and bails.

Tribunal consists of a Senior High Court Judge, one Immigration Judge as a member and one person from KPMG group having experience of dealing with security matters and evidence.

Its proceedings are conducted in half camera and half public. In the camera proceedings a Special Advocate is appointed by the Government to protect the interest of the accused in secret session where all the secret evidence is presented and analysed.

Appellants are being deported on grounds of posing threat to national security of UK as being concerned in ‘Islamic extremist activities and for the reason that they were investigated under terrorism Act 2000 since April 8 last month .

Though no charges were brought under criminal proceedings and on April 21, they were released from criminal investigation to UK Border Agency who initiated immigration deportation proceedings.

Barristers Sibghat ullah Kadri QC, John Nicholson, George Brown will argue the bail applications before SIAC upon instructions of Amjad Malik Solicitors.

The Defence team has urged the Pakistan High Commission to accelerate efforts to seek a facility for detainees for a telephone access to their legal team, family and Consulate.

The Peninsula : Deportation accord yet to materialise

2009-05-04T00:21:00.001-04:00

Deportation accord yet to materialise

May 4, 2009

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the UK are expected to undertake ‘exchange of letters’ during President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit later this month, sources said.

The agreement on deportation may be finalised despite reservations expressed by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Pakistan’s Foreign Office.

Britain had proposed to Pakistan signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) titled ‘Deportation with Assurances’, apparently to subvert legal challenge to the likely deportation of the Pakistani students being held by Britain’s Border Agency.

The British agency intends to deport the Pakistani students on national security grounds despite the fact that they had been released without charge in the Easter bomb plot.

The British proposal had met with stiff resistance from the Foreign Office, and the Pakistan High Commission in London had refused to issue visas to some British experts, who had planned to visit Islamabad to negotiate the MoU. Prime Minister Gordon Brown had also taken up the matter with his interlocutors during his visit to Islamabad earlier this week and called for expediting the signing of the MoU. Prime Minister Gilani had politely turned down Brown’s request, telling him that the proposed MoU required thorough examination.

But, it appears that Brown was able to win some support for his proposal in Islamabad as soon after his visit the withheld visas for the British team were issued following the intervention of Interior Minister Rehman Malik. The British team is expected to visit Pakistan next week. Sources said instead of signing the MoU, both countries would now exchange letters during Zardari’s visit to London on May 14.

Although, the two nomenclatures — the MoU and Exchange of Letters — appear to be quite different from one another, in effect both reflect a commitment on part of the governments involved to adhere to their agreement on a particular issue.

An analyst explained that the ‘Exchange of Letters’ carries diplomatic value and has binding effect. The Foreign Office is in the dark about these developments. A source said the interior minister was handling the matter himself and the Foreign Office was not being kept on board. President Zardari had refused to appear with the British prime minister at a press conference during Brown’s April 27 visit to Pakistan.

The refusal was taken by the media as a snub for Brown because of differences over the arrest of Pakistani students and the subsequent handling of the matter. However, it has now transpired that Zardari had refused a press conference with Brown to avoid differing with him publicly on the students’ issue, because it was anticipated that the media could be posing tough questions.

Pakistan Times : Appeal against deportation filed by detained Pak students

2009-05-02T00:17:00.001-04:00

Appeal against deportation filed by detained Pak students

'Pakistan Times' Foreign Desk | May 2, 2009

LONDON (UK): Four out of the ten Pakistani students arrested on terrorism suspicion by the British authorities last month and subsequently released after the charges were dropped, have now filed appeal against their deportation.

This was stated by lawyer Amjad Malik who was asked by Pakistan High Commission to represent 4 out of 10 Pakistani national students currently detained at Manchester prison and awaiting deportation on national security grounds.

The first hearing of all 10 students appeal is likely to be set in first two weeks of the current month. The four students are kept in highly secure “category A” at Manchester prison on the orders of UK Border Agency.

Malik said that legal team along with Pakistani Consul General in Manchester Masroor Junejo and Welfare Attache Amir Nisar Chaudhry met all detained students namely Shoaib Khan, Abdul Wahab Khan, Tariq ur Rehman and Abid Naseer who have instructed him to file their appeals which have been lodged with the required court with effect from April 28.

Though no charges were brought under criminal proceedings against the students and on April 21 they were released from criminal investigation to UK Border Agency who initiated immigration deportation proceedings.

According to Malik, the appeals have been lodged on the grounds that the appellants are racially discriminated being Pakistani nationals and being Muslims and that it would be against appellant’s rights under ECHR for UK to remove or deport them from Britain because the country is signatory to the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights.

Furthermore, the British Home Secretary has not put forward any concrete evidence in her contention that the appellants are a threat to “national security” of the UK and or even if there is any reason to support that contention, the proper course of action would be to charge the appellant and brought them before the court of law in a criminal proceedings.

But such proceedings has never been ensued and no charges were put forward by the Crown Prosecution Service. Therefore there is no evidence to support any charges against the appellants and their arrest, detention and continuing incarceration is unlawful, and unreasonable and without any substance; The appeal also said the appellants have been subjected to a one sided media trial at that time when they were incommunicado without a lawyer, consulate access and without a phone call to their family.

They have also felt that they have been made a scapegoat and immigration decision is but an effort to avoid answers to questions on the failure of the operation “Pathway” in order to divert attention from their innocence as the appellants feel that they are “innocent” until ‘proven guilty’ by a court of law.

The Nation (Pakistan) : Pak students file plea against deportation

2009-05-02T00:14:00.001-04:00

Pak students file plea against deportation

May 2, 2009

LONDON (APP) - Four out of the ten Pakistani students arrested on terrorism suspicion by the British authorities last month and subsequently released after the charges were dropped, have now filed appeal against their deportation. This was stated by lawyer Amjad Malik, who was asked by Pakistan High Commission to represent 4 out of 10 Pakistani national students currently detained at Manchester prison and awaiting deportation on national security grounds.

The first hearing of all 10 students appeal is likely to be set in first two weeks of the current month. The four students are kept in highly secure “category A” at Manchester prison on the orders of UK Border Agency.

Malik said that legal team along with Pakistani Consul General in Manchester Masroor Junejo and Welfare AttachT Amir Nisar Ch met all detained students namely Shoaib Khan, Abdul Wahab Khan, Tariq ur Rehman and Abid Naseer who have instructed him to file their appeals which have been lodged with the required court with effect from April 28. Though no charges were brought under criminal proceedings against the students and on April 21 they were released from criminal investigation to UK Border Agency, who initiated immigration deportation proceedings.

According to Malik, the appeals have been lodged on the grounds that the appellants are racially discriminated being Pakistani nationals and being Muslims and that it would be against appellant’s rights under ECHR for UK to remove or deport them from Britain because the country is signatory to the 1950 European Convention on HR.

The Nation (Pakistan) : "Operation Pathway"

2009-05-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

"Operation Pathway"

By Tayyab Siddiqui | May 2, 2009

Pakistan's stock was never so low in the international community as is now. The country is a favourite target of media, NGO's and the official circles in Europe and the US. The refrain is that Pakistan is a sanctuary of terrorists, an epicentre of terrorism and a direct threat to global peace and security. The accusations have been without credible evidence, but the nefarious campaign has severely impacted on Pakistan expatriates who experience on daily basis humiliation of intrusive investigation and viewed as potential terrorist. The waves of anti-Pakistan sentiments based on specious intelligence report has ground swelled and in most capitals of Europe the resident Pakistanis are living in an atmosphere of fear and apprehensions.

In Britain, since July 7, terrorist attacks in London subway, allegedly involving couple of British nationals of Pakistan's origin has led to hysteria against Pakistan. The Mumbai Tragedy, in which three Britons also died, was over blown by the British authorities. Foreign Secretary Miliband visited Pakistan and before Pakistan's involvement could be established demanded Pakistan to accept the responsibility. He went to the extent of blaming Pakistan, stating that 2/3 of the terrorist attacks in Britain originate from Pakistan. The statement was followed by a telephone call from Brown to Zardari expressing deep concerns and urging him to take immediate and effective measures to eliminate terrorists and their hideouts.

The bizarre incident of April 8, when 12 Pakistani students were arrested over a suspected bomb plot in UK, and their eventual release for want of any evidence and substance is the right time and occasion for Pakistan to protest against the statements from the authorities including the PM for maligning Pakistan who termed the arrests as "a very big terrorist plot."

The failure of "Operation Pathway" - the code name given to the probe maligned Pakistan beyond relief. We should not therefore let the issue die unless Britain apologies and compensate the accused for wrongful detention under prevalent UK laws.

The decision to deport these Pakistanis, declared innocent back home is without precedent, and should be resisted by us. There are no basis in law to deport them as they have been found innocent of any wrongdoing and are holding valid student visas. Our high commissioner in London has rightly demanded that the authorities, "owe an apology not only to these boys but also to the Government of Pakistan."

Other Pakistan : Free the Pakistani Students Campaign

2009-05-01T23:42:00.000-04:00

Free the Pakistani Students Campaign

May 1, 2009

Today I have launched a campaign to free the Pakistani students detained in the UK awaiting deportation on national security grounds. The campaign has a dedicated page as above and will include regular updates. The campaign has begun well and I am contacting British politicians to win their support and the British media to secure coverage on this key issue.

I request Pakistanis and non-Pakistanis to help in any way possible be it by passing on this post or website, speaking to a politician or a media contact or posting this post on your facebook page so the campaign can get the support and coverage it needs and deserves. For Facebook users please do attend the Free Pakistani Students Campaign Launch event via link here and send invitations to others and become a fan of Other Pakistan so you can be updated on progress.

Free the Pakistani Students

The ‘Free the Pakistani Students’ campaign led by Wasim Arif seeks the release of the ten Pakistani students who are under detention and to be deported from the UK on national security grounds. It seems that ‘Operation Pathway’ has become ‘Operation Persecute Pakistanis’ given that all ten Pakistani national students were released without charge, yet all have not been allowed to resume their studies. Worse the students have been detained awaiting deportation on a pack of lies it stands to reason given that the police did not charge a single student.

A press release issued by a lawyer for the students Amjad Malik sets out the background and legal position, and is shown below:

Press Note: Detained Pakistani Students at Manchester

I was asked by Pakistan High Commisison to represent 4 out of 10 Pakistani national students currently detained at Manchester prison who are threatened of deportation on national security grounds.

They are being deported on grounds of posing threat to national security of UK as being concerned in islamic extremist activities and for the reason that they were investigated under terrorism Act 2000 since 8 april 2009. Though no charges were brought under criminal proceedings and on 21 April, they were released from criminal invetigation to UK Border Agency who initiated immigration deportation proceedings.

If they choose to appeal their deportation orders, they will have a free standing right of appeal before ‘Special Immigration Appeals Commission’ which was set up under SIAC Act 1997.

I can confirm that legal team along with Pakistani Consul General Mr. Masroor Junejo and Welfare Attache Mr. Amir Nisar Ch met all detained students at Manchester namely; Mr. Shoiab Khan, Abdul Wahab Khan, Tariq Ur Rehman and Abid Naseer who all are well and instructed Amjad Malik, a Supreme Court Solicitor-Advocate and life member of SCBA (Pakistan) to file their appeals which have been lodged with the required court with effect from 28 April 2009.

Appeals are lodged on the grounds that:

a. That appellants are racially discriminated being Pakistani nationals and being Muslims; and That it would be against appellant’s rights under ECHR for UK to remove or deport the appellant from the United Kingdom because of that decision under the European Convention on Human Rights 1950 (Art.3,5,6, 8,9,10,14);

b. That the appellant appeals to SIAC on the following general grounds;That Home Secretary has not put forward any concrete evidence in her contention that the appellants are a threat to ‘national security’ of the UK; and or even if there is any reason to support that contention, the proper course of action would be to charge the appellant and brought them before the court of law in a criminal proceedings, but such proceedings has never been ensued and no charges were put forward by the CPS; Therefore it is appellants case on the limited information available to their defence that there is no evidence to support any charges and the arrest, detention and continuing incarceration is unlawful, and unreasonable; and without any substance;

c. That the appellant has been subjected to a one sided media trial at that time appellants were incommunicado without a lawyer, consulate access and without a phone call to their family;

d. That, in the circumstances appellant feels that they have been made a scapegoat and immigration decision is but an effort to avoid answers to questions on the failure of the operation ‘pathway’ in order to divert attention from their innocence as the appellant feel that they are ‘innocent’ until ‘proven guilty’ by a court of law.

First hearing of all 10 students appeal is likely to be set in first 2 weeks of May.

All 4 students are kept in highly secure ‘category A’ at Manchester prison on the orders of UK Border Agency.

Our first priority was to ensure that their appeals are lodged in time. Further matters of their case progress & strategy will be decided in next week by a panel of eminent lawyers in consultation with all stake holders including their bail application(s) which are likely to be heard in the 2nd week of May 09.

Amjad Malik

Solicitor-Advocate

Manchester

The ‘Free the Pakistani Students’ campaign has one demand that the Pakistani students are released and allowed to continue their studies. Furthermore it is our view that in the best interests of good community relations and more importantly good old British justice and fair play it is requested that the students are either released or charged to face a court of law. The present position of the UK government smacks of a disdain for fair play and justice and is not conducive to good community relations with a Pakistani community that increasingly feels under pressure nationally and internationally.

Guardian : G20 protests: Met police accused of misleading watchdog

2009-05-01T19:29:00.001-04:00

G20 protests: Met police accused of misleading watchdog

by Paul Lewis and Matthew Taylor | May 1, 2009

Scotland Yard was accused of misleading its own watchdog last night after an official report on the policing of the G20 London protests was said to contain "false claims" and "gross inaccuracies".

The document, submitted to a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority yesterday, set out the police version of events during the demonstrations last month, and included claims protesters and independent observers said were misleading.

The Liberal Democrat justice spokesman, David Howarth, said the report was "full of serious inaccuracies" and questioned its claim that protesters were free to leave police cordons on the streets.

The controversial use of cordons to "kettle", or corral, people at the rally is under review by Denis O'Connor, the chief inspector of constabulary.

The report stated that "whenever possible, people were allowed to leave the cordon" around the Bank of England and the Climate Camp in Bishopsgate. But accounts from hundreds of people caught inside the pens for hours indicated police refused people permission to leave.

The author of the report, assistant commissioner Chris Allison, defended the tactics of containment, telling the MPA that penning protesters, rather than dispersing them, was effective in reducing violence. But the MPA unanimously agreed to examine kettling and other public-order police tactics, in its civil liberties panel.

Other alleged inaccuracies in the Met's report included the claim that the Bishopsgate Climate Camp had blocked a "four-lane highway", and that police had supplied water to penned people.

The report also said Climate Camp protesters had "refused to divulge their plans" at a meeting with senior officers on the eve of the rally. Howarth, who mediated the meeting, said protesters had been constructive in attempts to liaise with the police. "It is time for the spinning to stop and for senior officers to ... take responsibility," Howarth said.

The report also said the Met was cooperating with the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is investigating a complaint relating to an alleged assault of a 22-year-old woman on 1 April. The IPCC has received 256 complaints relating to G20 demonstrations.

In a statement last night, the Met said: "Wherever operationally possible people were allowed out of the containment." It conceded that the Climate Camp had been set-up in a two-lane road, but said traffic had been impacted further south.

Regarding water supplies, the Met said: "Officers gave people water but kept the bottles so they could not be thrown ... Six toilets were deployed by the local authority at the request of police; these contained drinkable running water."

APP : Appeal against deportation filed by detained Pak students

2009-05-01T12:28:00.001-04:00

Appeal against deportation filed by detained Pak students

May 1, 2009

LONDON, May 1 (APP)-Four out of the ten Pakistani students arrested on terrorism suspicion by the British authorities last month and subsequently released after the charges were dropped, have now filed appeal against their deportation.

This was stated by lawyer Amjad Malik who was asked by Pakistan High Commission to represent 4 out of 10 Pakistani national students currently detained at Manchester prison and awaiting deportation on national security grounds.

The first hearing of all 10 students appeal is likely to be set in first two weeks of the current month. The four students are kept in highly secure “category A” at Manchester prison on the orders of UK Border Agency.

Malik said that legal team along with Pakistani Consul General in Manchester Masroor Junejo and Welfare Attache Amir Nisar Chaudhry met all detained students namely Shoaib Khan, Abdul Wahab Khan, Tariq ur Rehman and Abid Naseer who have instructed him to file their appeals which have been lodged with the required court with effect from April 28.

Though no charges were brought under criminal proceedings against the students and on April 21 they were released from criminal investigation to UK Border Agency who initiated immigration deportation proceedings.

According to Malik, the appeals have been lodged on the grounds that the appellants are racially discriminated being Pakistani nationals and being Muslims and that it would be against appellant’s rights under ECHR for UK to remove or deport them from Britain because the country is signatory to the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights.

Furthermore, the British Home Secretary has not put forward any concrete evidence in her contention that the appellants are a threat to “national security” of the UK and or even if there is any reason to support that contention, the proper course of action would be to charge the appellant and brought them before the court of law in a criminal proceedings.

But such proceedings has never been ensued and no charges were put forward by the Crown Prosecution Service. Therefore there is no evidence to support any charges against the appellants and their arrest, detention and continuing incarceration is unlawful, and unreasonable and without any substance;

The appeal also said the appellants have been subjected to a one sided media trial at that time when they were incommunicado without a lawyer, consulate access and without a phone call to their family.

They have also felt that they have been made a scapegoat and immigration decision is but an effort to avoid answers to questions on the failure of the operation “Pathway” in order to divert attention from their innocence as the appellants feel that they are “innocent” until ‘proven guilty’ by a court of law.

BBC : Anti-terror police searching park

2009-04-30T03:21:00.000-04:00

Anti-terror police searching park

April 30, 2009

Counter-terrorism officers are searching a public park in north Manchester, police have confirmed.

Officers are using metal detectors and dogs to scour part of Heaton Park, four miles north of the city centre.

Police say the searches - part of an ongoing operation following raids in north-west England on 8 April - could last three days.

Twelve men arrested in Manchester, Liverpool and Clitheroe, Lancashire, were later released without charge.

A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police, said: "Officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit are currently searching an area of Heaton Park in north Manchester.

"This is part of the ongoing counter-terrorism operation."

The searches began at 0830 BST on Thursday at the park, which is about two miles from Cheetham Hill where several addresses were raided in the operation.

Police appeared to be concentrating on an area around 200 yards inside the boundary, between a boating lake and a pitch-and-putt course.

Officers in black boiler suits used spades and sticks to clear undergrowth at a heavily wooded area alongside a brook.

Police have not indicated what they are trying to find.

Clitheroe Advertiser : MEP's concerns following anti-terror operation

2009-04-29T08:40:00.001-04:00

MEP's concerns following anti-terror operation

April 29, 2009

AN MEP from the Ribble Valley has raised serious questions about the Government's immigration policy and the way in which the arrests of the 12 men across his North West constituency were handled.

Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim, a member of the sub-committee on human rights, was reacting to news that all 12 men arrested in the counter-terrorism raids, including two in Clitheroe, had been released without charge, but 11 – all Pakistani nationals – were expected to be deported.

Mr Karim, who lives in Simonstone, said it was "extremely disconcerting" that the investigation led by the police and based on intelligence which Gordon Brown described as no less than a "serious terrorist plot", had revealed insufficient evidence to prove any terrorist involvement of the men arrested.

He claimed it brought into question the reliability of the intelligence gathered by the Government's sources and the way in which the response to it was handled.

Mr Karim said it also demonstrated that the extension from a 28-day detention was not necessary, but in fact would be unworkable, bureaucratic and unhelpful.

Furthermore, Mr Karim claimed the case had raised serious questions about the UK's immigration policy and the procedures surrounding security checks on foreign students. The Government has admitted that student visas serve as major loophole in the UK's border controls.

Commenting from the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Mr Karim said: "I am extremely concerned by the recent revelations regarding Operation Pathway. Firstly, the Government needs to close any loopholes in immigration policies that allow people of any origin to enter the UK, who could potentially pose a national security threat.

"Furthermore, the Prime Minister's remarks about the nature of the apparent threat that the men arrested posed now seem entirely fruitless given that evidence to prosecute the men has been insufficient.

"Not only are our immigration policies and procedures failing us, but the Government and its agencies are playing with the lives of these individuals and deporting them to cover their own backs."

Dawn : Pakistani students in UK

2009-04-28T23:51:00.001-04:00

Pakistani students in UK

Dawn Editorial | April 29, 2009

‘Operation Pathway’ was perhaps destined for failure the moment the UK’s top counter-terrorism officer was photographed with files providing details of planned police raids on Pakistani students. The officer concerned was forced to resign and the police action, which had been in the works for months, was moved forward at short notice. The result: mass arrests but no solid evidence.

Even so, that did not stop UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown from crowing about how the police had foiled a major terrorist plot. What terrorist plot? There may have been one but we will never really know, will we, considering how badly the inquiry was bungled? Physical searches of flats and houses yielded nothing, and neither did scrutiny of seized computers. In the end, all charges were dropped but yet the students are not at liberty.

They have been remanded to the custody of the UK Border Agency pending their deportation. Can Mr Brown, who was in Pakistan the other day, answer this one simple question: what is their crime? Every single student rounded up by the police was in the UK on a valid visa. Not one shred of evidence that could stand up in court could be produced against any of the young men now in custody. Is this justice? No, it is not.

Britain’s civil liberties record is not spotless, particularly in its dealings with the IRA, but the country does stand out as a bastion of basic rights in the western world. Every country has the right to act decisively when it feels that its security interests are being threatened. The UK cannot be deprived of that privilege. But when it knows that it has made a mistake, the British government, and yes it’s prime minister, should have the decency to show remorse and apologise for the incarceration of Pakistani citizens whose only fault perhaps was that they weren’t white.

The UK needs to sort out its race issues. Racism in Britain is both institutional and in your face. Few middle-class persons of colour who spend any prolonged period of time in Great Britain can come away saying that they were not discriminated against in one way or another. This is an issue that Britain needs to address on an urgent basis. Meanwhile, teenagers of Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin do not turn the other cheek at any given affront like their predecessors did.

The race riots of 2001 showed once and for all that there is now a generation of South Asians in Britain that will not simply cower and simper. But there is a downside to this dubious empowerment as well. Alienated from the mainstream, many Muslim Britons are more than willing to lend an ear to the obscurantists.