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'Iraq-style' plan foiled in UK
31/01/2007 16:17 - (SA)
Birmingham - Police arrested eight British Pakistanis under anti-terror laws on Wednesday to foil an alleged "Iraq-style" plot to kidnap and behead a victim - possibly a Muslim soldier - sources said.
If successful the alleged plotters - arrested in dawn raids in Birmingham - planned to post a video of the execution on the internet, as happened to a number of hostages in Iraq.
"It was going to be a beheading and this was going to be posted on the internet via a homemade video," a security source told AFP. "I think it would be somebody significant inside the Muslim community."
Sky News said the intended victim was a serving Muslim soldier in his 20s, who was recently given police protection after detectives learned that the attempted kidnap was only days away.
Police confirmed that the arrests took place in dawn raids in parts of the city with a large Muslim population. A local councillor told AFP that those arrested were Britons of Pakistani origin.
West Midlands police said those detained were held "on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2000" while the home office said it was part of a "nationwide operation".
The current threat level to Britain from terrorism currently stands at "severe" - the second highest level - meaning an attack is "highly likely", according to the domestic intelligence service MI5.
- AFP
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