THE Muslim community's confidence in the police is heading for crisis point following the release without charge of 12 men arrested in anti-terror raids, says one of Manchester's leading politicians.
Coun Afzal Khan, a former Lord Mayor, said confidence could be lost because 'too many times the police are getting it wrong.'
Eleven of the 12 men, who are Pakistani nationals in Britain on visas, face deportation after being handed over to the UK Borders Agency. The twelfth is a British citizen from Cheetham Hill.
Lord Carlile of Berriew is to carry out an independent investigation into the case and will interview `all concerned' - including those arrested.
Senior security sources told the M.E.N they remained 'absolutely' confident the men, arrested in a string of armed raids in Manchester and other parts of the north west, had posed a real and immediate threat to Britain.
Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, said he did not feel embarrassed or humiliated by the lack of charges – adding that he would do the same again.
Police sources said that while the intelligence against the men had been ‘compelling’, it was not matched by evidence gathered from searches of properties, computers and mobile phones.
Danger
Coun Khan – a councillor for Cheetham where four of the raids took place – said: “The Muslim community has always been supportive but we need to make sure that support is not lost. We are reaching a point where there is a danger of that.
“I am not saying the police should not act. I fully support the police and want them to protect us. My concern is that too many times they are getting it wrong. That is affecting the confidence in the relationship between the police and the public – particularly the Muslim community.
“It is having an adverse effect on internal community relations. An independent inquiry must look at the way the police are working and dealing with terrorism. If there are lessons to be learned, they need to be learned quickly.”
Martin Pagel, another Cheetham councillor and former deputy council leader, said: “We all support the police but by the same token there has to be some explanation to people so they can be assured the police are not getting it wrong.”
Explanation
The men were arrested on April 8 after co-ordinated raids on 14 addresses in the north west, including the four in Manchester. The British citizen was arrested in a car on the M602.
He is understood to be a member of Tabligee Jamat, an Islamic group which goes door-to-door in local communities visiting Muslims to reinforce their faith by getting them to pray and attend the mosque.
A Pashtun speaker, he was active in the group in the Cheetham Hill area, according to locals, and has been in Britain for up to nine years. He worked as a delivery driver and regularly attended his local mosque.
Mr Fahy – asked if the arrests had foiled a terror attack – admitted: “We do not know that. We cannot say that. That starts to imply guilt against those people involved.”
But he said that 68 people nationally are on trial or awaiting trial for alleged terrorist offences.
“This shows there’s a real threat to this country,” he said.
Mr Fahy said the police’s actions had been right, given the intelligence.
“I do not feel embarrassed or humiliated by what we have done because we have carried out our duty to protect the people of Greater Manchester,” he said. “I have to put the safety of the public first.
“We do not carry out this sort of operation on a wing or a prayer or on a whim.”
Cheetham has long been the focus of anti-terror measures. The area is a mile from the Crumpsall Lane flat where Det Con Stephen Oake was stabbed to death during an anti-terror raid.
And late last year, Habib Ahmed, a taxi driver from Cheetham, was jailed for 10 years for his role in a plot to build a Manchester terror cell.
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (23/04/2009 at 06:53)
dessie, manchester (23/04/2009 at 07:28)
SMILEY :), Manchester (23/04/2009 at 09:03)
It was hardly suprise tatics considering they blaised their names and addresses all over the papers the day before!
Black Flag (23/04/2009 at 09:05)
You could change the word "muslim" to "police" in that statement and it would be more valid.
allan salford, olvera, spain (23/04/2009 at 09:07)
Guten Tag, Stress Strabe, Manchester (23/04/2009 at 09:13)
Laura Norder, Didsbury (23/04/2009 at 09:20)
How can anyone, at this stage, say the police 'got it wrong'?
The fact that little/no evidence of wrongdoing was uncovered (on this occasion), means that those that wish us ill may be getting better at concealing evidence. Though I do concede that police, acting on information received, may have gone off 'half-cocked' (no pun intended), by arresting the alleged conspirators when they did. Now we must wait for the outcome of an independent inquiry.
Perhaps, if the majority of the Muslim community here in the UK would co-operate more with the security services, report their suspicions of 'new arrivals' - and young people who may have been indoctrinated into believing all infidels deserve to die - we can all get on with our lives, peacefully co-existing.
There again, I still believe in the Tooth fairy and Father Christmas...
Almighty G0D, Everywhere (23/04/2009 at 09:26)
Guten Tag, Stress Strabe, Manchester
23/04/2009 at 09:13 "
Thats the way to do it, arrest everyone, one of them might be a criminal, and to hell with everyone else. Are you actually that stupid guten?
Theowolfe (23/04/2009 at 09:29)
Habeas corpus, perhaps.
Ace Shakespeare , manchester (23/04/2009 at 09:32)
Once again you are so bang on the money.instead of hiding these terrorists the asian community should help rid britain and our communities of these killers.
Ace Shakespeare , manchester (23/04/2009 at 09:39)
selfexiled (23/04/2009 at 09:47)
HE SHOULD LOOK AT THE STATE OF PAKISTAN AND HOW GOOD THEIR SECURITY IS BEFORE CRITICISING THE BRITISH POLICE, THEY CAN'T CATCH ANYONE EVEN WHEN A CRIME AS BEEN COMMITED.I am sick and tired of ethnic minorities contiually moaning griping and waving the race card if the authotities in the British Isles do whatever is nessacary to protect our people.I for one support any action that pre-empts loss of life.
Almighty G0D, Everywhere (23/04/2009 at 09:50)
Ace Shakespeare , manchester"
What terrorists? They let them go because they have absolutely no evidence. Whats wrong with you people? Why are you so scared of something thats not even a threat, so scared that your willing to give up all your rights for the false promise of "security". We didn't need any of these daft laws when the IRA were doing their thing.
Voice of Sanity (23/04/2009 at 09:53)
Almighty G0D, Everywhere (23/04/2009 at 09:55)
Voice of Sanity, "
No, they are on student visa's, hence not illegal.
Trueman (23/04/2009 at 09:56)
The Police Force must get sick and tired of justifying themselves. They cant even chase car theives now incase the idiots crash and get killed, then of course its all the polices fault as usual..............
Jomov (23/04/2009 at 10:04)
Hmmm not illegal YET!
Guten Tag, Stress Strabe, Manchester (23/04/2009 at 10:12)
Lets face facts, how many Muslims living in Manchester? Hundreds of thousands? And the Police arrest 12. I don't even think you can record that as a percentage! If you are doing nothing illegal/subversive, you have nothing to worry about.
RT, UK (23/04/2009 at 10:17)
Matters such as these arrests bring any investigation and intelligence gathered into disrepute. Talking big and delivering little does nothing to understand this governments aim to lock up people for up to 90 days without charge.
Too much is being covered by so called intelligence reports, that are being shown to be lacking in real substance. If there is an enquiry, lets hope it is not the normal whitewash.
Laura Norder, Didsbury (23/04/2009 at 10:17)
"No, they are on student visa's, hence not illegal." - Almighty G0D, Everywhere
I take your point, so it will be interesting, in the light of the proposed independent inquiry, to be shown evidence of how much coursework each of the alleged plotters actually completed.
My money is on 'not a lot'.
I stand to be corrected on this matter, BTW.
Steve (23/04/2009 at 10:20)
‘they are on student visa’s, hence not illegal’
So you know that for a fact, was it reported by the media and you believed it!
I suppose you think the police did wrong as well and then would moan the police aren’t doing their job when millions die in a planned attack. If they were so innocent then why are they being deported? The police don’t arrest people without suspicion or are you going to say they do?
Who can say there was no evidence, there’s a million miles of difference between ‘no evidence and insufficient evidence to prosecute’. These terrorists are not stupid, mad maybe, miss guided definitely but not mad. Many are very clever and experts in hiding evidence, but who cares it’s the cops so let’s slag them off. The press is full of ‘their human rights being breached’, isn’t it funny human rights are only ever mentioned when someone wants to have a go at somebody or a group of people like the police. The rest of the time people say the human rights legislation is rubbish. What about our human rights to live in safety and security?
The police have done a dam good job in this case and we should be thanking them for it. If by arresting these so called ‘innocent people’ they have saved just one life then they should be applauded. Those who think differently should wake up and smell the coffee; there are really bad people out there who want to hurt you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guten Tag, Stress Strabe, Manchester (23/04/2009 at 10:24)
Dean, Swinton (23/04/2009 at 10:24)
Theowolfe (23/04/2009 at 10:25)
Unfortunately the Police have become the enemy of everyone in this country. Their increased powers have created a pseudo Police State. They act with impunity and are never called to account, except where it is absolutely unavoidable, such as the case of Ian Tomlinson.
If the events surrounding Ian Tomlinsonsn's death were not recorded, the Police would have denied the incident.
The Police lied to keep the Birmingham Six, Guildford Four and Maguire Seven banged up for years although the knew of their innocence. No one was called to account although there was clear evidence of conspiracy and perjury. How can this bunch be trusted.
The tragedy is that the Police derive their powers from totalitarian minded politicians and ultimately from us, the electorate. The erosion of civil liberties is gathering pace and that is partly our responsibility for not defending civil liberties that have been eroded piece-meal in the past.
The Police needs to be re-established as a public service and not an agency of the state.
Hacienda 51, Manchester (23/04/2009 at 10:32)
Where were you???? It was enough to be IRISH in the 70's/80's to be arrested with out evidence.
Remember The Birmingham Six???? Guildford Four???? NO?????
Did you speak up then or really care-NO didn't think so!!!!
INNOCENT UNTIL PROVED IRISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!