British sources are beginning to confirm suspicions first raised by The Jawa Report that the failed UK terror plot was linked to exiled cleric Shiekh Omar Bakri Mohammed.

On August 10th a source in the UK told The Jawa Report that followers of Omar Bakri were almost certainly involved in the failed mass-murder plot. Followers of the jailed cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri were also implicated. Both of the radical clerics preach a message supporting the imposition of Islamic law and an Islamic empire and many of their followers travel in the same circles.

The Syrian born Omar Bakri Mohammed has been the leader of several British Musllim organizations, which many claim have ties to al Qaeda. Three of them have been banned in the UK. They are Al-Muhajiroun, al-Ghurabaa and the Saved Sect.

The British government considers Bakri persona non grata and he now resides in Lebanon.

The Jawa Report can independently confirm that despite Bakri's exile, he still has a large following and continues to direct the activities of radical Muslims in Britain. Bakri also continues to raise money from British Muslims which he claims are for the help of the mujahidin--or, holy warriors.

The Guardian:

Intelligence sources in Pakistan have linked Rashid Rauf, 25, the Birmingham man being held in Pakistan and alleged to be at the centre of the plot, to members of al-Muhajiroun in the UK.

Bakri's followers in Birmingham are known as The Saved Sect. Some time ago we revealed that members of The Saved Sect were using The Birmingham Grid for learning, a publicly funded education establishment operated by the Birmingham City Council, to spread their Islamist hate propaganda.

In July, members of al Ghurabaa & The Saved Sect gathered in a Birmingham community center and openly mocked victims of the 7/7 London tube bombings.

The Jawa Report had led an unsuccessful campaign to shut down The Saved Sect's website in July. Shortly after the British government foiled the terror plot the website was down.

Birmingham was one of several locations where police arrested suspects involved in the plot.

More connections from The Guardian:

Waltham Forest council banned the extremist group al-Ghurabaa from holding clandestine meetings at premises within walking distance of the homes of several terror suspects arrested last week, the Guardian has learned

Al-Ghurabaa booked the council-owned community hall in Walthamstow on two occasions, but gave false information about the purpose of the events. One of the planned meetings, in February at Waltham Forest Asian Centre, was to plan protests against the Danish cartoons bearing images of the prophet.

The Jawa Report also noted at that time that al Ghurabaa's own website openly advocating killing any person who blasphemed Mohammed.

More:

It was claimed the hall would be used to celebrate the festival of Eid. The local authority cancelled the meeting on police advice when it was found the meeting was to discuss the creation of an Islamic state in Britain. Flyers publicising the meeting depicted a man standing next to 10 Downing Street holding a rocket-launcher.

The Islamic Thinkers Society of New York has organized protests in the past in which they shouted "next time we will get all of NYC" and have publicly desecrated the American flag. The group's website once openly advocated the imposition of Sharia law in the US, but has recently added password protection.

Bakri has sometimes claimed to be the spokesman of the political wing of the International Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders, led by Osama bin Laden. At other times, Bakri has denied and distanced himself from the military wing of the organization, al Qaeda.

Expect more updates and confirmations in the coming days.

UPDATE: C/T blog has related info, Goldstein questions the timing, and Ace on the ever present "Sullie" connection.

Posted by: Rusty at 05:05 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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