Recently in Jihad in the West Category

He worked at the airport. No one there would have dared to make any attempt to ascertain his commitment to jihad. That would have been "Islamophobic." "Frankfurt airport gunman jailed for life," from the BBC, February 10 (thanks to Alan of England):

A young Kosovan man who admitted shooting dead two US airmen at Frankfurt airport last year has been sentenced to life in prison.

Arid Uka, now 22, is a Muslim ethnic Albanian who was born in Kosovo but grew up in Germany.

Uka was convicted on two counts of murder and three of attempted murder by the court in Frankfurt.

The American servicemen were travelling from the UK to the Ramstein airbase near Frankfurt.

US soldiers Nicholas Alden, 25, and Zachary Ryan Cuddeback, 21, were killed in the shooting.

Two other airmen were seriously injured in the attack on a bus at the airport.

A jammed gun prevented Uka from shooting a fifth airman in the head.

Uka said during his trial that he had been radicalised by jihadist propaganda videos he had watched online.

Prosecutors said he had wanted to kill the airmen because they were going to join the Nato-led force in Afghanistan. He had no known contact with Islamist groups, they said.

As the sentence was read out, Uka had his arms folded and did not move, German press agency DPA reports....

At the start of the trial, Uka admitted the killings and apologised for them, saying he did not know why he did it.

Arid Uka was born in the Kosovo town of Mitrovica but grew up in Germany. At the time of the attack, he was apparently working at the airport.

This report also details the ongoing use of so-called "charities" to fund jihad. "Extremist preachers now radicalising young Muslims in private homes, says senior Government security adviser," by Christopher Hope for the Telegraph, February 9:

Third world charities set up to raise money to help people in Pakistan and Bangladesh are also being used as front organisations to fund terrorism, according to the Home Office’s top anti-terrorism adviser.

Charles Farr, the Director General of the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism, also said that Al-Qaeda was now at “its weakest state” since the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Mr Farr, who was once tipped as a future head of MI6, added that it was “possible to talk of the demise of parts of Al Qaeda” because the revolutions in the Middle East had weakened support for them.

The news came amid the continuing row over the European Court of Human Rights' refusal to allow Britain to extradite Abu Qatada - once described as “Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe” - to Jordan to face terror charges.

Mr Farr said extremist Muslim preachers could no longer radicalise young people at mosques and universities because of the increasingly effective activities of the Security Services on mainland Britain.

He said that increasingly "it takes place in private premises, simply because the people who are doing the radicalising are now much more aware of the activities that we are conducting.

“There has been a trend towards much greater use of private venues, simply because for obvious reasons they feel that they are much more secure.”

He said that radicalisation often “rapidly migrates into a private house where people are brought together, usually under the excuse of there being a faith-based meeting, and the discussion rapidly develops into something much more about terrorism and the legitimacy of violence.”

There was some radicalisation going on in Britain, but in “no more than one or two per cent” of the mosques in the UK, he said. Charities were also being used as fronts to raise money to fund terrorism.

Mr Farr said: “We can see some activity going on in charitable organisations, often with the pretext of raising funds to be sent overseas for good works, for example to Pakistan or indeed Bangladesh.”...

Another day, another plot, another "misunderstanding" that is remarkably like the "misunderstandings" that have gone before it, not only in the U.K. but in places far removed from it. More on this story. "Nine jailed over bomb plot and terror camp plan," from BBC News, February 9:

Nine men who plotted to bomb the London Stock Exchange and build a terrorist training camp have been jailed.

Three of the men - all members of an al-Qaeda inspired terror group - received indeterminate sentences for public protection at London's Woolwich Crown Court.

The court heard they had planned to raise funds for a terrorist camp in Pakistan and recruit Britons to attend.

The nine come from Stoke-on-Trent, Cardiff and London.

In sentencing, the judge described all the men - who are British nationals of Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin - as Islamic fundamentalists.

The three to receive indeterminate sentences for the terror camp plan included Mohammed Shahjahan 27, of Stoke-on-Trent, who was jailed for a minimum term of eight years and 10 months.

Usman Khan, 20, and Nazam Hussain, 26, also from Stoke-on-Trent, were ordered to serve at least eight years.

Judge Mr Justice Wilkie said these three were "the more serious jihadists" and said they should not be released until they were no longer a threat to the public.

The court heard they planned to establish the terrorist camp on land in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir owned by Khan's family and encourage a "significant" number of British Muslims to undergo training there.

Khan and Hussain planned to travel to the camp and receive military instruction themselves before "obtaining first-hand terrorist experience in Kashmir", the hearing was told.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Wilkie said this was a "serious, long-term venture in terrorism" that could also have resulted in atrocities in the UK.

"It was envisaged by them all that ultimately they and the other recruits may return to the UK as trained and experienced terrorists available to perform terrorist attacks in this country, on one possibility contemplated in the context of the return of British troops from Afghanistan."...

The release date is described as an unfortunate coincidence, but it underscores massive task ahead of authorities to secure the London Olympics from Islamic supremacist disruption in any number of forms. "'Shoe-bomb' terrorist to be released from jail on opening day of the Olympic Games," by Emma Reynolds for the Daily Mail, February 6:

The notorious terrorist who plotted a shoe-bomb attack on a plane is to be freed from jail just hours before the Olympic Games begin.

Saajid Badat's release will only add to security fears at the high-profile event in London, which opens on July 27.

The 32-year-old was jailed for 13 years in 2005 after conspiring with two other radical Muslims to blow up a passenger jet - but he will be released after serving just eight years and eight months.

The religious teacher from Gloucester admitted to conspiring with Brit Richard Reid and Belgian terrorist Nizar Trabelsi to blow up flights to the U.S. in 2001.

But now he is due to be freed two-thirds of the way through his sentence on the official opening day of the biggest sporting event in the world, according to the Daily Mirror.

'People are furious this guy is being released on that day but it’s just a quirk of fate,' said a security source.

'You can be sure people will be watching him very carefully and taking note of who he associated with in prison.'

Badat is believed to have been trained for the plot by al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He was arrested when he was found with a bomb designed to be placed in his shoes in order to evade airport security.

He had even booked a ticket for a flight from Amsterdam to the U.S., but he had a last-minute change of heart and never boarded the plane.

His fellow plotter Reid was overpowered by fellow passengers on a flight from Paris to Miami while trying to detonate the bomb in his shoes, and is now serving a life sentence in America.

The extremists were linked through phone cards found on Reid used to contact Trabelsi, who is serving time in Belgium.

This report shows again that the supposed distinction between "Jews" and "Zionists" is strictly for cosmetic purposes. Jews are Jews, and infidels are infidels. "Exclusive: Israel Warns US Jews: Iran Could Strike Here," by Richard Esposito for ABC News, February 3:

Israeli facilities in North America -- and around the world -- are on high alert, according to an internal security document obtained by ABC News that predicted the threat from Iran against Jewish targets will increase.

"We predict that the threat on our sites around the world will increase … on both our guarded sites and 'soft' sites," stated a letter circulated by the head of security for the Consul General for the Mid-Atlantic States, Eliran Avitan. Guarded sites refers to government facilities like embassies and consulates, while 'soft sites' means Jewish synagogues, and schools, as well as community centers like the one hit by a terrorist bombing in Buenos Aires in 1994 that killed 85 people.

The head of Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service, told an audience at a closed forum in Tel Aviv recently that Iran is trying to hit Israeli targets because of what it believes are Israeli attacks on it nuclear scientists. Yoram Cohen said that Iran's Revolutionary Guard, the same militant wing of the government linked to the recent alleged plot against the Saudi ambassador to the U.S., is working tirelessly to attack Israeli and Jewish targets abroad in order to deter Israel.

Local and regional law enforcement and intelligence officials in U.S. and Canadian cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Toronto have been monitoring the situation closely for several weeks, and have stepped up patrols at Israeli government locations and Jewish cultural and religious institutions. They have issued awareness bulletins reminding officers to stay vigilant.

Federal officials in those cities told ABC News that they have also increased their efforts to watch for any threat stream pointing to an imminent attack on either Israeli facilities, Jewish cultural or religious institutions or other "soft targets."

"When there is posturing like this, we always pay extra attention to any threat streams," one federal official said.

"The thwarted assassination plot of a Saudi official in Washington, D.C., a couple of months ago was an important data point," added the official, "in that it showed at least parts of the Iranian establishment were aware of the intended event and were not concerned about inevitable collateral damage to U.S. citizens had they carried out an assassination plot on American soil."

"That was an eye opener, showing that they did not care about any collateral damage," the federal official said....

Still more converts to Islam misunderstand their new, peaceful religion. And yet, despite the frequency of such instances, no one, anywhere, is calling upon Muslims to institute instruction classes for converts to Islam to help safeguard them from this curious misunderstanding. "German converts plead guilty to smuggling bomb instructions into Britain," by Duncan Gardham for the Telegraph, February 2:

Two German Islamic converts have pleaded guilty attempting to smuggle the same bomb-making instructions used by the London Stock Exchange bombers into Britain.

Christian Emde, 28, and Robert Baum, 24, from Solingen in Western Germany were stopped as they entered the country on a ferry to Dover in July.

Sources told the Daily Telegraph the men were on a watch list because they were active in extremist circles in Germany.

They eventually told police they were traveling to London and Birmingham to meet unnamed individuals.

A search of their rucksacks revealed a large quantity of extremist literature stored on a hard drive and a laptop computer, including an article called “How to make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom,” from the al-Qaeda magazine, Inspire.

The same recipe for a pipe bomb was used by the four men who pleaded guilty this week to plotting to blow up the London Stock Exchange.

The men were said to have a “passion for guns” and their backpacks contained numerous gun manuals written in English, Arabic and German.

Other articles included “39 ways to support jihad” by Anwar al-Awlaki, one of the former leaders of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular who was killed in a drone attacks last year.

Another article was entitled “The Ultimate Mowing Machine” and described how blades could be fixed to a truck to cut down pedestrians.

Emde had “vast quantities of Jihad and terrorism booklets and pamphlets” an earlier hearing was told and Baum had “similar but fewer articles.”

Both men are Islamic converts. Emde converted in 2003 and Baum two to three years ago.

Emde was the moderator of a website in Germany which opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He was said to have an “interest in terrorism” but claims he did not download the material to distribute it or for the purposes of terrorism.

Timothy Green, for Emde, said the material was "freely available" on the internet and was thought not to be illegal in Germany.

At their preliminary hearing, the men refused to stand up to face the charges.

Speaking through an interpreter Baum said: "To stand up would be an act of worship which is forbidden in Islam.”...

Sitting down in an Infidel court is an act of piety, as is murdering Infidels.

Still more misunderstanders of the Religion of Peace

Will the Islamophobia never end? "Terrorists admit plot to bomb London Stock Exchange and US Embassy," by Duncan Gardham for the Telegraph, February 1 (thanks to David):

Four al-Qaeda inspired terrorists have pleaded guilty to plotting a Christmas bomb attack on the London Stock Exchange, the American embassy and the home of London Mayor Boris Johnson.

Two of the men conducted a surveillance trip around central London and also talked about launching a Mumbai-style attack on Parliament.

A “target list” was found at the home of the ring-leader which listed the names and addresses of Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, as well as two Rabbis and the American Embassy. It had on it the letters ‘LXC’ for London Stock Exchange.

Torn pieces of paper showed a sketch of what is believed to be a car bomb.

Three other men met with the plotters and planned to travel abroad to get more training before returning to launch further attacks. Another two men pleaded guilty to associated charges.

The men, from London, Stoke and Cardiff, were inspired by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP) and used their English-language magazine Inspire as a guide.

In Stoke the gang talked about attacking local pubs and clubs but decided to travel abroad to get more training.

In East London, Mohammed Chowdhury, 21, the ring leader, and Shah Rahman, 29, were under surveillance as they toured central London sites for six hours between 3.30pm and 9.30pm on November 28 2010.

They got off a bus in Trafalgar Square and walked along Whitehall towards Westminster. They were observed looking at Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Blackfriars Bridge and the Church of Scientology on Queen Victoria Street.

After visiting a McDonalds restaurant on Cannon Street in the City of London, the two men boarded a bus back towards East London.

In the bedroom at Chowdhury’s flat in the Isle of Dogs, police found a handwritten target list on a folded piece of A4 paper on the computer desk.

The Stoke group have their origins in Pakistan, while the London and Cardiff groups were originally from Bangladesh.

The three groups were inspired by Anwar al-Awlaki, one of the leaders of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular, who died in a drone attack last year.

The defendants made contact with each other through dawah – proselytising - or by Paltalk or other internet messaging.

Meetings took place in November and December 2010 at which the defendants planned to use explosive devices to attack significant locations in London and around the country.

Their plans could be carried out without much preparation and were very difficult to intercept, sources said.

The London and Cardiff groups were keen to act quickly, at first talking about sending mail bombs through the Royal Mail and then deciding on a plan to set off bombs in the toilets of the stock exchange.

The Stoke group talked about persuading others to take bombs into pubs in their area so that they would explode.

Abdul Miah, 25, said to be at the centre of the Cardiff gang, and his brother Omar Latif, 28, pleaded guilty to taking part in the Stock Exchange plot. Gurukanth Desai, 30, pleaded guilty to attending meetings.

Mohibur Rahman, 27, from Stoke pleaded guilty to possession of a document containing information useful to a person preparing an act of terrorism.

The charges relate to two editions of al-Qaeda’s English language Inspire magazine.

Usman Khan, 20, Mohammed Shahjahan, 27, and Nazam Hussain, 26, all from Stoke pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terrorism....

Let us see if the Norwegians will blame these Muslims' manual for terror as much as they blamed anti-jihadists for Breivik's murders. Translated from Jyllands-Posten, January 30: "Seven years in prison for terror plans against Jyllands-Posten":

The case has been called historical in Norway, because it is the first time that someone has been convicted for planning terror.

The Chinese Uighur and Norwegian citizen Mikael Davud was the main man behind the terror plans against Jyllands-Posten's premises at the Town Hall Square in Copenhagen. So he got a sentence of seven years in prison.

"The Court finds no doubt that Davud took the initiative and that he also was the main man. He was himself responsible for the implementation of the terrorist attack," said Judge Oddmund Black Berg.

It was ruled that the preparations were characterized by professionalism, but that the attack was not imminent. It appeared that there would only have been a small bomb, which probably would not cost lives. The defenders demanded acquittal. ...

According to the indictment, Mikael Davud was acting on behalf of Al Qaida. He admitted in court that he received bomb training from a terrorist group in Iran. The prosecutor argued that Davud instead traveled across the border into Pakistan, where he trained with Al Qaeda. Mikael Davud acknowledged that he had contacts with Al Qaida, but not that he was on a mission for the terrorist network. He acted on his own, he said. ...

The Iraqi Kurd Shawan Sadek Saeed Bujak has argued that the goal was Jyllands-Posten and Kurt Westergaard, a goal that both he and Davud allegedly agreed on. And this was the charge that the court found was proven.

Greasy Islamophobes in Britain once again impede a Muslim's expression of the beautiful Religion of Peace.

"Asim Kausar jailed over ricin recipe find," from the BBC, January 27 (thanks to David):

A man who downloaded a recipe for the deadly poison ricin and documents about how to make bombs has been jailed for two years and three months.

Asim Kausar, 25, from Bolton, kept the information on a computer pen drive.

The material only came to light after Kausar's family suffered a burglary and the memory stick was handed in to police.

Kausar pleaded guilty to four charges under the Terrorism Act at Manchester Crown Court.

The memory stick contained details about ricin, assassination and torture techniques, and how to construct improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Police had been given it so officers could view CCTV images of the break-in stored on the device.

They then came across the terror-related information....

Whoops!

The documents were entitled Improvised Munitions Handbook and Unconventional Warfare Devices and Techniques.

Kausar told officers he had downloaded the information out of "curiosity and a thirst for knowledge".

Yeah, sure, that's it. Work on your "war is deceit" act, there, Kausar.

The court heard Kausar had "scoured the internet" between January 2009 and June 2011 and the information he downloaded ran into thousands of pages of documents.

Sentencing him, the Recorder of Manchester Judge Andrew Gilbart QC said there was no evidence that the offending went beyond collecting information.

However he said he was satisfied Kausar's actions "went beyond mere idle curiosity"....

When Kausar's bedroom was searched, police found what appeared to be a "shopping list" of munitions, said Riel Karmy-Jones, prosecuting, with prices marked down next to entries of various weapons and ammunition.

His mobile phone was also seized which contained a photograph of Kausar posing with an AK rifle - believed to have been taken in Pakistan.

The court was also told about a letter written by Kausar in which he said: "I want to fight jihad for Allah".

The letter also asked "whether he would be able to fight and whether his martyrdom would be accepted".

A "terrorist document." The mind reels. What could that be? A document detailing a jihad plot? Or a document inciting to terrorism? Was he perhaps carrying a holy book that exhorts believers to hate, subjugate and kill the infidel -- you know, like the Bhagavad Gita?

"Foreign student, 22, arrested at Brimingham Airport on suspicion of 'carrying terrorist document,'" by Damien Gayle for the Daily Mail, December 20 (thanks to Paul):

A 22-year-old student was arrested last night at Birmingham Airport on suspicion of carrying with him a terrorist document.

Police seized the Pakistani national - who lives and studies in the UK - after he got off a flight from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said he was held on suspicion of being in possession of a document likely to be of use to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Last night he was being questioned by officers from West Midlands Police's Counter Terrorism Unit....

An update on this story. "Iraqi pleads guilty to trying to kill US troops," from Reuters, December 16:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Iraqi living in Kentucky pleaded guilty on Friday to charges that he tried to kill U.S. soldiers in Iraq, aided al Qaeda operatives there and taught how to make roadside bombs, the Justice Department said.

Waad Ramadan Alwan, 30, pleaded guilty to a 23-count indictment in a federal court in Kentucky - a case that drew harsh criticism from Republicans in the U.S. Congress who argued that such terrorism suspects should be tried in military courts at the American military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Obama administration rebuffed such demands, countering that federal courts also can handle major terrorism cases.

"The successful investigation, arrest, interrogation and prosecution of Mr. Alwan demonstrates the effectiveness of our intelligence and law enforcement authorities in bringing terrorists to justice," Lisa Monaco, the head of the Justice Department's national security division, said in a statement.

Alwan was accused of taking part in roadside bomb attacks on U.S. troops between 2003 and 2006, linked in one such instance by fingerprints obtained by U.S. forces from a device that did not detonate.

The FBI started investigating him in September 2009 and nearly a year later began using a confidential source to talk with him about his activities in Iraq, which allegedly included using improvised explosive devices, known as IEDs, and sniper rifles to target U.S. troops.

During conversations with the source, Alwan said he worked at a power plant but often hid roadside bombs, according to court papers filed earlier this year. He also allegedly boasted of attacking Hummers and Bradley fighting vehicles.

He and a second Iraqi, Mohanad Shareef Hammadi, also were charged for allegedly trying to provide support and weapons to an al Qaeda affiliate in Iraq in a sting operation subsequently run by U.S. authorities.

Hammadi has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The two Iraqis entered the United States in 2009 after receiving refugee status. They were arrested in May in their hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Refugee Iraqis from their hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky? Did we miss something about the space-time continuum?

Alwan faces at least 25 years and up to life in a U.S. prison under the plea agreement and he is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3.

Two pious men

Justice Betty King doesn't get it. Aweys and El Sayed were not ungrateful, as far as they themselves were concerned. They think they were doing Australians a favor by killing a few kuffar in order to terrorize and weaken Australian society, and thereby pave the way for Sharia rule. "Judge berates terrorists who were given refuge in Australia," by Norrie Ross for the Herald Sun, December 17 (thanks to Kenneth):

THREE terrorists had repaid the kindness of Australians with an evil plot to slaughter dozens of soldiers at an army base, a judge said yesterday.

Justice Betty King said the families of Saney Aweys, 28, and Nayev El Sayed, 27, had fled civil war in Somalia and Lebanon, while Libyan Wissam Fattal, 35, came to Australia to further his kickboxing career.

"The fact that Australia welcomed all of you, and nurtured you and your families, is something that should cause you all to hang your heads in shame that this was the way you planned to show your thanks for that support," the judge said.

"Your views about Australia and Australians, and your attitude towards the country's armed forces, its civilians, and its government, were clear. Your plans were evil."

Justice King jailed the three for 18 years, and set minimum terms of 13 1/2 years[.]

The judge said Fattal, Aweys and El Sayed were all unrepentant radical Muslims and would remain a threat to the public while they held extremist views. But of the three, only Fattal can be deported on his release from jail. His co-conspirators have Australian citizenship.

Justice King said the men had planned an armed attack on Sydney's Holsworthy army base by up to six men, who would shoot dead as many people as they could before they were killed.

She said they all had a connection to the Preston mosque, support for a Somalian terrorist group, and were driven by extremist Muslim views.

"All of you believe in the principle of martyrdom. All of you believe it is your obligation to oppose and deal with those you describe as infidels," the Supreme Court judge said.

"It is an unfortunate but widely known fact that some Muslims hold extremist views of not only their religion, but of their obligation under their religion to martyrdom, (and) have engaged in worldwide terrorism."

Yet another judge assumes she knows more about Islam than devout and observant Muslims, and presumes to lecture them about it and tell them they're holding "extremist views."

The judge said the men's plan was amateurish and far from sophisticated.

But it was "deadly serious" and, if carried out, its results would have been horrific.

Fattal, who has caused trouble consistently in court and in jail, was dragged out of court before sentencing when he began a rant about "Jews, Palestine and Afghanistan", and said he did not recognise the court.

At the end of the sentencing, El Sayed shouted "God is with us", as a woman wept hysterically....

A "German man," AP tells us. Hans? Fritz? Karl? No, Halil. "German man arrested over alleged al-Qaida plot," from AP, December 8 (thanks to EH):

BERLIN (AP) — Federal prosecutors say they have arrested a 27-year-old German man on charges he was part of an al-Qaida bomb plot in Europe.

Prosecutors' spokesman Marcus Koehler said in a release Thursday that suspect Halil S. was arrested in Bochum on charges of membership in a terrorist organization.

Koehler says the suspect, whose last name was not released in accordance with German privacy laws, is accused of providing financial and logistical support for three other suspects arrested in April on suspicion they were making a bomb....

Under German privacy laws, he can only be identified by his first name and last initial. It makes for a sort of Jihadists Anonymous, in this case: Hi, Hussam!

But the question that authorities are undoubtedly interested in is: who is a Friend of Hussam S.? An update on this story. "Terrorism suspect on trial in Germany, accused of recruiting for extremist Muslim groups," from the Washington Post, November 7 (thanks to Kenneth):

BERLIN — A 25-year-old man of Palestinian background is on trial in Koblenz on charges he supported terrorism and recruited members for Islamic extremist groups.

The suspect, a Syrian-born stateless man identified only as Hussam S. in accordance with German privacy laws, went on trial Monday on accusations he posted videos, audio messages and texts online praising jihad, or holy war.

Prosecutors say he published 78 such messages between Sept. 2007 and Dec. 2009, and seven videos of attacks and beheadings intended to recruit members for al-Qaida and other terrorist groups.

He’s been in custody since his arrest on July 4, 2010 in southwestern Germany and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

The man has lived in Germany since 1990.

Arid Uka claims he was "radicalized" by what he thought was a video of U.S. soliders raping a Muslim girl -- actually footage from an American antiwar movie -- and went on his rampage the next day. However, Uka was also railing against the "kuffar" on Facebook, and said he wanted to "do his bit for jihad."

Uka has also said he no longer believes in violent jihad, but the father of one of the victims sees through the crocodile tears below: "he is unemotional, he has not looked up during the witness testimonies, and I think he does not have any regrets about what he’s done."

"US airman: Gunman had ‘hate in his eyes’ when he shot 2 servicemen at Frankfurt airport," from the Associated Press, October 24:

FRANKFURT, Germany — A U.S. airman who survived an attack by a radical Islamist that left two fellow servicemen dead told a German court Monday that he looked the gunman in the face and saw “hate in his eyes.”

Staff Sgt. Trevor Brewer, 23, was on a U.S. Air Force bus at Frankfurt airport when Arid Uka, a 21-year-old Kosovo Albanian, began shooting. Brewer was unhurt as Uka’s 9mm pistol jammed due to a defective cartridge.

He told the court that he had ducked behind his seat after he heard the shots, then came face to face with Uka.

“When I looked up, the pistol was in my face. I heard the words ‘Allahu Akbar’ and the pistol went ‘click,’” Brewer said. “Allahu Akbar” means “God is great” in Arabic.

Uka is charged with murder for the March 2 slayings of Senior Airman Nicholas J. Alden, 25, from South Carolina, and Airman 1st Class Zachary R. Cuddeback, 21, from Virginia. He also faces three counts of attempted murder.

German investigators say Uka was a lone attacker who had become radicalized by reading and watching Islamist propaganda on the Internet.

Brewer, who is from Gray, Tennessee, testified that he saw “hate in his eyes” as he stood face to face with Uka.

“I stood up to take him out ... or to seize the weapon,” Brewer said. “He said ‘Allahu Akbar’ again and the gun clicked again.”

Uka fled and Brewer gave chase but slipped and fell behind. He ran into the airport and watched police arrest Uka.

“With my job, we expect danger,” he said. “We expect to fight a war and possibly lose our lives. But we don’t expect that in Europe or America.”

Uka briefly made eye contact across the courtroom with Cuddeback’s father but otherwise looked down at the table in front of him during the testimony and showed no emotion.

He gave a teary confession at the trial’s opening in August, saying that the night before he had seen a video on Facebook that purported to show American soldiers raping a teenage Muslim girl. It turned out to be a scene from the 2007 Brian De Palma anti-war film “Redacted,” taken out of context.

Uka has told the court that the video prompted him to do anything possible to prevent American soldiers from going to Afghanistan. Before opening fire, he asked if the group of airmen were heading for Afghanistan, and was told they were.

Under German law, the court is still required to hear all evidence in the case even though Uka has confessed. [...]

Airman Cuddeback’s father, Robert Cuddeback of Millerton, New York, sat as co-plaintiff at the prosecution’s table, as allowed under German law. An Army veteran, the elder Cuddeback wore the Gold Star lapel pin given to family members of fallen military personnel.

Airman Cuddeback was awarded the Purple Heart, the U.S. military’s decoration for soldiers wounded or killed in action.

Robert Cuddeback said he came to Germany to support Brewer and other servicemen testifying in the case. He said it was “very difficult” to be in the same room with Uka.

“It’s surreal for me, being here, and actually looking Uka in the eyes,” he said. “I can tell you I think that he is unemotional, he has not looked up during the witness testimonies, and I think he does not have any regrets about what he’s done.”

He said he hopes the court sentences Uka to life in prison.

Uka faces a life sentence upon conviction but any cooperation with authorities could lower the amount of time he would have to serve before parole can be considered to as little as 15 years. The judge in the case has said Uka’s confession is not complete because he has not said where he obtained the weapon.

Apparently these suicide bombing sleeper cells have somehow gotten the crazy idea that the Qur'an's promise of Paradise to those who "kill and are killed" for Allah (9:111) meant that Paradise was promised to those who "kill and are killed" for Allah. And note that no Islamic "moderate" group is lifting a finger to disabuse them of that notion.

"200 suicide bombers 'planning attacks in UK,'" by Sean Rayment in the Telegraph, October 8 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

At least 200 potential terrorists are actively planning suicide attacks while living freely in Britain, intelligence chiefs have warned ministers.

A senior intelligence source has revealed that the figure is a "conservative" estimate of the threat facing the country from UK-based Islamist suicide bombers.

The would-be killers are among 2,000 extremists who the security services have said are based in Britain and actively planning terrorist activity of some kind.

The figures are contained within a secret government report on the "enduring terrorist threat" facing the UK from al-Qaeda and affiliated organisations, The Sunday Telegraph has been told.

While the deaths of Osama bin Laden and Anwar al-Awlaki may have left al-Qaeda without a charismatic leader, both the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, and the Security Service, MI5, believe the organisation remains as dangerous as ever.

Of course. This is because it is based on a belief-system, not centered around a charismatic personality.

The warning comes as Britain begins preparations for next year's 2012 Olympic Games, which has been described by MI5 as the biggest security operation in the country's history.

But senior sources believe that rather than targeting Olympic venues, where security will be extremely high, terrorists will be tempted to attack areas where crowds are likely to congregate such as train stations and public events.

If terrorists were to mount an attack in Britain of the kind seen in other countries, by packing a single explosive vest with hundreds of ball bearings then detonating it in a crowded enclosed area such as a station terminus at rush hour, they could kill up to 120 people according to one explosives expert.

The 200 British residents thought to be planning suicide attacks, either within the UK or overseas, represent one in 10 of the wider group of 2,000 terrorist plotters.

The intelligence source added that suicide bombers would only be stopped by either a "chance encounter" or by an intelligence-led investigation. But he added that if a terrorist cell was properly organised and secure there was very little the authorities could do to prevent an attack....

His name is Mujahid. It looks like he grew into his name. An update on this story. "Birmingham terror arrests: Seventh man faces charges," from BBC News, September 29:

A seventh man is to face charges relating to a recent counter-terrorism operation in Birmingham, the Crown Prosecution Service says.

Mujahid Hussain, 20, is charged with entering into a funding arrangement for the purposes of terrorism.

Six other men have already been charged with terrorism offences.

Four of the men were charged with preparing for an act of terrorism in the UK, and two with failing to disclose information.

Mr Hussain will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday accused of both helping fund a terror plan and of providing information of "material assistance".

The six others, all from Birmingham and aged between 25 and 32, have been remanded in custody until October.

Irfan Nasser, 30, of Sparkhill, and Irfan Khalid, 26, of Balsall Heath, are accused of preparing for an act of terrorism, including travelling to Pakistan for training in terrorism, making a martyrdom video and planning a bombing campaign.

They are accused of "being concerned in constructing" a home-made explosive device for terrorist acts and stating an intention to be a suicide bomber.

Unarmed arrests

Ashik Ali, 26, of Balsall Heath, is accused of preparing for an act of terrorism, which involved planning a bombing campaign, providing premises for the planning of terrorist attack and stating an intention to be a suicide bomber.

Rahin Ahmed, 25, of Moseley, is accused of helping fund terrorist acts.

Mohammed Rizwan, 32, of Ward End, and Bahader Ali, 28, of Sparkbrook, are both charged with failing to disclose information about potential acts of terrorism.

It is alleged that between 29 July and 19 September this year, both had information which they knew might help prevent the commission of an act of terrorism but did not disclose the information.

Mr Ali is also charged with providing money for the purposes of terrorism....

More about the seriousness of this case continues to emerge, in an update on this story. "Six remanded over 'suicide bomb plot'," from BBC News, September 26:

Six men have appeared in court charged with terrorism offences including a suspected suicide bombing campaign.

The six, all from Birmingham, appeared at West London Magistrates' Court.

Irfan Nasser, 30, of Sparkhill, Irfan Khalid, 26, and Ashik Ali, 26 both of Balsall Heath, and Rahin Ahmed, 25, of Moseley, have been remanded in custody until 21 October.

Bahader Ali, 28, of Sparkbrook, and Mohammed Rizwan, 32, of Ward End, have been remanded until 24 October.

Mr Nasser, Mr Khalid, Mr Ashik Ali and Mr Ahmed are due to appear at the Old Bailey, while Mr Rizwan and Mr Bahader Ali - who is the brother of Ashik Ali - are to appear before Westminster magistrates.

Mr Nasser and Mr Khalid are accused of preparing for an act of terrorism, including travelling to Pakistan for training in terrorism, making a martyrdom video and planning a bombing campaign.

They are accused of "being concerned in constructing" a home-made explosive device for terrorist acts and stating an intention to be a suicide bomber.

Ashik Ali is accused of preparing for an act of terrorism, which involved planning a bombing campaign, providing premises for the planning of terrorist attack and stating an intention to be a suicide bomber.

Mr Ahmed is accused of helping fund terrorist acts, collecting money for terrorism and helping others travel to Pakistan for training in terrorism.

Seventh man

Mohammed Rizwan and Bahader Ali are charged with failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism

Mr Rizwan and Bahader Ali are both charged with failing to disclose information about potential acts of terrorism.

It is alleged that between 29 July and 19 September both men had information which they knew may help prevent the commission of an act of terrorism.

Mr Ali is also charged with "arranging the availability of property for terrorist purposes".

Mr Rizwan made no application for bail, while Mr Ali was refused bail.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between Christmas Day 2010 and 19 September this year.

The men were arrested after a police operation in Birmingham last week.

A seventh man from the city, aged 20, who was arrested on Thursday, continues to be questioned. Officers have until 29 September to charge, release or apply for further time....

An update on this story. "Six charged with terrorism offences," from BBC News, September 25:

Six men have been charged with terrorism offences, including a suspected suicide bombing campaign, West Midlands Police have said.

Four of the men were charged with preparing for an act of terrorism in the UK, and two with failing to disclose information.

It follows a police operation in Birmingham last week.

The six, all from Birmingham and aged between 25 and 32, will appear at West London Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Irfan Nasser, 30, of Sparkhill, and Irfan Khalid, 26, of Balsall Heath, are accused of preparing for an act of terrorism, including travelling to Pakistan for training in terrorism, making a martyrdom video and planning a bombing campaign.

They are accused of constructing a home-made explosive device for terrorist acts and stating an intention to be a suicide bomber.

Seventh man

Ashik Ali, 26, of Balsall Heath, is accused of preparing for an act of terrorism, which involved planning a bombing campaign, providing premises for the planning of terrorist attack and stating an intention to be a suicide bomber.

Rahin Ahmed, 25, of Moseley, is accused of helping fund terrorist acts.

Mohammed Rizwan, 32, and Bahader Ali, 28, both of Sparkbrook, are both charged with failing to disclose information about potential acts of terrorism.

It is alleged that between 29 July and 19 September this year, both had information which they knew may help prevent the commission of an act of terrorism but did not disclose the information.

Mr Ali is also charged with providing money for the purposes of terrorism.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between Christmas Day 2010 and 19 September this year.

A seventh man from the city, aged 20, who was arrested on Thursday, continues to be questioned. Officers have until 29 September to charge, release or apply for further time.

The men were arrested as part of an operation carried out by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit. The arrests were unarmed, pre-planned and intelligence-led.

An update on the "most significant" jihad terrorist case in Britain this year, though any mention of the ideological affiliation is politely buried in an understated final paragraph. "Seventh arrest in Birmingham terror inquiry," from BBC News, September 22:

A seventh person has been arrested in connection with an anti-terrorist operation in Birmingham.

Mad Methodist?

A 20-year-old from Yardley was detained on Thursday evening on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism in the UK.

Angry Anglican?

He was arrested at a police station in the city, which he had agreed to attend.

Six men arrested earlier in the week are still being questioned. Police have until Sunday night to hold them.

Livid Lutherans?

A woman who had been held in relation to the inquiry has been released on police bail, West Midlands Police said.

Cranky Catholic?

The arrested men are aged from 20 to 32 and are from Moseley, Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath, Ward End and Yardley.

Petulant Presbyterians?

The arrests were made on Monday, when specialist teams searched homes and other properties in Birmingham. Computer equipment was removed and is being examined.

BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the arrests were considered to be the most significant this year.

It is understood the investigation relates to suspected Islamist extremism but it is not thought an attack or threat was imminent.

And he obviously decided that they were. How did Arid Uka come to misunderstand the Religion of Peace™ so spectacularly? Would any of the vaunted moderates of the Islamic establishment in the West care to explain? Honest Ibe? Boy Reza? Brave Ahmed? "Man of Peace" Rauf? Anyone? Anyone? "Frankfurt shooter deep into jihad: prosecutors," from The Local, September 14 (thanks to all who sent this in):

German prosecutors on Wednesday said the Kosovar man accused of killing two US airmen at Frankfurt’s Airport in March had a long fascination with Islamist propaganda, contradicting his previous statements.

Arid Uka, 21, has admitted to shooting and killing Senior Airman Nicholas J. Alden, 25, and Airman 1st Class Zachary R. Cuddeback, 21, as they prepared to depart to Afghanistan. Two other military personnel were wounded in what has been called the first ever jihadist attack on German soil. As Uka tried to shoot a fifth person, his gun jammed, according to authorities.

In court last month he said that his motivation for the shooting was essentially spontaneous – inspired by a Islamist propaganda video on the internet falsely claiming to show an Afghan woman raped by US soldiers.

But prosecutors Wednesday showed evidence that Uka had been radicalized long before. Establishing that he had a long-term hatred of the US military could make it easier to prove motive and intent and get a longer sentence if Uka is convicted. He faces up to a life sentence in prison.

The prosecutors introduced internet chat logs from a year before the shooting, showing Uka had spoken with friends online about Islamist violence.

In the conversations he debated with acquaintances over whether violent attacks were justified in Islam. He also discussed martyrdom, prayer practices and alleged atrocities committed by US soldiers against the Iraqi population, the chats showed.

Prosecutors believe Uka, who was born in northern Kosovo but grew up in the Frankfurt area, acted alone.

In January, Mona Thwany was doing a bit of a tap dance, denying knowledge of the plot and saying, "Some people said Taimour is a martyr. I don't know whether he is or he isn't. All I can say is that I totally condemn terrorism"."

Jihad, not so much, apparently. "Widow of suicide bomber is arrested by terror squad on suspicion of helping husband plan attack on Christmas shoppers," by John Geoghegan for the Daily Mail, September 15:

The wife of a suicide bomber has been arrested on suspicion of helping her husband bring terror to the streets of Sweden in the run-up to Christmas last year.

Mona Thwany, the 28-year-old wife of Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly who killed himself and injured two people in Stockholm last December, was arrested on Tuesday in Luton.

It is thought she was arrested for her suspected involvement in her 28-year-old husband's bombing and not because of any new plot.

Abdulwahab, an Iraqi-born Swede who studied at a British university, killed himself and injured two others when he detonated explosives in a crowded shopping street in the Swedish capital.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘At 6.15am on Tuesday morning, counter-terrorism officers raided a residential address in Luton.

‘A 28-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of the preparation of terrorist acts. She has been bailed until mid-November.’

Officers detained Miss Thwany at her home in Luton as they searched two properties. She was released on police bail until November.

It is thought Abdulwahab aimed to kill and maim hundreds, but, luckily for the many Christmas shoppers milling about nearby, the bombs went off early and incompletely.

Abdulwahab was the only fatality, on December 11, while just two passers-by were injured.

Afterwards, Miss Thwany said she knew nothing of her husband’s terrorist activities or his radicalisation.

In the story linked above, she "explained": "as a Muslim wife I was not expected to pry into his life."

Meanwhile, "education" alone won't stop jihadists:

The pair met at the University of Bedfordshire, where they both studied. The psychology graduate told how he was a loving father to their three children – Amira, four, Aisha, two, and Osama, six months – and adored his pet canaries.

Coincidence? After the attack, that does raise an eyebrow.

Just before the bombing, he told her he was going to Scandinavia to see relatives and celebrate his father Thamer’s birthday.

After the bombing, fears arose that Abdulwahab had lured a number of young Muslims into his extremist net during the nine years he spent in Luton.

Poverty causes jihad, we're told:

A beauty stylist who ran her own business, Miss Thawny is the daughter of a Romanian Christian mother, Mihaela, and an Iraqi Muslim father, Abdul.

Abdulwahab, who worked as a sports therapist in Luton, sent his wife an MP3 file ten minutes before he blew himself up.

Throwing off the trail:

She opened the message, which was the same one sent to the Swedish authorities, after the attack. It said: ‘To my wife, I am sorry and I hope you can forgive me.’

Speaking after the incident, Miss Thwany said: ‘He disliked the decadent side of society here. But he never gave off any clues that he was going to blow himself up. I totally condemn terrorism.’

Don't worry. They were probably greasy Islamophobes on a false-flag operation. Go back to sleep. "Two Terror Suspects Arrested in Berlin," from Spiegel, September 8 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

Police in Berlin arrested two terror suspects on Thursday, raiding their apartments and a Muslim cultural center. The two men allegedly amassed chemicals that could be used to make bombs.

Just ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, security forces in Berlin may have prevented another possible attack. On Thursday morning, police in the German capital arrested two men suspected of gathering chemicals that could be used to build a bomb.

A 24-year-old German citizen of Lebanese descent and a 28-year-old from the Gaza Strip were apprehended following an investigation by police and state prosecutors that has been underway for some time, a police spokesman said.

They are believed to have amassed chemical substances that could have been used in the preparation of a bomb, he said. Authorities declined to reveal further details about the potential explosive.

While a police spokesman confirmed to SPIEGEL ONLINE that the two men had acquired chemicals, he said they had not begun building a bomb. They presented no immediate danger, he said. Investigators also believe the suspects are isolated individuals with no known links to militant groups or extremists abroad, he added....

What? Then how did they come to be "radicalized"? Surely not from...studying the Qur'an and Sunnah!

The announcement came as investigators were simultaneously conducting a search at a Muslim cultural center in the city's Wedding district, along with the suspects' apartments in the Neukölln and Kreuzberg districts.

"The Islamic culture center is not under suspicion in this investigation," police spokesman Thomas Neuendorf told broadcaster N24, explaining that the two suspects were simply known to have spent time there....

And so it gets the majority of the attention -- not to the exclusion of other threats, but in proportion to their relative magnitude. But simply to acknowledge that the one is more threatening than the others is "Islamophobic." "Harper: Islamist terrorism greatest threat," from United Press International, September 6 (thanks to all who sent this in):

OTTAWA, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper sees Islamic terrorism as the greatest threat to Canada's security, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Tuesday.

In an exclusive interview that is to air in its entirety Thursday, the Conservative prime minister told the CBC he believes Canada is safer now than it was when al-Qaida terrorist cells attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. However, he said, "the major threat is still Islamicism."

"There are other threats out there, but that is the one that I can tell you occupies the security apparatus most regularly in terms of actual terrorist threats," Harper said.

He said while people think of Islamic terrorists as emanating from countries such as Afghanistan or the Middle East, "the truth is that threat exists all over the world" and home-grown Islamic radicals in Canada are "also something that we keep an eye on."

The prime minister said his government intends to resurrect anti-terrorism laws that sunset in 2007, including one allowing police to arrest terror suspects without a warrant and detain them for three days without charges, and another permitting judges to jail foot-dragging witnesses in some instances.

"We think those measures are necessary. We think they've been useful," he told the CBC. "And as you know … they're applied rarely, but there are times where they're needed."

The trajectory of Cuspert's life is an interesting insight into the Leftist/Islamic supremacist alliance, showing how rootless Western Leftists can drift into jihad: he started out marching against the Persian Gulf War and ended up a full-blown jihadi. More on this story. "German Officials Alarmed by Ex-Rapper’s New Message: Jihad," by Souad Mekhennet for the New York Times, August 31 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

BERLIN — The man German security officials call a major security risk looks like a figure from a rap video, especially with the tattoos on his hands. The right one says “STR8,” and the left one “Thug.”

“This is from the days when I lived the life of an unbeliever,” said the man, Denis Mamadou Cuspert, as he clenched his fists and looked at the tattoos. “Allah will erase them from me one day.”

Mr. Cuspert, once a popular rapper in Germany, today is one of the best-known singers of nasheeds, or Islamic devotional music, in German. Security officials say, though, that he is an influential figure who incites violence and unrest through inflammatory videos and fiery speeches that praise terrorists and attack the West.

German authorities say people like him inspired the fatal shootings of two American airmen at the Frankfurt airport in March. The 21-year-old man accused of the killings, Arid Uka, whose trial began in Frankfurt on Wednesday, has said he opened fire on a busload of American service members after seeing a video that claimed to show Muslim women being raped by men in United States military uniforms. American officials have said the video — which Mr. Cuspert acknowledged posting on his Facebook page, and which Mr. Uka copied — was staged by militants.

The "video that claimed to show Muslim women being raped by men in United States military uniforms" was actually footage from the 2007 anti-Iraq war film Redacted, directed by Brian de Palma. So the mainstream media should be flooded with investigative reports about how Brian de Palma's work incites to violence, and should be censored -- right?

That won't happen, of course. The New York Times and NBC News and all the rest of those who were quick to accuse me of complicity in murder because a madman in Norway who wanted to partner with jihadis also mentioned me in his ideologically incoherent "manifesto"

Mr. Uka said he was listening on his iPod to nasheeds calling for opposition against occupation forces and the West as he traveled to the airport just before the shootings. “It made me really angry,” Mr. Uka told the judge on Wednesday, referring to the songs’ lyrics. During a tearful confession, he said that Islam had given him strength after a period of depression, but that he now realized that “I have damaged my faith.” [...]

In an interview at a mosque here, Mr. Cuspert denied any direct connection to Mr. Uka, though he said he supported his actions. “The brother hasn’t killed civilians,” he said. “He has killed soldiers who had been on their way to kill Muslims.”

That is similar to the message in videos posted on YouTube and jihadi Web sites that have made Mr. Cuspert popular among Al Qaeda supporters in Europe and elsewhere. As evidence of his reach, a man who goes by the name Abu Bilal in the tribal areas in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region said of Mr. Cuspert: “The brother’s voice has reached the hearts of many people here, too.”

Mr. Cuspert gives speeches all over Germany, and young people are drawn to elements of his personal story, including his membership in Berlin street gangs — he said he used to be a “real bad boy” — and the notion that he finally found the “right way.”

Mr. Cuspert says that Shariah, the legal code of Islam based on the Koran, permits self-defense. “My duty is to use my voice for telling people the truth, and the truth is, jihad is a duty,” he said.

Security officials say that young people who are clicking on his videos do not realize that what they are listening to has been inspired by a radical jihadist theology based on the fundamentalist Salafi branch of Islam.

Security officials also cannot point to any comprehensive, Qur'an-based Islamic refutation of this "radical jihadist theology." That moderate form of Islam remains the ever-elusive unicorn that everyone believes in but no one has actually ever seen.

At the end of June, Mr. Cuspert recorded a nasheed that praised Al Qaeda’s late leader, Osama bin Laden. “Your name flows in our blood,” he sings.

“I have sworn allegiance to Mullah Muhammad Omar, emir of the Taliban,” he said in the interview, smiling. “He is one of the greatest men.”

In his speeches, Mr. Cuspert has expressed outrage over United States drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas, Yemen and Somalia, and has said that his biggest wish right now is the death of President Obama, who he said was an enemy of Islam...

On Aug. 18, Mr. Cuspert was tried here on charges of possessing illegal weapons. Prosecutors said that he held a gun in a video and that the police found rounds of ammunition during a search of his apartment. German security officials said they sought to jail Mr. Cuspert and stop his “video propaganda for jihad.” The trial judge convicted Mr. Cuspert, but spared him a prison sentence, ordering him to pay a fine of 1,800 euros, about $2,600.

Before he took his new name, Abou Maleeq, Mr. Cuspert had another life. He was born and reared in Berlin by his German mother. His father, who was from Ghana, left the family when Mr. Cuspert was a baby.

When conflicts increased at home with his stepfather, a former American Army soldier and strict disciplinarian, Mr. Cuspert was sent to a home for difficult children. After five years, he returned home. “I grew up with racism,” Mr. Cuspert said. “Though my mother is German, some teachers back then would call me ‘Negro’ and treat all Muslim kids bad.”

His argument with American foreign policy grew in 1990 in the months leading up to the first Persian Gulf war, and he joined demonstrations in Berlin. “We marched, shouted and burned the American flag,” he said, smiling.

The 2003 invasion of Iraq became a source for new conflicts with his stepfather. He joined youth gangs, Mr. Cuspert said, because he was in search of an identity; he found it in the streets of Berlin with the children of Arab and Turkish immigrants.

He said that from an early age he trained himself in Thai boxing, tae kwon do and Brazilian jiujitsu. Social workers in Germany sent him to a special farm in Namibia that sought to rehabilitate juvenile delinquents.

In 1995, he found a new outlet for his anger: as the rapper Deso Dogg. He said, “My songs were about the time in prison, racism, war.”

His music career soared. He went on tour with rappers like DMX and worked on the soundtrack for a German film. But after surviving a car accident, he started questioning his lifestyle and turned to Islam for answers. In 2010, he ended his career as a rapper and turned his focus to fighting the United States and the West.

The message on his cellphone’s voice mail system makes no secret about his ultimate aim in life. “The martyrdom is the most beautiful,” he says in his recording. “Allah is the greatest.”

Now, according to a BBC report, he says, "Today I can't understand myself how I could have acted this way."

If one believes his story, he's not only a murderer, but a gullible idiot. However, prior coverage found him in "radical" company on Facebook, and he said he wanted to "do [his] bit for Jihad," and that he "did it for Allah." During the crime, he shouted "Allahu Akbar."

But where he had been smiling mildly in the DPA photo above (reposted as-is, with his face partially pixellated), today he made an "emotional confession." "German Islamist terrorist confesses and blames fake jihad rape video for inspiring his crime," from the Telegraph, August 31 (thanks to Twostellas):

In an emotional confession to a Frankfurt court as his murder trial began on Wednesday, Arid Uka said he had become radicalised by online extremist propaganda before carrying out a lone gun attack US Air Force bus in March.

“What I did was wrong, but I cannot undo what I did,” he said.

Uka blamed a video purporting to show American servicemen raping a young Muslim girl for prompting him to try and stop other US soldiers from getting to Afghanistan.

“I thought what I saw in that video, these people would do in Afghanistan,” he told the court.

But the rape footage, billed as an authentic video entitled “what was done to our sisters,” turned out to be a fake using footage scene from the 2007 anti-Iraq war film “Redacted,” directed by Hollywood’s Brian de Palma.

“That is the irony of this case,” said Jens Joerg Hoffman, Uka’s defence lawyer. “It was an American film from a leading director that was so believable that it looked real.”

Uka is charged with two counts of murder and three of attempted murder in connection with the attack. He faces a possible life sentence....

Everyone knows that Islam is a Religion of Peace™ and that only greasy Islamophobes pause from raking in the bucks long enough to suggest otherwise, so Abdul Hakiim's conversion to Islam couldn't have anything to do with his sudden interest in setting off bombs. This one is, a Pamela Geller says, "a real headscratcher"! "The Path of a Young German Salafist," by Julia Jüttner in Spiegel, August 30 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

Robert B. wore long robes, dreamed of paradise and called himself Abdul Hakiim. He and his friend were arrested in July for trying to enter Britain with bomb-making guides and al-Qaida propaganda. They now sit in a London high-security prison. But Robert's motivations remain a mystery.

A mother can't be fooled, and a mother notices when her child goes astray, says Marlies B. That's why she called the state authorities in October 2010 and asked if she needed to be worried about her son.

Her son Robert had changed. He'd converted to Islam, forsaken pork and alcohol, and now he wore a knit wool cap and wandered the city of Solingen, northeast of Cologne, in floor-length garments. Marlies B. says she'd never seen him this way. People asked her about it, and it was embarrassing. It frightened her. [...]

He'd taken the ferry to Dover with Christian E., another convert from Solingen, who had a criminal record. At the border they told authorities they had planned to fly from Brussels to Egypt, but the tickets were too expensive. So they'd settled on Great Britain instead.

Officials searched their bags and found handbooks for jihadists, a bomb-making pamphlet called, "How to Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom," and an essay on "39 Ways to Support Jihad," written by the radical imam Anwar al-Awlaki -- all propaganda material for al-Qaida. Both Germans were sent to Belmarsh, a high-security prison in south London, and isolated in solitary confinement. [...]

Even as a child, Robert was an outsider and was bullied and chased across the school yard. He dropped out of school in the 9th grade. When he was 17 he joined the military, with his mother's approval, and volunteered to go to Afghanistan. He dreamed of riding in a tank. But he wound up on desk duty. When this duty grew boring, he started spreading right-wing propaganda on the Internet. He hung a Hitler portrait over his bunk. He was forced to leave the army. [...]

In January 2009, Robert converted to Islam. He told his mother this in passing at lunch one day. She says she doesn't know who encouraged him to do it. Robert kept his curly hair cut short and didn't grow a beard. "He did not seem so extreme to me," she says.

She dismissed Robert's comments that she should re-orient her religion, and wear a headscarf or a burka at home, as idle chatter. She had no idea he already called himself Abdul Hakiim.

In October, he and other Muslims travelled to Egypt. "I want to learn Arabic, in order to practice my beliefs," he told his mother. She alerted German authorities, and some officials paid Robert a visit. To this day, he does not know that his mother was behind it, she says. Officials placated her by saying they had him under their radar.

Because of the unrest in Egypt, Robert took a special flight home to Germany on February 1, 2011. He checked in with his mother by phone. She cooked spaghetti with ground beef that had been slaughtered according to Islamic ritual by a special butcher in Solingen. He spent two nights in her apartment. Then he moved out, and started to live on state assistance. [...]

She now knows that before his trip to Britain he visited mosques in Cologne and Bonn. She knows he flew to Hamburg to see a presentation by Pierre Vogel, also known as Abu Hamza -- a radical German Islamic preacher and former professional boxer who had become a hero for Robert....

Honest Ibe Hooper or Boy Reza Aslan or some such genius should go explain to Moshin Khan and his fellow gang members about "Islamic tolerance." "Sikh man 'was beaten up by gang in street,'" from the Leicester Mercury, July 21 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

A Sikh man told a jury he was beaten up by a group of Muslim-looking men who knocked off his turban and pulled off his necklace and religious pendant.

The 25-year-old alleged victim suffered a cut head and other injuries after being hit to the ground and struck with a weapon, possibly a spanner, it was claimed.

He said he was at home with his mother, in Evington Valley Road, Leicester, at 1.40 pm when he heard banging on his door and shouting.

He looked out to see five or six Asian males, of Muslim appearance and dress, whom he did not know.

A black Audi was also outside.

The man said he felt "scared," and left through the back door, getting into his car at the rear and drove off.

He said at the Evington Valley Road traffic light junction with Ethel Road a man banged on his car bonnet and shouted at him to stop.

He said he also realised the men from outside his home were pursuing him in the Audi and carried on.

The alleged victim told Leicester Crown Court he pulled into the forecourt of a nearby tyre factory hoping to get help.

The Audi blocked him in and as soon as he got out of his car, he was attacked by several men, including one with a "rod or spanner."

The complainant said: "I fell on the ground and felt someone pulling my chain, which had a religious pendant on.

"They were hitting me."

He said he got up and pushed one of them, but ended up back on the ground being hit.

He added: "I don't know who was hitting me on my head with the spanner.

"I can't remember how many times I was hit.

"Someone was twisting my (gold) bangle but it didn't come off.

"While they were hitting me, it (his turban) was knocked off.

"They were saying something like 'killing you' and swearing."

The prosecution allege that one of the assailants was Moshin Khan (20), of Evington Drive, Leicester.

Khan denies jointly causing actual bodily harm or damaging a gold necklace belonging to the alleged victim on Friday, April 23, last year.

He claims that it is a case of mistaken identity and the complainant had wrongly picked him in a police video identification procedure.

The prosecution say the black Audi's registration number was linked to the defendant's address.

Giving evidence, the complainant said he was "sure" he correctly identified Khan as one of the group.

He alleged that after he managed to stand up, the defendant came towards him (unarmed) and tried to hit him.

He told the jury: "I tried to hit him back.

"Then he hit me back and I went back onto the ground."

The court heard the necklace and religious pendant were later found and returned to the complainant.

Mark Achurch, prosecuting, said one of the witnesses claimed he heard members of the group shouting "Allah, Allah" during the alleged attack....

Suspicion still revolving around jihad groups. "10 killed at Norway youth camp shooting; seven dead in Oslo bombing, police say," from The Star, July 22:

A man arrested after opening fire at a youth camp in Norway is linked to the bombing in Oslo earlier in the day Friday, police says.

An eyewitness told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that he saw as many as 25 bodies at the youth camp where a gunman dressed in a police uniform opened fire following a massive bomb blast in downtown Oslo.

Oslo police say up to 10 people have been killed at the camp.

Andre Scheie says he saw bodies on the shore of Utoya Island where the youth wing of the Labour Party was holding a summer camp for hundreds of youths.

“There are very many dead by the shore . . . there are about 20 to 25 dead.” He also said he saw dead people in the water.

Labour spokesman Per Gunnar Dahl told the Associated Press that a man dressed in a police uniform started shooting at teenagers assembled for the party’s annual youth camp. He said some 700 people, mostly teenagers between 14 and 18 years old, were gathered.

A number of unconfirmed news reports suggested a chaotic and horrifying scene unfolded at the camp. Norway’s TV2 reported that the alleged shooter had been arrested. TV2’s website said that many of the young people at the camp swam away in the lake or were hiding in bushes as the attack took place.

News reports also said police were checking if there were any bombs at the scene. Eyewitness reports said bodies were reportedly found floating in the water around the island.

Norwegian media reports say that a man of “Nordic” appearance has been arrested, and that police have control of the island. A local police spokesman confirmed to Al Jazeera that the suspect is in custody, and that he had said he was at the camp to provide security.

Meanwhile, seven people have been confirmed dead and dozens injured after a loud explosion shattered windows Friday at the government headquarters in Oslo, which includes the prime minister’s office. [...]

So far police say no group or person has taken responsibility for the bombing or the mass shooting, TV2 reported on its website. [...]

The blast comes as the Scandinavian country has grappled with a series of homegrown terror plots linked to Al Qaeda, and six years after an uproar over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in neighbouring Denmark.

Last week, a Norwegian prosecutor filed terror charges against an Iraqi-born cleric for threatening Norwegian politicians with death if he’s deported from the Nordic country.

The indictment centred on statements that Mullah Krekar — the founder of the Kurdish Islamist group Ansar al-Islam — made to various media, including American network NBC.

Last June, several newspapers quoted threats made by Krekar.

“Norway will pay a heavy price for my death,” he said. “If, for example, Erna Solber deports me and I die as a result, she will suffer the same fate.”

Solber is the current leader of the Conservative Party of Norway.

Danish authorities say they have foiled several terror plots linked to the 2005 newspaper cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that triggered protests in Muslim countries.

Last month, a Danish appeals court on Wednesday sentenced a Somali man to 10 years in prison for breaking into the home of a cartoonist who caricatured the Prophet Muhammad.

In July 2010, three people were held in an “Al Qaeda-bomb plot” BBC reported.

Two of the men — a Muslim Uighur from China, an Iraqi citizen, and an Uzbek national —were arrested in Norway and one in Germany, said Janne Kristiansen, the head of the Norwegian security police told BBC. They are Norwegian residents.

The men are believed to have links to Al Qaeda and alleged bomb plots in the U.S. and U.K., Kristiansen said.

UPDATE 11:38 PDT: Now Will McCants has this: "'Helpers of Global Jihad' now says its claim is not the official claim and it had nothing to do w/ operation. Says wait for official claim."

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It's Motoon Rage. From the Telegraph news feed:

18.03 Will McCants now says that Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami (Helpers of Global Jihad) seem to make a claim of responsibility. They claim it is in response to the occupation of Afghanistan and insults to the Prophet Mohammed. It has come via Shmukh, an elite jihadi forum.

McCants translates part of the message:

"We have warned since the Stockholm raid of more operations & we have demanded that the countries of Europe withdraw from the land of Afghanistan and end their war on Islam and Muslims. What you see is only the beginning and there is more to come."

And here is the full message, in my hasty translation:

Praise be to Allah from his slaves, united and humiliating the people of shirk [worship of others besides Allah] and companions of kufr [unbelief]. Prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, his family and companions and descendents.

The Almighty said: "Then fight in Allah's cause - Thou art held responsible only for thyself - and rouse the believers. It may be that Allah will restrain the fury of the Unbelievers; for Allah is the strongest in might and in punishment. [Qur'an 4:84]

Here another message from the militants has reached the countries of Europe and further proof for the countries of Europe that the mujahideen will not stand idly before their war against Islam and Muslims.

Today Norway has been targeted in order to be a lesson, and a lesson to the rest of Europe. We have warned since the Stockholm raid of more operations and we have demanded that European countries of Europe withdraw their armies from the land of Afghanistan and end their war on Islam and Muslims. We repeat our warning again to the countries of Europe and tell them that the demands of the mujahideen must be carried out. What you see is only the beginning. There will be more.

There were many reasons for the targeting of Norway. The most important is their participation in the occupation of Afghanistan and the abuse of our prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Praise Allah who has enabled his slaves to be united...and pray to Allah to save our brothers and our fighters everywhere.

Glory and praise to Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but you and I repent to you.

Abu Suleiman Al-Nasser
Helpers of Global Jihad

"Norway's intelligence police agency said in February that Islamic extremism was a major threat to the country, AFP reported....Krekar had warned that 'Norway will pay a heavy price' if he were deported."

"Bomb blast rocks government buildings in Oslo, causing deaths and injuries," from Newscore, July 22:

OSLO – A massive bomb rocked government buildings in the Norwegian capital Friday, killing several people, and there were reports that a man dressed as a policeman opened fire with an automatic weapon at a young people's camp on a nearby island, signaling potentially coordinated terror attacks.

Sky News said the reports from the island of Utoya had not been confirmed by police but suggested four dead and others injured at the camp, which is affiliated with the country's Labour Party.

The gunman reportedly was wearing a police uniform and arrived at the island by boat from the mainland, carrying an automatic weapon. Sky said there were an estimated 700 people on the island aged 15-25.

It was not clear if the shooting was still ongoing.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the late afternoon explosion in Oslo's government quarter near the prime minister's office, the finance ministry and the country's biggest tabloid newspaper, Verdens Gang (VG).

However, Norway's intelligence police agency said in February that Islamic extremism was a major threat to the country, AFP reported.

Sky News sources said survivors reported a strong smell of sulfur, which led police to investigate whether the blast was caused by a car bomb packed with fertilizer nitrate.

Sky reported that earlier this year, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a bomb-making handbook which contained notes on how to build fertilizer bombs. [...]

AFP reported that intelligence police chief Janne Kristiansen said last February that Islamic extremism was a major threat to the country and "our main priority and our main concern."

Norway, a member of NATO, has some 500 troops in Afghanistan.

Last year police arrested three Muslim men based in Norway who were suspected of planning an attack using explosives, AFP reported.

Norwegian prosecutors earlier this month also filed a terrorism charge against Mullah Krekar, founder of the Kurdish Islamist group Ansar al-Islam, who was accused of threatening a politician with death over his potential deportation from the country.

Krekar had warned that "Norway will pay a heavy price" if he were deported.

No one is claiming responsibility and no one is being blamed at this point, but the news wires are citing the terror charges against Mullah Krekar last week and other jihad-related incidents as possible causes. "Explosion rocks Norway government buildings, 1 reported dead," from the Globe and Mail, July 22 (thanks to all who sent this in):

A powerful explosion tore open several Oslo buildings, including the prime minister's office on Friday. One person was reportedly killed and several were injured.

The cause of the blast was unknown but the tangled wreckage of a car was outside one building and the damage appeared consistent to witnesses with that from car bombs. Police and fire officials declined comment on the cause.

The blast blew out most windows on the 17-storey building housing Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg’s office, as well as nearby ministries including the oil ministry, which was on fire. Heavy debris littered the streets and smoke rose over the city centre. [...]

NATO member Norway has sometimes in the past been threatened by leaders of al-Qaeda for its involvement in Afghanistan. It has also taken part the NATO bombing of Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi has threatened to strike back in Europe.

However, political violence is virtually unknown in the country.

David Lea, Western Europe analyst, at Control Risks said: “It’s very difficult to tell what has happened. There certainly aren’t any domestic Norwegian terrorist groups although there have been some al-Qaeda-linked arrests from time to time.

“They are in Afghanistan and were involved in Libya, but it’s far too soon to draw any conclusions.”

The blast comes as the Scandinavian country has grappled with a series of homegrown terror plots linked to al-Qaida, and six years after an uproar over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in neighboring Denmark.

Last week, a Norwegian prosecutor filed terror charges against an Iraqi-born cleric for threatening Norwegian politicians with death if he's deported from the Nordic country.

The indictment centered on statements that Mullah Krekar — the founder of the Kurdish Islamist group Ansar al-Islam — made to various media, including American network NBC.

Danish authorities say they have foiled several terror plots linked to the 2005 newspaper cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that triggered protests in Muslim countries.

Last month, a Danish appeals court on Wednesday sentenced a Somali man to 10 years in prison for breaking into the home of a cartoonist who caricatured the Prophet Muhammad.

Whose prophet?

Playing the system like a violin, except that violins are haram: the two, a man and a woman, are described as Pakistani-born "British passport-holders with dual nationality." "British man and woman suspected of planning Taliban attack on UK troops arrested in Afghanistan," from the Daily Mail, July 21:

UK forces have arrested a British man and woman in Afghanistan fearing they may have been planning an deadly attack on British troops in the country.

The Pakistan-born pair were held at a hotel in the western city of Herat in a joint raid with Afghan intelligence service the National Directorate of Security.

The Britons are currently being held in a secure facility in Kandahar where they are being questioned.

The suspects, who are British passport-holders with dual nationality, are now being held by British troops in Helmand Province, according to The Times.

An unnamed senior Afghan official told the newspaper: 'It was terrorism-related. It was a UK-led operation.'

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that two people claiming to be British nationals had been detained.

A spokesman said: 'We can confirm that British forces have detained two individuals in Afghanistan who claim to be British nationals.

'We are not prepared to comment further at this stage.'

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We can confirm that two British nationals have been detained in Afghanistan.

'Embassy staff are providing assistance.'

Nato forces in Afghanistan normally hold suspects for a maximum of four days before releasing them or handing them over to Afghan authorities.

The Foreign Office spokesman added: 'The UK has a national policy of detaining beyond 96 hours in exceptional circumstances, in particular where it could provide information that could help protect our forces or the local population.'

It comes as British troops handed responsibility for security in the capital of war-torn Helmand province - Lashkar Gah - over to Afghan forces yesterday.

Remember "Saifullah" and friends the next time someone calls criticism of Islam "racist." "US drones target white jihadis," by Amir Mir for Asia Times, July 19 (thanks to Weasel Zippers):

ISLAMABAD - The July 5 killing of yet another white jihadi commander in an American drone strike in the North Waziristan tribal agency of Pakistan - an Australian national this time - has given credence to earlier reports by Western intelligence agencies that the Pakistan-based al-Qaeda network is recruiting Western Muslim converts to widen the pool of potential terrorists beyond traditional Asian and Middle Eastern radicals who could foil racial profiling and carry out terrorist attacks in the West.

According to Pakistani media reports, the white jihadi killed by two missiles fired by a drone at around 11 pm on July 5 in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan has been identified as Saifullah, who used to serve as a key aide to Osama bin Laden and had been working in tandem with al-Qaeda's chief military strategist, commander Ilyas Kashmiri, who has been reported as killed in a drone attack on June 3.

Saifullah, 50 years old, has been described as a middle-ranking al-Qaeda leader, though little more is known about him. The deadly strike actually targeted a guesthouse and also killed five other militants. The Mir Ali area, where Saifullah was killed, is in the sphere of influence of Abu Kasha al-Iraqi, an al-Qaeda leader who serves as a key link to the Taliban and supports the external operations network of al-Qaeda, now led by Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Pakistani Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar, who is still considered by the Pakistani establishment as a "good Taliban", and the Haqqani network led by Jalaluddin Haqqani's elder son Sirajuddin Haqqani, also operate in Mir Ali, a known hub for al-Qaeda's military and external operational councils.

An increasing number of Westerners have traveled to the Pakistani tribal areas in recent years to join the so-called jihad that al-Qaeda is waging against US-led allied forces in Afghanistan. Among the Westerners are Americans, Britons, Germans, French and Australians.

The al-Qaeda-trained white jihadis have formed their own contingents in North Waziristan and are fighting alongside al-Qaeda militants on the Pak-Afghan border. The white jihadis living in North Waziristan wear local clothes and travel in small groups in vehicles or on motorcycles, flaunting weapons including assault rifles, rocket launchers and rocket-propelled grenades.

Recruits bearing Western citizenship are prized by the al-Qaeda leadership, mainly because of their nationalities and English-speaking abilities. More and more Muslim converts from the West are therefore being chosen by international jihadis as recruits to strike in the heart of the West.

The current spike in drone attacks in Mir Ali area is ostensibly meant to target the leadership of the North Waziristan-based white jihadis, which Western intelligence agencies believe have been training and dispatching white men to Europe for carrying out commando-style terrorist raids in the West - similar to the 26/11 attacks in the Indian commercial capital of Mumbai that killed 166 people, including many foreigners.

Therefore, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which runs the drone program, has been repeatedly targeting al-Qaeda hideouts in the Mir Ali area, ostensibly to wipe out the white jihadis' networks. So far this year, the CIA has carried out 43 drone attacks in the tribal areas of Pakistan, killing more than 360 people. There were 124 drone strikes in 2010.

Commander Saifullah is not the first Muslim convert from the West to have been killed in Mir Ali. Sixteen Germans and two Britons have been reportedly killed in drone strikes in Mir Ali since September 8, 2010....

Arid Uka is a Kosovar Albanian Muslim. For some odd and unexplained reason he was neither moderate nor brimming with gratitude towards Americans, as every learned analyst knows that every single Kosovar Albanian is. "Charges filed in slayings of U.S. airmen in Germany," from CNN, June 22 (thanks to Harry):

(CNN) -- A man accused of killing two United States Air Force servicemen outside an airport in Germany was charged on Tuesday in a formal complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The suspect, Arid Uka, also known as "Abu Reyyan," was arrested in March after he allegedly opened fire on an Air Force bus outside Frankfurt International Airport on March 2.

Uka, 21, is accused of shooting and killing Nicholas Alden and Zachary Ryan Cuddeback of the U.S. Air Force and injuring two other servicemen. He is in German custody and will be brought to New York for trial, according to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

According to the complaint filed Tuesday, Uka shot Alden in the head before boarding the bus and shooting Cuddeback. He then continued to fire, injuring two other servicemen while shouting "God is great," the complaint said.

When his weapon jammed, Uka ran from the bus and was later arrested by German police, the complaint said.

According to German officials, Uka later confessed to the shooting and said he was motivated to carry out the attack after watching an Internet video he said showed U.S. soldiers raping Muslim women.

Uka is a Muslim from Kosovo who was influenced by radical Islamist websites, German authorities said....

Yet another convert to Islam misunderstands his peaceful new religion. "Austrian National Arrested For Planning Bundestag Attack," from AGI, June 18 (thanks to all who sent this in):

(AGI) Vienna- An Austrian national was arrested in Vienna and charged with terrorism. Detectives believe he was planning to crash a plane into the Bundestag, German parliament headquarters in Berlin. The suspect, 25-year-old Thomas al-J., is a young man who has converted to Islam. He was arrested Wednesday in his apartment in the Austrian capital and has also been accused of recruiting terrorists in order to send them to jihad training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and of funding terrorist organizations.....

Somehow "David Headley," nee Dawood Gilani, got the idea that massacring people would get him rewards from Allah. It is a pity that all the Islamic spokesmen in the West who assure us that this is a Misunderstanding of Islam spend all their time trying to silence the non-Muslims who dare to point out that some Muslims believe that, instead of trying to explain the true understanding of the Religion of Peace™ to these misguided Muslims.

"Mumbai massacre terrorist tells court of second scheme to hit Danish newspaper," by Colin Freeze for the Globe and Mail, May 27 (thanks to Karl):

Not long after his schemes led to the deaths of more than 160 people in Mumbai in 2008, David Headley had a dream.

It was early 2009 and he envisioned the Prophet Mohammed’s tomb, with his own final resting place “not next to the prophet’s grave itself, but a little distance away.”

Mr. Headley, now 50, concluded that his vision meant great heavenly rewards awaited him – if he were successful in a new attack. The plan?

Get gunmen to shoot up the Denmark offices of Jyllands Posten, so that he could avenge Islam against the newspaper that affronted God’s messenger with a cartoon.

So testified Mr. Headley in a Chicago court Thursday, where the 50-year-old convicted terrorist is giving evidence against a peripheral player, Tahawwur Rana, to save himself from the death penalty....

"How can somebody take a job to teach Islam when they’re not even a Muslim themselves?" And so the obvious response, as always, is not to refute anything he said, but to resort to thuggery.

An update on this story. "Muslim gang launched horrific attack on religious studies teacher they did not want teaching girls," from the Daily Mail, May 24 (thanks to Darcy):

A gang of four Muslim men launched a horrific attack on an RE teacher because they did not approve of him teaching religious studies to Muslim girls, a court heard yesterday.

Gary Smith, 28, was left with facial scarring, both long and short-term memory loss, and now has no sense of smell.

He became depressed after his face was slashed and he suffered a brain haemorrhage, fractured skull and broken jaw following the attack.

The men were said to have attempted the assault several times, ‘lying in wait’ for Mr Smith before successfully ambushing him on his way to work on July 12 last year.

The gang was recorded planning the attack by detectives who had bugged defendant Akmol Hussain’s car over an unrelated matter.

So they were already tracking these guys for jihad activity.

They were taped saying they wanted to hit or kill the teacher just because he was the head of religious studies at the Central Foundation School for Girls in Bow, East London.

In one recording Hussain said: ‘He’s mocking Islam and he’s putting doubts in people’s minds . . . How can somebody take a job to teach Islam when they’re not even a Muslim themselves?’

Armed with an iron rod and brick, they punched, kicked and attacked Mr Smith, leaving him unconscious covered in blood on the pavement in Burdett Road, Tower Hamlets, East London.

Mr Smith was taken to hospital after he was found by two passers-by, and only regained consciousness two days later.

The gang, made up of Simon Alam, 19, Azad Hussein, 27, of Bethnal Green, Sheikh Rashid, 27, of Shadwell and Akmol Hussain, 26, of Wapping, fled the scene in a car and went on to boast about their role in the assault.

Alam said he hit Mr Smith over the head with a metal bar saying: 'I turned and hit him on his face with the rod and he went flying and fell on his stomach.' [...]

The teacher had been at the school for eight years teaching faiths including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Hinduism. [...]

Hussain's car had been bugged on an 'unrelated matter' and it was during that surveillance operation that some of the gang members were recorded discussing the attack.

He spoke about a pupil at the school, calling her teacher a dog - an offensive name in Islam. He is then heard saying 'this is the dog we want to' and then a word is said in Sylheti - a language from Bangladesh - that means to hit, strike or kill.

Two other attempts, on on July 8 and one on July 9 last year failed when Mr Smith did not take his usual route to work....

Loose lips sink ships, akhi! Next time stick to the "Islam is a Religion of Peace" theme when out among the kuffar!

"Street cleaners arrested in Pope 'plot' were overheard discussing attack," by Duncan Gardham in the Telegraph, May 16:

Street cleaners arrested over an alleged plot to kill the Pope were said to have been overheard threatening to kill a Christian for every page of the Koran, it has emerged.

A report on the incident has said that although all six men were later released without charge, police were justified in making the arrests after receiving a call at 4.30pm on September 16, the day before the Pope was due to arrive in London.

The caller reported that five men were looking at a picture in the Metro newspaper of the Pope’s motor vehicle and talking about a recent incident where the Koran was allegedly burned.

They were overheard saying that a “Christian should be killed for every page that was damaged” according to the report by David Anderson QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation.

“The view was expressed that whilst the Pope’s vehicle was protected, it could be stopped and that even if he survived, those around him would die,” Mr Anderson said.

“Comments were made to the effect that it would be wonderful if the Pope was killed and that there were virgins waiting for them.”...

One of the men was said to have returned from Paris on Monday or Tuesday of that week having shaven his hair off and become radicalised....

By 5.15 armed police were ready to make an arrest at the Veolia depot on Chiltern Street in London’s West End and the men were detained as they arrived for work and hour later.

A sixth man was arrested after arriving at work, hearing of the arrests and leaving in a agitated state, around the same time that the Pope’s convoy was making its way into central London.

The men were all of Algerian origin and living and working in Britain legally apart from one man who was Sudanese and admitted that his asylum application had been turned down and he had assumed a false identity in order to obtain work....

"The gang, dubbed the 'London Boys', were taught by a top Al-Qaeda explosives expert in the war-torn country and include Reza Afsharzadegan, a former IT student from Ladbroke Grove, West London. He is married with a child and moved to Britain as a young boy from Iran." A "moderate."

"London 'sleeper cell' told to carry out wave of terror attacks by Bin Laden before his death," from the Daily Mail, May 15 (thanks to Steven):

A group of terrorists who trained in Somalia returned to Britain to carry out a wave of attacks which were demanded by Osama Bin Laden before his death.

The gang, dubbed the 'London Boys', were taught by a top Al-Qaeda explosives expert in the war-torn country and include Reza Afsharzadegan, a former IT student from Ladbroke Grove, West London.

He is married with a child and moved to Britain as a young boy from Iran.

Leaked documents reveal how the 'sleeper operatives' were trained by an Al-Qaeda official who is wanted by the FBI with a £3m ($5m) reward for his capture.

The IT student and three other men, Mohammed Ezzouek, Hamza Chentouf and Shahajan Janjua, were rescued from Somalia in 2007 after they were imprisoned while trying to flee after the US ordered air strikes on Islamists who took over Mogadishu....

Files leaked by WikiLeaks also show how Bin Laden sent messages from his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan, to other Al-Qaeda members in Somalia and told them to carry out more attacks on the West.