Did these two attend a mosque? Were their activities known to other Muslims in the UK? Does anyone know? Does anyone care? Has anyone considered the implications of the fact that no Muslim group turned them in?
“British Muslim was senior al-Qaeda leader, court told,” by Duncan Gardham in the Telegraph, September 24:
A British Muslim was a senior al-Qaeda leader who kept a terrorist contact book containing telephone numbers and emails written in invisible ink, a court has heard.
Rangzieb Ahmed, 33, from Manchester is accused of directing terrorism between April 2004 and Aug 2006.
He allegedly travelled from Pakistan to Dubai where he met an associate in a hotel room to hand over three terrorist contact books containing telephone numbers and emails written in invisible ink.
The other man, Habib Ahmed, 28, flew back to Britain separately but his luggage was secretly opened as he passed through Schipol airport in Amsterdam and the alleged code books discovered.
The security services followed the men around Manchester where they watched them holding meetings and bugged Habib’s taxi and another vehicle, the court heard.
Andrew Edis QC, prosecuting, told Manchester Crown Court: “The prosecution say that Rangzieb Ahmed was a member of al-Qaeda and an important member of al-Qaeda who was in a position to direct some of its activities.”
He said Rangzieb had travelled to Dubai intending to travel on to South Africa but was diverted to Britain when something went wrong.
“He was travelling on important al-Qaeda business,” Mr Edis said and Habib had flown out to help him.
The men’s conversation in Dubai was secretly recorded and Rangzieb gave Habib a Filofax and two exercise books to carry back to Britain, the court heard.
“They contained information in invisible ink,” Mr Edis said. “The prosecution say these books contained information of considerable importance to a terrorist which allows the terrorist to communicate secretly by email and telephone – a contact book for a terrorist.”
From Dubai the men flew separately to Britain arriving around Christmas 2005, the court heard.
“During that time he held meetings with al-Qaeda contacts, assisted by Habib Ahmed.
“He was an important al-Qaeda man at that time and in this country and it was important for members of the organisation, including Habib Ahmed to help him,” Mr Edis said. […]
While in Pakistan, Habib’s wife, Mehreen Haji, 28, sent a total of £4,000 in two payments, allegedly to support his activities.
The court heard that Rangzieb, who was jailed in India for seven years after illegally crossing the border, admits to being a member of the group Harakat ul-Mujahideen, described as a Kashmiri terrorist group, but denies being a member of al-Qaeda.
He was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, but spent most of his childhood in Pakistan after a family split and only returned to Britain after his release from jail in May 2001, leaving again three years later without telling his family where he was going….
