That’ll show those jihadists how serious British authorities are. The Revolting Geek of Mass Proportions himself, Adam Gadahn, has already remarked on this phenomenon: “If it’s Allah’s will that you be captured, then it’s not the end the world, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to spend the rest of your life in prison,” and “Over these past few years, I’ve seen the release of many, many Mujahideen whom I had never even dreamed would regain their freedom.”
Britain is obviously less safe if prison sentences for jihadists lose whatever deterrent power they may still have. “‘Invisible ink’ al-Qaeda plotter released early from prison,” by Martin Evans for the Telegraph, September 19:
Habib Ahmed, 32, was convicted after being caught smuggling code books written in invisible ink into the country.
He was part of a British terror cell, headed by Rangzieb Ahmed, that police believe were planning a massacre in Britain.
But despite being jailed for ten years in December 2008, he has now been released and is living at a bail hostel in Manchester.
During his trial the court heard how Ahmed downloaded a document called “a study of assassination” and looked up bomb-making techniques.
He was caught when British Customs found notebooks containing names and phone numbers of key al Qaeda figures as he flew from Dubai to hand them to Rangzieb.
Ahmed was arrested in 2006 and so had spent five years in prison including time spent on remand.
A spokesman for the National Offender Management Service said: “Serious offenders on licence are subject to strict conditions and controls.”