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*Thread* Hashem Abedi's sentence for the Manchester bombing atrocity is very welcome.
Unfortunately, his story is far from the only one in Manchester terror. Consider another Mancunian, Jamal al-Harith, and his apologists too.
Al-Harith converted to Islam in the 1990s. 1/13
Unfortunately, his story is far from the only one in Manchester terror. Consider another Mancunian, Jamal al-Harith, and his apologists too.
Al-Harith converted to Islam in the 1990s. 1/13
Just after the 9/11 attacks, he went to Pakistan for a "holiday" (as one would, eh). He was apprehended in Afghanistan and sent to Guantanamo. The US found he was "affiliated with al-Qaeda” and a “high threat to the U.S., its interests and allies”. 2/13
https://wikileaks.org/gitmo/prisoner/490.html
https://wikileaks.org/gitmo/prisoner/490.html
He was released in 2004. He went on to join one of George Galloway's "Viva Palestina" convoys to Gaza, which were essentially terrorist support caravans for Hamas. 3/13
Al-Harith and others on the convoys subsequently "graduated" to full-on terror, including Munir Farooqi of Manchester.
Al-Harith's choice was Islamic State. He became a suicide bomber in Iraq. 4/13 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4251814/ISIS-suicide-bomber-joined-extremists-aid-convoy.html
Al-Harith's choice was Islamic State. He became a suicide bomber in Iraq. 4/13 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4251814/ISIS-suicide-bomber-joined-extremists-aid-convoy.html
As we see all too often in cases like this, he wrecked his family too. His wife went to Syria to try to convice him to come home. She found horrific scenes and was rebuffed. 5/13 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/22/isis-suicide-bomber-was-briton-freed-from-guantanamo
Lord Carlile had al-Harith's number. After the Mosul bombing, he called him “a crafty and dangerous man” and said that “for at least the last 17 years, al-Harith was an active agent of al-Qaeda, then Isil [Islamic State].” 6/13 https://tinyurl.com/y42awpjk
Enter Cage, the terrorist support group.
It actually provides a useful service - the people it defends and praises turn out, often enough, to be serious threats. Al-Harith is among them.
Thanks for the heads-up, bruv. 7/13
It actually provides a useful service - the people it defends and praises turn out, often enough, to be serious threats. Al-Harith is among them.
Thanks for the heads-up, bruv. 7/13
"His family say he is a gentle, quiet man who rarely spoke of his faith unless asked", Cage claimed in the Guantanamo years.
We have all seen just how "gentle" and "quiet" he really was, of course. 8/13
https://web.archive.org/web/20170222083631/http://old.cageprisoners.com/prisoners.php?id=114
We have all seen just how "gentle" and "quiet" he really was, of course. 8/13
https://web.archive.org/web/20170222083631/http://old.cageprisoners.com/prisoners.php?id=114
In addition, in 2005 Cage published al-Harith’s unsubstantiated allegations that the Qur’an was desecrated at Guantanamo, without any qualification. Such allegations were heavily contested by the US in this period. 9/13
https://www.cage.ngo/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/USQuranDesecration.pdf
https://www.cage.ngo/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/USQuranDesecration.pdf
In fact, one of the most important articles on the topic was later retracted by Newsweek.
Keep in mind that al-Qaeda operatives have been instructed to lie about their captors if they get caught. Stir it up, "war on Islam" talk, all that foul jazz. 10/13
https://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/05/16/newsweek.quran/
Keep in mind that al-Qaeda operatives have been instructed to lie about their captors if they get caught. Stir it up, "war on Islam" talk, all that foul jazz. 10/13
https://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/05/16/newsweek.quran/
When al-Harith became a suicde bomber, Cage remained on message. Regret, alarm, shame? Back up Lord Carlile's correct calls? No, no!
"We cannot allow isolated incidents to become the tool of those who seek to further the security state.” 11/13 https://tinyurl.com/y3bqgsm6
"We cannot allow isolated incidents to become the tool of those who seek to further the security state.” 11/13 https://tinyurl.com/y3bqgsm6
This is yet another sorry and cautionary tale. If Cage backs someone, watch out.
And it is not a "human rights" group. Far from it. Amnesty International learned this years ago, to its cost.
Do not help Cage. Ever. In any way. 12/13
And it is not a "human rights" group. Far from it. Amnesty International learned this years ago, to its cost.
Do not help Cage. Ever. In any way. 12/13
It is to be hoped that Manchester University Press will learn the same lesson. Very quickly. As it should in a city scarred by the worst jihadi violence. 13/13 https://twitter.com/habibi_uk/status/1279744313593864192
