Sky News has been reporting this all day, but so far nothing on the BBC.
In 2003 Mohhamed Sidique Khan, the suicide bomber responsible for the Edgware Rd. bomb on July 7th had travelled to Israel from Jordan for one day via the Allenby crossing, shortly before the suicide bombing at Mike’s Place in Tel Aviv. The two bombers in that attack, Asif Muhammad Hanif and Omar Khan Sharif were from the UK.
The BBC knew that Mohammed Sidique Khan was associated with these two because in 2006 they’d actually made a documentary which included an interview with a Manchester businessman whom the three had approached - they’s been fundraising to send young British Muslims to Syria to be ‘educated’.
The question Sky is asking concerns the absence of any information about Mohammed Sidique Khan’s potentially significant visit to Israel and his association with the Tel Aviv bombers, from what was said to be a exhaustive investigation into 7/7.
“Delivering her closing remarks in the 2011 inquest into 7/7, Lady Justice Hallett said she believed she "had left no stone unturned" in her investigation into whether intelligence or police could have done more to identify Khan before the attacks.”
Keith Vaz says that if the families wish it, this should be investigated.
What good could that do? Nudge some of us into making a few connections perhaps.
First they came for the Jews etc ............
Update.
The thot plickens!
When I read that passage on the Sky website (and quoted it above) I hadn’t realised how much the BBC knew. They'd found out precisely how involved these three characters were with each other and had already made all the connections. All the information was online in great detail.
Look at this from 2006
To clarify.
“The BBC knew that Mohammed Sidique Khan was associated with these two because in 2006 they’d actually made a documentary which included an interview with a Manchester businessman whom the three had approached - they’s been fundraising to send young British Muslims to Syria to be ‘educated’.”
Look at this from 2006
Didn't Lady Justice Hallett and her stone-turning investigators know this?
7/7 bomber linked to Israel pair
Asif Hanif and Omar Sharif attacked an Israeli bar in 2003 The man thought to be the 7 July bombings mastermind tried to recruit young Muslims with two other suicide bombers, a BBC documentary says. Edgware Road bomber Mohammad Sidique Khan reportedly knew suicide bombers Omar Sharif and Asif Hanif, who blew up an Israeli bar in April 2003.
The claim was made by Manchester businessman Kursheed Fiaz, who was visited by the trio in summer 2001.Fifty-two people died and hundreds were hurt in the 7 July 2005 London attacks.In the Israeli attack Londoner Hanif, 21, killed three people and injured 55 by blowing himself up at Mike's Place in Tel Aviv.Sharif, 27, of Derby, is thought to have fled after explosives strapped to his body failed. His body was found in the sea 10 days later. He had drowned. Mr Fiaz's evidence, which he has not told police about, raises the possibility that Khan, a former teaching assistant from Leeds, was radicalised well before previously realised.
Mr Fiaz, in the documentary Britain's First Suicide Bombers, said Khan came initially to his offices with Sharif and then with Hanif to encourage young Muslims in "the new ways of Islam".
Mohammad Sidique Khan wanted to recruit Muslims to 'new ways of Islam'However, the young men they tried to recruit became wary when Khan mentioned Afghanistan and Syria, he said."The impression we got was that they were looking for some gullible people," Mr Fiaz said."What they tried to do is separate them from our side of it and perhaps give them different ideas."The youngsters that are involved with my organisation were told by Sidique Khan that to learn the new ways of Islam you may be asked to go to Pakistan. The lads said 'yeah, and we'll have a holiday as well'."But then the names such as Afghanistan and Syria were mentioned, so at that stage the lads asked what was going on.
"The programme suggests Mr Khan had connections in Afghanistan, a base for al-Qaeda, before 11 September 2001.Mr Fiaz was later to realise that all three had become, or wanted to be, suicide bombers.
Israel visit
Khan, 30, blew up the Circle Line underground train near Edgware Road on 7 July, killing himself and six others.The documentary said Israeli authorities had confirmed Khan had visited Israel on 19 February, 2003 for a 24-hour stay - seven weeks before Sharif and Hanif's attack.
It also uncovers further information about Sharif, including the extent of his connections with cleric Abu Hamza, the al-Muhajiroun organisation, his involvement in the Afghan war and high level contacts with Hamas.It said Sharif attended Finsbury Park mosque and listened to radical cleric Abu Hamza and Omar Bakri, the former leader of al-Muhajiroun.Security analyst Sajjan Gohel told the BBC that the apparent ties highlighted in the programme pointed to "common recruitment tactic" targeting people to join a terrorist group.
Britain's First Suicide Bombers will air on BBC Two on Tuesday, 11 July at 2100 BST.
I hate to say it, but won't some Beeboids see this as more proof that the US and UK's support for Israel is why they hate us, and that Israel's evil genocidal policies are partially responsible for 7/7?
ReplyDeleteYes, that thought had occurred to me. “It’s all our fault” is one of their favourites. But even so, I sense a slight attitudinal shift in the air . (?)
DeleteThe BBC seems to be getting worse, if not better, in face of all-too-easy-to-confirm accusations of failure across the board, especially editorial, with omission doubleplusgood.
ReplyDeleteNow, using the very dubious link of enobled ladies and folk in high places making connections, I'd like to share part of a letter I just sent my MP, who has 'taken an interest' in my ongoing duel with the BBC Complaints and now FoI departments:
"It cannot have escaped your notice that the BBC has remained if not got more 'topical' both with government (and a curiously supportive opposition) and hence, even more, the media and others, across many related areas.
We have the Charter Review, Licence Fee negotiations and of course 'the Future of the BBC' and such as the now disgraced Trust, all under John Whittingdale and his department, with whom I presume you have significant contact now in your new role.
I remain of course mostly interested in the BBC's accuracy, objectivity and impartiality, especially how these are overseen and adjudicated upon with honesty and professionalism and transparency.
Hence this was an eye-opener from one well-qualified to know what was and is going on, and off the rails:
http://lordsoftheblog.net/2015/07/03/out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire-the-bbc-to-ofcom/
'The BBC Annual Report for the same period reports 192,459 complaints, and 52 upheld by the Trust’s Editorial Standards Committee. I make that .02%. I rarely see apologies made in the same forum where the offending issue was first aired. Apologies by the BBC or its reporters are reported in the press but diligent searching of the BBC website does not necessarily turn them up. The Commons report referred to the dissatisfaction expressed by complaints about the process.'
The only surprise is the Baroness' maths, which should allow a rounding of .03%. Still an extraordinary figure. They really are defence, prosecution, jury and judge of themselves, are they not?
It is also noteworthy her views on OFCOM as a worthy successor to The Trust.
I appreciated this bit, if through the prism of having savoured too many 'Yes Minister' episodes involving safe pairs of hands:
"Determinations as delicate as these need to be made by people who have reached the top of their careers and can afford to be fearless. The professional histories of the members of the Board and committees of OFCOM may be too steeped in the BBC and its culture to be perceived as sufficiently detached. Many of them were once with the BBC and several others with ITN or other TV companies".
I have added my own comment to her blog, along with my experiences.
And speaking of experiences, it would seem the Mail on Sunday has also run afoul of the BBC's secretive ways, if seemingly better able to deflect often very serious manpower and legal gunnery to suppress any seeking to hold them to account:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3149780/Hypocrisy-row-BBC-brands-MoS-man-vexatious-bid-expose-bosses-expenses-Corporation-tried-block-investigation-expense-claims-Director-General.html
"Hypocrisy row as BBC brands MoS man 'vexatious' - over bid to expose bosses expenses: Corporation tried to block investigation into expense claims of Director General"
That term cropped up in their dealings with me, too, simply for asking questions they were and are not prepared to answer for fear it would serve them poorly.
I await the ICO's deliberations with renewed interest. Especially as I can now add the Baroness to my growing list of colleagues of yours in both Houses grasping the BBC is a wounded dinosaur lashing out fruitlessly as the cuts get more frequent and deeper."
The closest paragraphs of the Sky piece don't reflect well on the Met:
ReplyDelete'The Metropolitan Police were asked whether the information provided to the BBC in 2006 by Kursheed Fiaz, regarding the links between Khan and the Mike's Place bombers, was followed-up or formed part of their post-7/7 accounts of Khan's background.
In a written response a spokesperson said "we are not prepared to discuss the questions you put to us".'
It doesn't reflect well on the BBC, either. Didn't we hear some time ago that the producer involved with that terrorist paintballing episode had some pertinent information but sat on it?
DeleteYes indeed. "Don't Panic I'm Islamic"
Deletesee http://isthebbcbiased.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/who-knew.html
(Nasreem Suleaman)