february 2010 . Vol 3 . Issue 2 the security apparatus to operate under made because al-Muhajiroun was fewer political constraints. The Changing Scene in “another name for both Al Ghurabaa Londonistan and The Saved Sect,”3 two descendent Underfunded and ill-equipped, the groups of al-Muhajiroun that had been Lebanese military intelligence services, By Raffaello Pantucci banned in July 2006. The reason for the often in coordination with the internal apparently back-to-front nature of the security forces, have so far done a in the first month of 2010, the world proscription was that al-Muhajiroun remarkable job in fighting the terrorism was reminded of the terrorism threat had officially disbanded itself in threat. Yet the threat is now arguably in the United Kingdom. Umar Farouk October 2004, likely out of concerns of too big for a small country like Lebanon Abdulmuttalab’s partial radicalization impending proscription at the time.4 It to handle on its own. The Lebanese in London, the decision to finally rapidly re-established itself in a series government also has a legal responsibility proscribe the extremist group al- of different groups, most prominent to protect UNIFIL, but it cannot do this Muhajiroun and the ratcheting up of of which were al-Ghurabaa (The crucial job by itself. The newly-shaped the terrorism threat level ahead of the Strangers), The Saved Sect, and Ahlus Lebanese counterterrorism apparatus Summit on Afghanistan all highlighted Sunnah wal Jamaah (The Followers of needs financial and technical help from once again how the United Kingdom the Sunna). The first two were banned its regional friends and from those remains the focus of the terrorism soon after they were linked to protests countries that have a vested interest threat to the West.1 The nature of this at the Danish Embassy in London in in preserving the fragile calm along threat, however, has changed since the February 2006, which resulted in the Lebanese-Israeli border. With a days before 9/11, when London was some individuals being prosecuted for few terrorist leaders still at large and often called “Londonistan” due to the inciting racial hatred.5 The third name, an unknown number of cells actively heavy presence of extremist groups Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah, remains plotting attacks, UNIFIL continues to in the city.2 Today, radicalization and theoretically active, but has not yet been be at risk of another terrorist attack, extremist activity in the United Kingdom banned.6 Al-Muhajiroun, on the other the lethality of which this time could be no longer occurs at the level it once did. hand, simply went silent, although greater than in the past.39 Nevertheless, the activity still taking individuals in the group described al- place is harder to legislate against and Muhajiroun as the overarching umbrella Bilal Y. Saab is a senior Middle East and more difficult to combat. under which the other groups operated. counterterrorism consultant with Centra More recently, the group marshaled its Technology Inc. and Oxford Analytica. This article will explain how forces under the banner “Islam4UK,” He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in “Londonistan” has changed during the which was among the groups banned Government and Politics at the University last decade. Overtly violent extremist under the latest proscription order. of Maryland, College Park. preaching has become much more discrete, while the internet has become The actual decision to ban al-Muhajiroun a major feature in radicalizing young was surprisingly controversial. The people. The article will also show group had announced its intention how old and new threats have melded to march through Wootton Bassett, a together to create a threat matrix village that has become synonymous that presents a new set of legislative with British war dead due to the challenges for British authorities. regular processions of coffins along the high street, and the public perception The Banning of Al-Muhajiroun is that the ban was a reaction to One of the most visible parts of this announcement. The British Londonistan was laid to rest in January government, however, claimed that the 2010 when the British government decision was the product of a review finally took the step of adding al- of al-Muhajiroun’s status by the Joint Muhajiroun to the list of banned Terrorism Analysis Center (JTAC).7 organizations under the UK Terrorism Act of 2000. The decision was officially

1 Sean O’Neill and Giles Whittell, “Al Qaeda ‘Groomed 3 The official proscription order can be found at www. Abdulmutallab in London,’” Times [London], December opsi.gov.uk/si/si2010/uksi_20100034_en_1. 30, 2009; Dominic Casciani, “Analysis: Does Banning 4 Omar Bakri Mohammed, “An Official Declaration Dis- Terror Groups Work?” BBC, January 12, 2010; “UK Ter- solving Al Muhajiroun,” www.almuhajiroun.net, Octo- rorist Threat Level Raised to ‘Severe,’” BBC, January 23, ber 8, 2004. 2010. 5 “Four Men Jailed Over Cartoon Demo,” BBC, July 18, 2 The term “Londonistan” was coined by the French se- 2007. curity services who were angry at the volume of jihadist 6 “Theoretically” because the al-Muhajiroun descendent groups and individuals who found safe sanctuary in the groups tend to operate using many different fronts, mak- 39 Bilal Y. Saab and Magnus Ranstorp, “Terror Alert: United Kingdom and in its apparently lax legislation to ing it hard to ascertain which one is behind any particu- Let Us Protect UNIFIL and Fast,” Daily Star, February counter radical groups not threatening British soil. Most lar activity. 1, 2010. were in London, hence the term Londonistan. 7 Casciani.

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Regardless of the true reasons, the away, while the radical preachers who Instead, recruiting networks appear impact was minimal. While extremists poisoned the minds of Britain’s youth to operate on the periphery of the retired the al-Muhajiroun name and have been expelled from the country more anti-establishment groups that closed down its most widely known (such as Omar Bakri Mohammed) or protest against the war on terrorism website, www.islam4uk.com, they are behind bars (such as Abu Hamza and ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan quite openly said that the decision and Abu Qatada). The younger men and Iraq. Clearly, the overwhelming was not going to affect them. “Unless who aspire to fill these individuals’ majority of protestors are peaceful and the government can prove that you shoes are also facing legal trouble and are merely expressing opinions. Yet are ostensibly exactly the same lack the experience on the battlefield this peaceful activism can provide cover organization, doing the same things at or religious credibility that made the for more extremist elements to seek the same time, it’s very difficult to clamp earlier generations so inspirational. recruits, and the defining line can be hard down,” explained al-Muhajiroun’s co- to distinguish. Key individuals in a variety founder.8 In fact, new websites are This has dulled one of the primary of plots have appeared to be involved in already operating that provide the same functions of Londonistan as a global organizations that ostensibly claim to sort of services as www.islam4uk.com, threat: the United Kingdom is no longer offer support for Muslim prisoners or to including providing speeches, videos an environment in which extremist be channeling aid to South Asia. Others and books by radical preachers such as ideologies can flourish and active have been involved in student politics, Abu Hamza, Omar Bakri Mohammed recruiters can easily find individuals to with four cases of student presidents of and Anwar al-`Awlaqi, alongside the rally to the cause. For example, Djamel university Islamic organizations being work of new younger preachers who Beghal, who allegedly operated out of charged with terrorist plotting. This claim to have trained at the feet of such the Finsbury Park Mosque and recruited would appear to be where Umar Farouk men.9 Richard Reid, Zacarias Moussaoui and Abdulmutallab was sped along the path Nizar Trablesi,11 and Abu Munthir, that led to him attempting to blow up This is the reality of the “new who allegedly played a critical role in a commercial airliner on December 25, Londonistan,” where a group of jihadists the formation of the cell codenamed 2009. As an activist in London’s student continue to espouse extremist rhetoric “Crevice,”12 used the networks fostered politics and Islamist scene, he was also within the constraints of the British by radical preachers to seek recruits. in contact with extremists who may legal system, even if they are not as able Some individuals who make up this have provided him with connections in to openly support terrorism as before. shadow network continue to live in Yemen. While to outsiders this might simply the United Kingdom and appear on seem an extension of previous British the periphery of counterterrorism Londonistan Goes Viral policy of placating extremists so that operations, and a few are under The biggest threat from Londonistan, they do not undertake violent actions controversial “control orders.” however, was the incubation of extremist in the United Kingdom, the truth is that ideologies that it provided. According to British counterterrorism policy has Either way, the pools from which they al-Qa`ida theorist Abu Mus`ab al-Suri, moved far beyond this. The problem is might attempt to fish for recruits have in the 1990s “being in London would that the threat has now evolved in a new been dried up to some extent. Previously, place you at the centre of the events.”14 direction. sessions organized by radical clerics The concentration of extremists, would have provided fertile ground according to al-Suri, meant that he The New Londonistan from which they might find excitable “found that there was an opportunity Unlike the 1990s, today London is not young men interested in graduating to resume my contribution [to jihad], a hub of openly jihadist international from vacuous preaching into physical and my participation in writing, by activity. The Finsbury Park Mosque violence. An openly radical fringe staying in London.”15 This function is no longer a training ground and remains—as was mentioned earlier, al- still exists in some form, with openly supply shop where terrorists can Muhajiroun has merely morphed under radical and influential individuals still come and equip themselves with fake new nomenclature—but the attention operating within the United Kingdom, identification papers, currency and they attract from the security services but much of the dangerous rhetoric and invitation letters to go to military and media makes it hard to imagine radicalization has migrated online. training camps in Afghanistan.10 The that serious terrorist elements would be wide Algerian network that used to drawn to their meetings.13 It is in the online world that individuals operate with impunity from British such as Aabid Khan and Younis shores has been for the most part chased 11 Steve Bird, “Quiet Existence in Leicester Suburb Tsouli operated; both young men were Masked a Complex Terrorist Network,” Times, April 2, 8 Fiona Hamilton, “Islam4UK’s Radical Spokesman An- 2003. mer head of al-Muhajiroun in Ireland, Khalid Kelly, who jem Choudary Pledges to Keep Preaching,” Times, Janu- 12 Emily Flynn Vencatt and Mark Hosenball, “Pyrrhic claimed to be training in Pakistan’s Swat to kill foreign ary 16, 2010. Victory?” Newsweek, May 1, 2007. For more on Abu soldiers. See “Irishman Wants to Kill for Islam,” Sunday 9 One of these websites, for example, can be found at Munthir’s role, see Regina v. Mohammed Momin Khwaja, Times, November 15, 2009. Furthermore, a number of www.salafimedia.com. Ontario Superior Court, October 29, 2008. members have been arrested for various breaches of the 10 Sean O’Neill and Daniel McGrory, The Suicide Factory 13 This is not to discount them altogether, aside from the peace and for charges linked to terrorism legislation. (London: Harper Perennial, 2006) provides a compre- fact that the government believes they are involved in ter- 14 Quoted in Brynjar Lia, Architect of Global Jihad (Lon- hensive account of Abu Hamza and his activities at the rorism and has hence proscribed them. In late 2009, the don: Hurst & Co., 2007), p. 121. Finsbury Park Mosque. Sunday Times ran an interview from Pakistan with a for- 15 Ibid.

12 february 2010 . Vol 3 . Issue 2 convicted of involvement in terrorism Finally, some cases, such as the one Political Islam in Central and were key instigators in a global against the young Mohammed Gul terrorist network operating from the who stands accused of disseminating Asia: The Role of Hizb al- internet in the United Kingdom.16 Other extremist material by e-mail, remain on Tahrir individuals such as Nicky Reilly17 and the docket.23 Isa Ibrahim18 were instead apparently By Emmanuel Karagiannis drawn in by material they found online Conclusion and tried to build explosive devices Radicalization remains an issue in one of the fastest growing global, on their own. Ibrahim was interdicted the United Kingdom, although the Sunni Islamic political organizations is before he could execute his plot, but threat has evolved away from the old Hizb al-Tahrir (the Islamic Liberation Reilly was only prevented by his own structures that used to make up the Party, HT).1 HT often escapes in- incompetence when his bomb failed to infamous Londonistan. Radicalization depth analysis because the group itself detonate properly in the middle of a today is more difficult for policymakers does not use violence to seek political restaurant in Exeter in May 2008. to legislate against. Dangerous extremist change. As a result, it is not on the activities online are hard to distinguish U.S. government’s list of terrorist It is also on the internet that security from the vast mass of meaningless organizations. Nevertheless, HT is services are increasingly concentrating extremism on the internet, while parts pursuing an agenda at odds with the their efforts, attempting to identify of the real-world portion have melded West, and eventually the group could threats through the internet or finding into the mainstream of British political pose an active threat to the United legal ways of charging people who discourse. This makes it difficult to craft States and its allies. step beyond the boundary with online legislation that targets groups specifically extremism. These include individuals that does not also catch harmless and Profiling HT is important as the group such as Krenar Lusha, who was legitimate forms of political discourse. is one of the most popular pan-Islamic identified through a network of online organizations, counting tens of thousands extremists and later convicted while Physical jihad continues to hold sway, of members.2 While it rejects violence at in possession of an assortment of with events in Afghanistan and East this time, it is open to waging jihad once radical material as well as 71.8 liters of Africa drawing young men into their a proper Islamic state is established with petrol and potassium nitrate,19 or Bilal thrall,24 but the networks and extremist the purpose of creating a global Islamic Mohammed and Rizwan Ditta who both rhetoric that were previously responsible caliphate. To establish this initial Islamic pled guilty to charges of distributing for the stream of individuals going to state, HT is pursuing an agenda to make extremist material obtained online.20 training camps have been forced into a society more “Islamist” so that such Other cases have proved more difficult, less prominent position. Unfortunately, a state can be established peacefully. however, with a group of cases linked however, a hardcore of jihadist thinking Nevertheless, the group ascribes to a little to the internet in Lancashire largely remains, making what happens in the discussed strategy called nusra, which dropping off the radar for legal United Kingdom still relevant for the means it could support a coup d’etat by reasons.21 Moreover, part of the case global fight against terrorism. an armed force if that force is pursuing against Mohammed Atif Siddique an Islamist agenda. that stated he was involved in actual Raffaello Pantucci is a Consulting Research terrorist planning was overturned and Associate at the International Institute for This article will provide background on he was released from prison, although Strategic Studies (IISS) and an Associate HT, including its strategy to establish other charges against him stood.22 Fellow at the International Center for the an Islamic caliphate. It will then profile Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King’s HT’s role in Central Asia, the region in 16 For more on this network, please see Evan Kohlmann, College. which it is most active. “Anatomy of a Modern Homegrown Terror Cell: Aabid Khan et al,” NEFA Foundation, September 2008; Raf- Background on Hizb al-Tahrir faello Pantucci, “Operation Praline: The Realization of HT was founded in East Jerusalem in Al-Suri’s Nizam la Tanzim?” Perspectives on Terrorism 1953 by Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani, an 2:12 (2008). Islamic scholar of Palestinian origin. In 17 Adam Fresno, “Nicky Reilly, Muslim Convert, Jailed the decades since its establishment, HT for 18 Years for Exeter Bomb Attack,” Times, January 31, 2009. 1 Hizb al-Tahrir is more commonly transliterated as 18 Raffaello Pantucci, “Britain Jails ‘Lone Wolf’ Terrorist material online, as he was linked into the broader Khan/ Hizb ut-Tahrir. Isa Ibrahim,” Terrorism Monitor 7:23 (2009). Tsouli network. See “Siddique Terrorism Charges in De- 2 HT’s total numbers in Central Asia are not known 19 “Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Terrorism Offenc- tail,” BBC, February 9, 2010. because the group operates clandestinely. There are, es,” Derbyshire Constabulary, December 15, 2009. 23 “Man Charged With Sending Terrorist Material by however, some 6,000 HT members and sympathizers 20 “Muslim Man Who Sold DVDs Glorifying the 9/11 Email,” Daily Mail, February 24, 2009. serving time in Uzbek, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Tajik pris- Atrocities Jailed Under New Terror Laws,” Daily Mail, 24 The case of Mohammed Abushamma is instructive in ons. The U.S. State Department claims, for example, that March 20, 2008. the case of Afghanistan. See “Student Jailed for Trying to as many as 4,500 HT members are currently jailed in 21 “PM Death Plot Suspects in Court,” Derby Evening Fight British in Afghanistan,” London Evening Standard, Uzbekistan alone. See the Bureau of Democracy, Human Telegraph, October 4, 2008; “Jury in Blackburn Terrorist June 18, 2009. The Somali case is increasingly a concern. Rights, and Labor, Uzbekistan – International Religious Trial Discharged,” Lancashire Telegraph, July 27, 2009. See Richard Kerbaj, “UK Students Recruited for Somali Freedom Report (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of 22 The charges that held include spreading extremist Jihad,” Sunday Times, January 24, 2010. State, 2007).

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