LONDON, Aug 13: Terrorist attacks in London last month were home-grown and had no guidance from Al Qaeda, a British press report said on Saturday as British-based extremism seemed to take a blow with three senior clerics either barred from the country or in detention.
The Independent newspaper reported that the initial findings of an investigation into the July 7 and 21 bomb attacks had found no evidence of any Al Qaeda “mastermind” or senior organiser.
Citing unnamed sources, the paper also said that the two attacks were not connected, and that the July 7 cell did not conform to previous Al Qaeda units.
The investigation, which the newspaper said involved domestic and external security services, the police and the listening centre at Government Communications Headquarters, reportedly found that the July 7 team worked in isolation and was radicalised by Mohammad Sidique Khan, the oldest of the four alleged bombers.
The paper said police and domestic security service MI5 feared the findings suggested more “self-sufficient” units similar to the July 7 cell were hiding in Britain.
A counter-terrorist source told the newspaper: “The key point is the events are not connected. It appears they were self-contained, rather than being organised by some kind of mastermind.”
“It is concerning that none were on the intelligence radar,” the source added. “There are quite probably others we do not know about out there.”
A Metropolitan police spokesman said that police would not comment on the report or any other speculation about the attacks.
The newspaper said intelligence agencies and police had trawled through telephone and computer records, emails, forensic evidence, and investigated friends and associates to build up a picture of the suicide bombers.
The investigation reportedly concluded that the alleged plotters behind the July 21 incidents were probably “copycats”, targeting tube trains and a bus.
Reputed Al Qaeda “ambassador” Abu Qatada, 44 from Jordan, is said to be among 10 foreigners rounded up on Thursday in dawn raids across London and central England and currently in detention.
Added to the incarceration of former Finsbury Park mosque imam Abu Hamza al-Masri at Belmarsh prison since May 2004, the government crackdown has now deprived Britain’s hard line militants — tolerated for years despite their openly expressed extremist views — of three respected point men.
Abu Hamza is accused by Washington of having sought to create an Al Qaeda training camp in the US state of Oregon.—AFP
