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by lenin    Lenin's Tomb
Entered into the database on Saturday, June 10th, 2006 @ 15:51:56 MST


 

Untitled Document

Well, whaddya know:

Brothers Abul Koyair, 20, and Mohammed Abdul Kahar, 23, who was shot in the raid, were freed without charge on Friday evening.

Both men had denied allegations of involvement in terrorism.

Met Police Authority member Murad Qureshi said mistakes were made, but police have defended the raid.

Pause a minute. We now live a country where, on the say-so of one so-called "informant" you can get shot at, dragged out of your home, arrested, smeared all over the press, and see your next-door-neighbours beaten. This is the stuff of witch-trials that the "war on terror" has produced.

Meanwhile, "community relations" are being repaired:

A secret high-level Metropolitan police report has concluded that Muslim officers are more likely to become corrupt than white officers because of their cultural and family backgrounds.

The document, which has been seen by the Guardian, has caused outrage among ethnic minorities within the force, who have labelled it racist and proof that there is a gulf in understanding between the police force and the wider Muslim community. The document was written as an attempt to investigate why complaints of misconduct and corruption against Asian officers are 10 times higher than against their white colleagues.

I cannot, in light of the Forest Gate debacle, even begin to imagine why Asian police officers might receive more internal complaints than their white counterparts.

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Two held in terror raid released

BBC News

An extensive search took place at the home in east London

Two men arrested after a raid on a house in east London have been released without charge, Scotland Yard said.

Police questioned two brothers, one of whom was shot during the raid, on suspicion of terrorism involvement.

Mohammed Abdul Kahar, 23, and Abul Koyair, 20, both denied the allegations. They were held after a major raid in Forest Gate last Friday.

Police are continuing their search for chemical materials elsewhere after finding nothing at that house.

The men, who had been held under the Terrorism Act 2000, were released shortly before 2030 BST on Friday.

As the men were released, police confirmed officers had completed their search of the raided property in Lansdown Road.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We appreciate the police operation has caused inconvenience and disruption to the occupants of the house.

"We will be contacting the owners to make appropriate arrangements for the property to be handed back to them.

"We will also be undertaking appropriate restoration work in consultation with the owners."

The statement added that intelligence received by police "continues to be developed" and that the Met Police "will continue to exhaust all lines of inquiry".

BBC correspondent Andy Tighe said sources believe the original intelligence was credible and police are continuing their hunt for "some sort of chemical, home-made device".

In a statement issued after the brothers were freed, Home Secretary John Reid said police are acting in the "best interests of the whole community".

'Specific intelligence'

"They therefore deserve the support of the community in doing what is often a very hazardous and dangerous job that often involves difficult decisions."

Anti-terror police raided the house at Forest Gate last week after saying they received "specific intelligence" that a chemical device might be found there.

Scotland Yard later said they had "no choice" but to act while the prime minister said it was essential officers took action if they received "reasonable" intelligence suggesting a terror attack.

Tony Blair said he backed the police and security services 101% and he refused to be drawn on suggestions that the armed operation had been a failure.

But Muslim leaders had warned police could lose the trust of Forest Gate residents if the situation was not clarified.

Inayat Bunglawala, from the Muslim Council of Britain, said the raid looked to have been a "terrible mistake".

"Today's decision to release the two brothers without charge confirms their innocence," he told the BBC.

He said the raid had created quite a bit of unease in the Muslim community - particularly amongst the younger generation.

"We do hope that the appropriate lessons will be learned by all involved in this tragic incident... the release of these two brothers may go some way to undoing the damage caused," he said.

The Islamic Human Rights Commission said the arrests were "another indictment of police and intelligence service anti-terrorist policy".

IHRC chairman Massoud Shadjareh said: "This policy is criminalising and victimising a community that is running out of patience."

Earlier on Friday, around 100 people gathered outside Forest Gate police station to protest about last week's raid. They chanted slogans and waved plaques condemning the police and government.

Protest organisers claimed the raid was symptomatic of oppression of the Islamic community.

Earlier in the day, Humeya Kalam, the sister of the two brothers, also criticised the police action.