Various groups sympathetic to al-Qaeda are preparing large-scale attacks against London, the leader of an Islamic group suspected of having ties to the extremist network said in remarks published on Sunday in Portugal. Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, the head of the London-based group al-Muhajiroun, added in an interview with the Portuguese daily Publico that last month's deadly Madrid train bombings were carried out by a group of independent actors who back Osama bin Laden's organization. "There are many youths who dream of joining al-Qaeda, but worse than that, there are many 'freelancers' who are willing to launch operations similar to those by al-Qaeda," he said. "The attack in Madrid was carried out by one of those groups. Here in London there is a very well-organized group, which calls itself al-Qaeda-Europe. I know they are on the verge of launching a big operation." Bakri Mohammed, who is suspected of having links with Abu Qatada, an alleged al-Qaeda leader in Europe, said it was "inevitable" that London would be hit by a large attack "because they are being prepared by various groups."
| Okay, this strikes me as a fairly blatant admission by Bakri that he knows something big is in the works and is doing little if anything to stop it. Can they jug him now? |
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