Category : Five
Live
Date : 07.03.2004
Printable version
A Saudi extremist
who helped Osama Bin Laden open a UK office in the mid-Nineties and
now claims it is legitimate for Muslims to assassinate the Prime Minister
resides in the UK with indefinite leave to remain, a report on Radio
Five Live (Sunday 7 March, 11.00am) reveals.
Speaking about whether British troops and the Prime
Minister were proper targets according to his interpretation of Islamic
law, Dr Mohammed Al Massari - who lives in Wembley, North London - told
reporter Navid Akhtar:
"British soldiers are reasonable targets for Iraqis
and those joining the camp of the Iraqis. [The Prime Minister] is not
a non combatant. He is Tony Blair the commander of the army.
"All British targets are a legitimate target, yes."
Would Tony Blair be a legitimate target?
"Yeah if he joined the Jihad there, yeah."
If Tony Blair went to Iraq it would be appropriate to
assassinate him?
"He is the commander-in-chief. He is the head of
the UK Government which is involved in a war against the Iraqi people,
he is the head of the army."
So could someone go to Iraq, renounce his citizenship
and then come back here and assassinate Tony Blair?
"It is a possibility. He may choose to do that."
And that is legitimate?
"What's the difference between killing Tony Blair
here in London or killing him in China or killing him in Iraq?
"If it is legitimate to kill him in Iraq it can
be legitimate to kill him in Britain. What's the difference?"
After interviewing Al Massari Five Live Report approached
the Home Office which provided the following statement:
"The Home Office will not comment on individual
cases. This is an operational matter for the police.
"Anyone breaking the law whether under the powers
of the Anti -Terrorism Act, the Race Relations Act or the Public Order
Act will be prosecuted.
"Under section 59 of the Anti Terrorism Act it
is against the law to incite a terrorist act abroad. The maximum penalty
is ten years in jail."
Al Massari fled Saudi Arabia for London after attacking
the ruling House of Saud for corruption and falling away from what he
holds to be true Islam.
Massari, who runs the Committee for the Defence of Legitimate
Rights (CDLR), uses his website to justify violent attacks.
He legitimises assassinating President George W Bush
and Tony Blair, argues that the death of civilians in terror attacks
in Iraq is "collateral damage and a necessity of war", and
calls for attacks on coalition forces and "apostate" Muslims
who help them in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the wake of 9/11 Al Massari confirmed he had helped
Osama Bin Laden establish an office in London in 1994.
In December 2001 he told the Five Live Report: "They
came and said we want to do political work, we want to have an office
like you. We said you're welcome.
"Can you give us help? Absolutely. And within one
week they were up and running so he [Osama Bin Laden] gave a phone call
to thank for the support."
The Five Live Report asked Al Massari why he had helped
Bin Laden.
He responded: "It's the same cause. It's the same
ideas."
Asked whether he would help him again Al Massari replied:
"Yeah, if we can help anything, why not?"
Notes to Editors
For further information on the programme, tapes or transcripts
please call please call the Radio Five Live publicity office.
