Half those arrested as terrorists not charged

Fifty per cent of the people arrested in Britain for suspected terrorism offences since the September 11 attacks in 2001 have been released without charge, new figures reveal. Less than a fifth of the 572 people detained were charged with terrorism offences, with the rest facing criminal trials or being accused of breaking immigration laws.

The new statistics were disclosed as police released all 10 of the suspects arrested during a high profile anti-terrorist operation in Manchester and the surrounding areas. The nine men and one woman were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, which led to headlines wrongly suggesting they had plotted to set off a bomb in Manchester United's Old Trafford soccer stadium.

One Muslim leader said high-profile operations that did not lead to substantial charges were in danger of alienating large sections of the Muslim community and "could lead to some being driven into the arms of extremists".

Of the 572 people arrested in the United Kingdom under terrorism legislation since the September 11 al Qaeda attacks in the United States, 97 have been charged with terrorist offences. This includes five men and a teenager charged last month with conspiring to cause an explosion. This followed the discovery of 600kg of ammonium nitrate, a fertiliser that can be used in making bombs.

But 289 of the 572 were released without charge. Of the remainder, 99 have been charged with other criminal offences; six have been cautioned for criminal matters; 27 are on police bail for criminal matters; 54 have been handed to the Immigration Service; and six have been held under the Mental Health Act.

Police have been at pains to stress they are not targeting Britain's two million Muslims and senior anti-terrorism officers are acutely aware that they need to win the support and trust of the community if they are to succeed in combating terrorism.

But despite the assurances, Muslim leaders expressed concern at the treatment of the Manchester 10, who were all of North African and Iraqi Kurd origin.

After their release, one was deported to North Africa and six others are on police bail pending an investigation into immigration matters.

The Greater Manchester Police operation involved 400 officers including members of the security services and the Metropolitan Police's Anti-Terrorist Branch on April 19.


Inayat Bunglawala, spokesman for the Muslim Council said: "It is counter-productive to engage in actions which are not intelligence-driven. They are alienating large sections of the Muslim community. This could lead to some being driven into the arms of extremists."

He added: "When these people were arrested, this was very high-profile with on-the-spot TV cameras and lurid headlines. All this got massive coverage. It sears itself into the public imagination. It has done a lot of harm to the Muslim reputation which is not easily undone."

Human rights groups have criticised Home Secretary David Blunkett and the police for using terrorism legislation to carry out large-scale arrests.

One of the most highly publicised cases of false claims levelled against a terrorist suspect were those against Algerian pilot Lotfi Raissi, who was alleged by the US security forces to have trained the pilots involved in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.

He was released without charge after five months in Belmarsh high-security prison in south London, although he did not face any charge under British law.

Scotland Yard said this week that anti-terrorism legislation "is only used for arrest when necessary and entirely justified".

- INDEPENDENT