Militant Islamic Leaders Meet in London

[redman]

Warm words for bin Laden as Muslim fundamentalists gather

Wed Sep 11, 2:18 PM ET

By DONNA ABU-NASR, Associated Press Writer

LONDON - As much of the world paused Wednesday to mourn the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, a group of Islamic militants gathered to discuss the "positive outcomes" of the violence they claim to reject, and to praise the aims of Osama bin Laden ( news - web sites).

Sheik Omar Bakri Mohammed of the radical group Al-Muhajiroun said the meeting at Finsbury Park Mosque, titled "Sept. 11, 2001: A Towering Day in History," argues that the attacks were justified because Muslims must defend themselves against armed aggression.

Al-Muhajiroun says its goal is to make Britain an Islamic state.

The Syrian-born Mohammed had warm words for bin Laden and the al-Qaida network, though he said he disagreed with their violent tactics.

"Nobody loves them but the believers, nobody hates them but the hypocrites," Mohammed said.

"I don't believe in using violence, but Muslims have the right to defend themselves," Mohammed told journalists before the meeting.

A dozen or so men with kaffiyehs over their faces stood on the steps of the north London mosque, barring about 50 journalists from entering.

Mohammed said the meeting was not associated with al-Qaida.

"We don't know who they are. We share the same beliefs, the same divine texts, we pray in the same direction to Mecca, we share the same purpose of life and objectives, but we don't share their structure or their method," Mohammed said.

"Definitely al-Qaida has got rational justification for what they did on Sept. 11. Maybe I disagree with them, but they have the right to fight back especially after they (the United States) bombed Sudan, then they bombed Afghanistan ( news - web sites)."

The United States in 1998 launched a cruise missile strike on a Sudanese pharmaceutical plant suspected of making chemical weapons. The attack was retaliation for the bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, linked by U.S. officials to al-Qaida.

Abu Hamza al-Masri, a cleric at the Finsbury Park mosque, said this Sept. 11 "is not a day of rejoicing."

"It's a day of thinking and rethinking and getting the message out. I know many Muslims are oppressed. This is not a day to celebrate," said al-Masri.

The Egyptian-born cleric, who lost his hands and left eye fighting the former Soviet-backed government in Afghanistan, is a prayer leader at the mosque, and denies supporting terrorism.

Al-Masri is wanted in Yemen on terror charges, and his funds were frozen by the U.S. Treasury for his alleged membership in the Islamic Army of Aden. That organization is linked to al-Qaida and claimed responsibility for the bombing of the USS Cole ( news - web sites) in Yemen in October 2000, in which 17 American sailors were killed.

He has had British citizenship since 1985, and is protected by British law from extradition to Yemen.

Al-Masri said the meeting had a message for U.S. President George W. Bush ( news - web sites).

"We are telling that crazy man to stop. Don't use the war beyond your borders," al-Masri said.

In a statement on its Web site, al-Muhajiroun said the event aimed at "analyzing and highlighting the lessons which can be derived from the incident" and the subsequent shifts in relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims and between nations.

"The event will discuss the positive outcomes from the 11th September not least of which is the clear crystallization of the two camps of Islam and Kufr (non-Islam), of believers and hypocrites and of those who follow the Messenger Muhammad and his companions (the salafis) and those deviant from this path," the statement said.

[Sarge]

This is what's known as a missed oppurtunity. While I'm sure MI 5 & 6 were taking plenty of pictures, I'm sure a general roundup of these losers probably would have netted a few people we are looking for. As for them making Britain an islamic state, the Brits have only themselves and their liberal immigration policies to blame. A good lesson for us to learn, if only we would.