http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/07/nkhay07.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/02/07/ixnewstop.html

Article which accompanied picture- brother of chemical bomb suspect appears to be at the right
'Suicide bomber' is freed drug dealer

Brother of chemical bomb suspects linked to anti-West demo

LONDON: An older brother of the suspects arrested in the controversial anti-terror raid in east London took part in an anti-West protest, it emerged yesterday.

Mohamed Abdullah Hasnath was photographed standing next to a man dressed as a mock suicide bomber during the London demonstration against anti-Islamic cartoons.

The revelation came as police were yesterday expected to apply for more time to question the two brothers who were arrested in the swoop in Forest Gate.

Abdul Kahar, 23, who was shot in the raid, and Abdul Koyair, 20, have been held at the high-security Paddington Green police station in connection with inquiries into a chemical bomb plot.

Police have been searching for a homemade cyanide bomb after receiving a tip from MI5 - but have apparently failed to find anything.

In February, the elder brother of the two men was pictured waving a black flag and covering his face with a scarf as he took part in the protest. Several people have been charged in connection with the protest.

He was standing alongside Omar Khayam, 22, who later apologised for causing offence for dressing as a suicide bomber.

It was reported that Hasnath joined the protest, which was condemned by Muslim leaders, while on day-release from prison where he is serving six years for a firearms offence.

Protesters on the march had chanted anti-West slogans such as ‘7/7 is on its way'.

The Forest Gate raid has sparked condemnation. In the raid, Kahar was shot in the shoulder during an apparent scuffle with a firearms officer on the stairs of the terrace house in Lansdown Road.

A friend of the family said yesterday that the entire family had been awake for morning prayers when police burst through the front door of the house at 4am.

The parents of the two suspects were now being put up in a safe house while their home was being searched.

The family has decided not to go on a pre-booked holiday to the island of Mauritius.

Detectives were yesterday expected to request that the time the pair can be held be extended to next Wednesday.

The maximum limit they can be detained, from the time of their arrest last Friday, is 14 days.

Koyair's solicitor Julian Young said police would apply for an extension at Bow Street magistrates court.

Koyair also issued a statement through his lawyer proclaiming his innocence.

It said: "I still maintain that I am completely innocent of any acts to do with terrorism. I am okay and keeping strong. My family need not worry about me."

Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday defended the Forest Gate raid, saying he was behind police and security services "101 percent".

Scotland Yard said it had "no choice" but to carry out the operation, after receiving specific intelligence about the house.

Searches have apparently yet to reveal what police were looking for - reportedly some sort of chemical-based explosive device. Members of the Muslim community have been critical of the handling of the raid and fear it could lead to a breakdown in relations with police. Dr Mohamed Abdul Bari, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, has said there needed to be clarification about exactly what happened and the intelligence police received.

The shooting of Kahar is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. – London Evening Standard

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5075618.stm

In quotes: Terror raid brothers

Two brothers from east London who were at the centre of a police anti-terror raid involving some 250 officers have spoken of their ordeal. Abdul Kahar, 23, was shot in the chest. His 20-year-old brother, Abul Koyair, was arrested. Both were held under anti-terrorism laws for more than a week before being released without charge. This transcript contains strong language. ABDUL KAHAR ON BEING SHOT I assumed a robbery was happening, so I went down, I was coming towards the passageway and I think at that time my brother was right behind me, he was still screaming. As I took the first step down the stairs, I turned around to look at what was down the stairs. As soon as I turn around I just see an orange spark and a big bang. At that time I flew into the wall. As I flew into the wall, I slipped down. As I slipped down, I was on the floor. I look to my right, on my chest I see blood coming down my chest and I see a hole in my chest. At that moment, I knew I was shot, but the first thing I was thinking is that there's an armed robbery taking place. ABUL KOYAIR ON THE RAID All of a sudden, my brother went down the second sets of stairs and I heard a loud bang, and it was a big flash and then after that everything was so quiet. No-one said nothing. I thought it was like a dream at first. No-one was speaking, saying anything. After about one, two minutes, I realised that this is not a dream. I realised that my own brother got shot for no reason. ABDUL KAHAR ON THE POLICE I was begging: 'Please, please, I cannot move.' He just kicked me in my face, and he kept on saying: 'Shut the fuck up. Stay here.' I thought they were going to shoot me again or shoot my brother. I heard them shouting: 'Secure the room.' At that moment, I still did not know they were the police, they never said a word about the police. I just thought: 'They're going to kill us.' ABUL KOYAIR ON THE POLICE Actually me myself, I applied to be a police officer, a community police officer, recently. They gave me a confirmation letter, which I received from them. My family was behind me in what I wanted to do, and now I think all their views has changed. They don't want me to be associated anywhere near police. I feel that my mum, my dad they don't trust polices anymore. ABDUL KAHAR ON THE AFTERMATH It's ruined my life. From the day, from the time they entered my house, it's turned my life upside down. I can't go sleep. Every day I have flashback. For 19 days I ain't been sleeping. I been on medication trying to get sleep. I can't go to sleep. I keep on having flashbacks. I can't go sleep with the light off. I feel fear when the room is dark. ABDUL KAHAR ON BEING INTERROGATED At the beginning, I was more curious. I wanted to know the reason why I got arrested. I knew it was something to do with terrorism. I asked the officer in charge of the police: 'Can you tell me, what have I done?' They mentioned a few names of terrorist organisations. I didn't recognise any of them until they mentioned al-Qaeda. Then they said: 'Are you a member of Jemaah Islamiah?' They kept on telling me I'm a member of a few things. Then at the end they go: 'I know it's going to be a daft question, but are you a member of a white organisation, the Ku Klux Klan?' I didn't even have time to laugh. I thought: 'These people are thinking I'm a white terrorist now', and they wasn't even joking. ABDUL KAHAR ON POLICE CUSTODY All the way through my detention, I kept thinking they are going to frame me, they are going to frame me. I'm a law-abiding citizen. I was born and bred in east London. I love my town. I ain't done nothing to this country. This is my country. I love everyone around. ABDUL KAHAR ON ISLAM My understanding of jihad is to strive and help people. I don't see jihad as the way these cults think. I don't class them as Muslims, I don't class them as representing Islam. The way my father has taught me, the word jihad is the way we strive to help people. I do believe jihad is good. Violence is not in my nature. It's not in my religion. Islam is alienating that. Islam has nothing to do with that. Islam is peace. ------------------- MIM:The face of the Metro Muslim Police - Muslim members have union tied to radical Islamists.Note how Dizaei affectionately refers to the two ex suspects as "the lads". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5079416.stm Officer demands critical analysis Chf Supt Ali Dizaei said the police side of the story must be heard A top Muslim Metropolitan policeman has called for a more rigorous analysis of intelligence, following a controversial anti-terror raid in east London. Chief Superintendent Ali Dizaei said police needed to be "far more critical" as quality intelligence did not often come in a "single golden nugget". He added he had not seen intelligence which led to the Forest Gate raid so could not make a "judgement call". Police have apologised to the two brothers arrested during the raid. Mohammed Abdul Kahar, 23, and Abul Koyair, 20, were held on suspicion of terrorism in the 2 June raid on their home, which involved 250 officers. Both men were later released without charge and have now spoken of the experience. Mr Kahar, who was shot in the chest, said he had thought he was going to be killed by robbers targeting his home. 'Lessons to learn' Chf Supt Dizaei said the police's version of events needed to be heard but he told BBC Radio 4 Today's programme: "Clearly there are lessons to be learned. "Anyone who heard the young lads talk about their experience will be moved. But I think one has to err on the side of caution and wait and see what the investigation unfolds." He said information often came through "low-level intelligence, community intelligence that you get from communities over a period of time". "And I think it's that critical analysis of intelligence which is fundamentally important in the war against terror." Chf Supt Dizaei said it would unacceptable if the two brothers had been treated in the way they had alleged at Tuesday's press conference. The brothers said they feared for their lives during the raid "That is not normal policy, the gung-ho attitude of entering houses, pushing people down the stairs and kicking people, that is not the practice of the police service and it is not the practice I am aware of," he said. He added only one side of the story had so far been heard. "You cannot make a judgment unless you hear the other side and I think we need to wait, be patient and hear what actually went wrong and then we can make judgment calls about culpability," he said. Chf Supt Dizaei added that the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair retained the confidence of the force's officers. Meanwhile, former home secretary David Blunkett has predicted there would be a "very severe" internal investigation by MI5 into the intelligence on which the raid was based. Police have apologised for the "hurt" caused to the brothers, their family and residents of Newham. Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman, of the Met Police Specialist Operations, said police searched the two properties in Lansdowne Road but did not find the chemical device which "specific intelligence" had indicated was there.