Should extremists who now claim to have seen the light be spared prosecution for having broken the law?

Writing in the Observer a couple of weeks back, Nick Cohen criticised the police for having raided freelancer Shiv Malik's flat and demanding that he hand over documents relating to Hassan Butt - a self-proclaimed former jihadi. Malik had been helping Hassan Butt to write a book that was to have been entitled Leaving al-Qaida.

I first came across Hassan Butt in November 2001. He had been expelled from Wolverhampton University some months previously and had resurfaced in Lahore, Pakistan, from where he proceeded to call on British Muslims to join him and fight British and American soldiers in Afghanistan. He also called on British Muslims to launch attacks within the UK:

"One thing I've always tried to stress is the point that the mujahideen that are coming in from Britain should strike at the heart of the enemy which is within its own country, within Britain."

I recall taking part in a BBC World Service interview with him in which he condemned the Muslim Council of Britain for not supporting his actions and described the MCB as "sellouts". The MCB, in line with the overwhelming majority of British Muslims had opposed Britain's participation in the bombing of Afghanistan, but had also clearly distanced itself from Butt's wild rants.

At the time, the defence minister Geoff Hoon made a public statement warning that if any British citizens were found to have gone abroad and had incited or taken part in fighting against British troops then they should not be surprised if they were to face trial if they ever returned to the UK.

A few weeks later in December 2001 the Daily Mirror ran an exclusive story revealing that Hassan Butt was now back in the UK and trying to sell them his story - in exchange for £100,000. The Mirror, quite properly, declined his offer and tipped off Scotland Yard about his whereabouts instead.

Oddly though, no charges were ever brought against Butt.

After the 7/7 bombings in London, Butt claimed to have finally seen the light and said he wanted to work with young Muslims to encourage them to better appreciate what they may take for granted about living in the UK.

Butt has signed a deal with UK publishers who have promised us a book in which he will reveal a "full account of terrorist activities that were undertaken in Pakistan" and how he found himself "planning and funding terrorism for one of al-Qaida's associates" and how he was now coming to terms with the "fact" that he had "spent a decade killing for killing's sake".

Now, of course, I have no idea whether this is just exaggerated nonsense, but clearly if Butt does possess information about terror activities that he claims to have been involved in, then that information should surely be given to the police without delay, especially if he really has turned his back on extremism.

The police should not have to wait for him to write a book so that he can also make a pretty penny out of his past actions at the same time.

 

Source:  commentisfree.guardian.co.uk