Birmingham Islamic terror.

The Times has a chilling background piece on the Birmingham Islamic terror plot foiled by police yesterday. A group of young Muslims with links to al Qaeda intended to kidnap a British soldier, film his execution and place it on the web.

According to security sources, he was not the only soldier being targeted. At least one other Iraq veteran was given the same [police] warning that he was to be the first hostage in the West to be kidnapped and killed by Islamic extremists.

For the past six months, every police force in the country, backed by the intelligence services and foreign security agencies, has been involved in uncovering what, if proved, would be the most extraordinary terrorist plot yet uncovered in Britain. Known as Operation Gamble, the focus of their attention was about a dozen men, most of them British-born, and from a corner of south Birmingham known locally as Muslim Central. All of them were of Pakistani origin.

As the Guardian amply demonstrates, the local Islamic community is still in denial.

According to the Independent, locals are worried about reprisals. Tough, but the police will be providing levels of protection not afforded the rest of the country.

Tags: Birmingham, Islam, War on Terror