DAR AL HARB - U.K.: TERRORISTS LIVING AMONGST MOSLEM COMMUNITY

Terrorists hiding in Muslim community

THE man in charge of tackling terrorism in the north west believes there are 200 extremist cells at work in Britain, some in the Greater Manchester area.

Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Porter, head of Greater Manchester's counter terrorism unit, said the Director General of M15 had said the country was under a "severe" threat from terrorism and said there were 1,600 extremists within the networks.

His department will grow dramatically over the next two years as 400 new specialist staff are taken on.

Mr Porter said his unit - the first of its kind to be set up outside London - will be `very aggressive' in stopping `violent extremists', but it needs the assistance of the general public to ensure success.

"We have recognised that the Muslim community generally do not know who the terrorists hiding among them are, because those terrorists are acting under the blanket coverage of a law-abiding community," Mr Porter, 44, said.

"We are still trying to understand the radicalisation process. We have seen people who are well-educated and in good employment go through the process where they are turning towards extremism.

"I do not want to go into figures, but there is a proportion here, just as there will be in any large metropolitan area made up of diverse communities."

Former Greater Manchester Police special branch chief Mr Porter said the nature of the work of the anti-terror unit inevitably means it is not often in the public eye.

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Pertinent Links:

1) Terrorists hiding in Muslim community