EXCLUSIVE: Anti-terrorism chief warns of British girls inspired by Jihad

 
Holy war: female rebel fighters with their faces masked storm a house in the shattered Syrian city of Aleppo
23 January 2014
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Two schoolgirls aged 17 have been arrested at Heathrow over suspected terrorist offences linked to the fighting in Syria, Scotland Yard revealed today.

In an exclusive interview with the Standard, the head of the Met’s counter-terrorism unit Commander Richard Walton disclosed their detention as he warned of the growing threat to national security posed by the number of young Britons becoming radicalised by the Syrian turmoil.

He said the numbers of Syria-related terror arrests were soaring in response, with 14 already in the first three weeks of this year — more than half the total of 24 for the whole of 2013. His alert came as two other London women became the first females to be charged over the conflict.

Commander Walton called the figures “stark” and said it was shocking to see “boys and girls enticed” to join jihadis fighting in Syria. He felt it was “almost inevitable” some fighters would try to mount attacks in the UK on their return.

The new warning came as London women Amal Elwahabi, 27, and Nawal Msaad, 26, were appearing at Westminster magistrates’ court charged with seeking to make money available for terrorism connected to the Syrian conflict. Ms Msaad was arrested last week at Heathrow — as she sought to board a flight to Turkey — by officers who seized a “large quantity of cash”, while Ms Elwahabi was detained in north-west London.

The charges will fuel concern about the impact of the Syrian conflict, in which militants linked to al-Qaeda are among those seeking to topple President Bashar Assad. Several hundred Britons are among thousands of westerners now thought to be taking part in the fighting.

Commander Walton said the result was that Syria “has all the ingredients” for creating terrorists ready to carry out attacks here, as he warned that it was vital to stop the flow of young Britons to the conflict.

He said that although the two 17-year-old girls — who were arrested this month — had been released without charge, he was particularly concerned about the numbers of young Britons becoming radicalised.

“We’ve had a number of teenagers both from London and nationally who’ve been attempting to go to Syria,” he said. “That’s boys and girls unfortunately. It’s not just the odd one. It’s shocking that they are such young people.”

Commander Walton also revealed that several police operations are under way to target British “facilitators” organising terrorist missions to Syria and he praised British Muslims for their support in trying to stop would-be jihadis.

He also backed government proposals for new curbs on “charismatic individuals” whose inflammatory conduct was fuelling terrorism, saying these would “fill the gap” in the law which was allowing extremists to operate.

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