Fact:
On October 27, 2018, domestic terrorist Robert D. Bowers carried out an anti-Semitic attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. He fired on congregants as they gathered for worship, killing 11 people and wounding six others.
In 2016, British authorities sentenced pro-ISIS propagandist Anjem Choudary to five-and-a-half years in prison for his public declarations in support of the terror group. Choudary previously led the now-banned British group al-Muhajiroun, which included several notable extremists among its membership and was outlawed in the United Kingdom for its links to terrorism.
Choudary is expected to walk free this month after serving only half of his sentence. The bewildering reason is British probationary law, which blanketly allows prisoners with fixed-term (non-life) sentences to be released on probation after completing 50 percent of their sentences.
Police arrested Choudary, Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, and several others in 2014 for public support of ISIS after Choudary pledged allegiance to ISIS and encouraged others to do the same. Even beyond his support for ISIS, Choudary has been linked to more than 600 extremists and, through them, dozens of terror plots, including the 2017 London Bridge attack and the 2013 murder of British soldier Lee Rigby.
Among the hundreds of extremists to whom Choudary is linked are:
Terror plots to which Choudary is linked include:
British authorities say they will take steps to prevent Choudary’s resumption of his cheerleading for ISIS and terror. Officials have announced more than 20 restrictions they intend to place on Choudary, including barring him from Internet access or meeting with former al-Muhajiroun colleagues, including Rahman. Additionally, MI5 has pledged it will keep close surveillance on Choudary.
The British Parliament last month began discussing the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill 2017-19, which would increase maximum sentences for terror offenses and curb early releases for terror convicts like Choudary. These steps are encouraging, but Choudary—a trained lawyer—is likely to control his speech and actions just enough to remain technically within the law, while continuing his advocacy for and encouragement of extremist ideologies and actions. He and his followers unfortunately pose as great a threat now as they did at the time of Choudary’s sentencing.
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
Fact:
On October 27, 2018, domestic terrorist Robert D. Bowers carried out an anti-Semitic attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. He fired on congregants as they gathered for worship, killing 11 people and wounding six others.
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