Radical Islamist arrested in UK

Abu Izzadeen is an Islamist agitator that is fairly well known throughout Great Britain for several inflammatory statements regarding Islam and terrorism. Among his many radical statements, he defended the July 7 bombings in London, heckled the Home Secretary (similar to Secretary for Homeland Security) while he was giving a speech, and most recently was seen on a tape calling for the beheading of Muslim British soldiers. Izzadeen was arrested today on charges related to an unnamed speech he gave sometime last year in Birmingham, England. Story from Reuters.

Anti-terrorism police on Thursday arrested one of Britain's most controversial Muslim figures, Abu Izzadeen, who was watched by millions on television last year heckling Home Secretary John Reid at a public meeting.

Izzadeen, 31, from east London, was held by officers from the Counter Terrorism Command on suspicion of encouraging terrorism.

Izzadeen, who was born Trevor Brooks in Jamaica, was a leading figure in the banned radical Islamic group Al-Ghurabaa and shot to prominence when he heckled Reid during a speech to Muslim leaders last September.

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A police source said the suspected offences committed by Izzadeen related to activities in the West Midlands area of Britain last year and not to the Reid speech.

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Anjem Choudary, another senior figure in Al-Ghurabaa, said the arrest was connected to a speech Izzadeen gave in Birmingham on the anniversary of the 2001 attacks on the United States.

"He's given speeches about 7/7 about 9/11 about many things, I think this was on the anniversary of 9/11 indeed," said Choudary who was at the Birmingham speech.

He said the arrest was "a continuation of the witch hunt" by Prime Minister Tony Blair's government and was a demonstration of why Muslims felt under siege.

Patrick Mercer, homeland security spokesman for the opposition Conservative Party, said Izzadeen was a dangerous figure who should be "put behind bars".

"The materials I have looked at ... suggests to me he needs to be out of harm's way," he told Sky News.

Based on Izzadeen's history, especially his call to behead British Muslims soldiers, I wholeheartedly agree with the conclusion of the Homeland security expert. Those who incite terrorism deserve jail.

For more on this story, see: Hot Air.