Five men charged with terrorism offences by police in connection with an investigation into an alleged "Iraq-style" plot to kidnap and behead a British Muslim soldier were due in court yesterday.
One man remained in police custody, while three have been released since police carried out dawn raids last week in the central English city of Birmingham.
"Five men from Birmingham have been charged overnight with offences under the Terrorism Acts 2000 and Terrorism Act 2006 ... The men will appear before Coventry Magistrates' Court today [Friday]," a police spokeswoman said, reading a joint statement from West Midlands Police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
Nine men, all Britons of Pakistani origin, were arrested in Birmingham in connection with an apparent plot to kidnap and behead a serving British Muslim soldier, and then post a video of the execution on the Internet.
terror tactic
The plot, if accurate, would signal the import to Britain of what has thus far only been a tactic used against coalition forces and aid workers by Iraqi insurgency groups.
Eighteen residential and commercial properties in four areas of Birmingham were raided as part of the operation -- codenamed "Gamble."
The five unnamed men, aged 29, 30, 31, 36 and 43, were each charged with either two or three offences from the Terrorism Acts 2000 and 2006.
One of the men released early on Wednesday, Abu Bakr, labelled Britain a "police state" for Muslims, adding that British terror laws "are designed specifically for Muslims."
feeling the brunt
"We are feeling the brunt of it all," he said in an interview with the BBC on Wednesday, shielding his face for fear of attracting attention to him and his family.
The government has also been criticized by civil liberties groups for apparent leaks from London which have provided information to the British media on the raids and the subsequent police investigation.
Strict British contempt of court laws theoretically prevent the publication of anything that could seriously prejudice any future trial and police do not routinely disclose the names of people detained.
But in common with other high-profile cases, a number of individuals have been identified in the media as well as details of the alleged plot from unnamed security sources.
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