Terrorists Jailed

[sir.prize]

Six terrorists were today jailed with combined sentences totalling 112 years.

Does this mean that at last our judges are understanding the seriousness of armed crime?

[Baldric]

Is there a link?

[jno]

these were the ones caught because they arrived too late to carry out their plot, and in an uninsured car? A big loss to society. But I'm not sure why planning to bomb the EDF is a terrorist offence - I think you're closer to the mark in simply calling it armed crime.

[sir.prize]

http://news.sky.com/story/1101612/islamic-terrorists-jailed-for-edl-attack-plot

[ichkeria]

I'd call it terrorism myself. As the judge pointed out these individuals could have sparked serious ethnic unrest had their attack, which was plainly politically motivated, succeeded.

[Ric.ror]

They have committed a serious crime but the more I think about it the more I want to laugh - they were two hours late and then used an uninsured car
Has anyone seen the film 'Four Lions'?

[Orderlimit]

Here you go JNO, the definition of terrorism

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/11/section/1

(Note sub-sec 3)

[sir.prize]

Are those six growing beards - or are their heads on upside down?

[anotheoldgit]

Why are they classed as Islamic terrorists, when they are Muslim terrorists?

I wonder if the Unite Against Fascism, the Socialist Workers party, and Muslims Against Crusades, will condemn these terrorists?

[Baldric]

Does this help at all?

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Islam

[jno]

oh, I'm sure they've defined it to suit their purposes, Orderlimit, but in what way does it differ from, say, gangs of football hooligans after each other?

To me this is part of a growing trend to redefine a lot of old-fashioned crime as terror.

[Orderlimit]

It basically comes down to this jno:

Sec 1,

(1) (b) b)the use or threat is designed to influence the government or an international governmental organisation or to intimidate the public or a section of the public, AND

(1) (c) the use or threat is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.

so football gang violence etc would not fall into that definition.

[FredPuli43]

jno, football hooligans are not intending to influence the government, or to "intimidate" the public or a section of the public (see s1 in the link). They are guilty of affray or riot. That causes any person of reasonable firmness to fear for their personal safety, whatever the intent of the participants.


"Armed crime" hardly describes what these men were doing, but robbery involving firearms does attract severe sentences.

[Zeuhl]

/Why are they classed as Islamic terrorists, when they are Muslim terrorists?/

Because that is the convention when people enact extremism

After all there are millions of followers of Mohammed and Jesus; they are /Muslims/ and /Christians/

The terminology is a way of distinguishing them from the real nutters;

ie Islamic and Christian Fundamentalist

[sir.prize]

Zeuhl - you cannot deny they are nutters. 12 years of each sentence was for stupidity. lol

[jake-the-peg]

Interesting - orderlimit that definition could easily mean that violent action with the target of regieme change in another country would be terrorism.

Perhaps Mr Blair should be worried!

Of course planned attacks on the EDL count as terrorism though - they are not currently a proscribed organisation even if they were I don't think that would matter

[Orderlimit]

"I wonder if the Unite Against Fascism, the Socialist Workers party, and Muslims Against Crusades, will condemn these terrorists?"

I very much doubt that AOG, particularly those thugs of the UAF, who should be proscribed.

[jno]

Orderlimit, you're right, I missed the word "and".

(I don't see why football violence couldn't be intimidatory, though. Millwall fans are a section of the public.)

[EDDIE51]

Use of guns to commit a crime is always going to get a long sentence no matter what the circumstances.

[Gromit]

Love your new avatar,