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Cleric among 14 held in U.K. raids

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: A radical Muslim cleric, who was quoted as saying in a newspaper interview that he would "love'' to kill British troops in Afghanistan, is reported to be among the 14 men arrested during a series of anti-terror raids across London at the weekend.

Abu Abdullah, an associate of Abu Hamza, the controversial Imam jailed earlier this year for allegedly inciting racial hatred, had told The Sunday Times recently that he supported suicide bombers who attacked western targets.

"If I had the means to go... there [Afghanistan] and kill an American or British soldier then I would love to do so,'' he was quoted as saying.

Abdullah, a British-born convert to Islam, also reportedly said Prime Minister Tony Blair was a "legitimate'' target because of his foreign policy.

His house in south London was reported to be among the properties raided during the anti-terror operation which started on Friday and is likely to continue. An Islamic boys' school, in east Sussex, was also raided for allegedly being used by radical groups to hold "indoctrination'' camps.

For legal reasons, police have not officially released the names of those arrested for allegedly recruiting and indoctrinating potential "jihadis'' but media reports said they were understood to be of "Asian or Middle Eastern [West Asian] appearance''— and between the ages of 17 and 48. Some were understood to be British youths of Pakistani origin.

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