Court convicts terrorists who planned mass killing of Jews, ‘as many as possible’

Evidence presented in court showed that Saadaoui admired previous Islamic State attacks, including the 2015 Bataclan massacre in Paris.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A British court on Tuesday convicted two men of planning an Islamic State–inspired mass shooting aimed at the Jewish community in England, a plot authorities said could have become the deadliest terrorist attack in UK history if carried out, Reuters reported.

The verdicts were delivered at Preston Crown Court, where Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, were found guilty of preparing acts of terrorism. A third man, Bilel Saadaoui, 36, was convicted of failing to inform authorities about the plan.

Prosecutors said the case involved detailed preparations to carry out a large-scale attack using automatic firearms.

Senior police officials said the men intended to kill as many Jews as possible. “Had their plans come to fruition, it would have resulted in one of, if not the, deadliest terrorist attack in UK history,” said Assistant Chief Constable Robert Potts, head of Counter Terrorism Policing in northwest England.

According to prosecutors, Saadaoui arranged for assault rifles, an automatic pistol, and nearly 200 rounds of ammunition to be smuggled into Britain through the port of Dover.

He also sought to acquire additional weapons and hundreds more rounds of ammunition. Authorities said the plan was thwarted because the individual Saadaoui believed was supplying the weapons was, in fact, an undercover operative.

Evidence presented in court showed that Saadaoui admired previous Islamic State attacks, including the 2015 Bataclan massacre in Paris, and communicated with the undercover officer about replicating similar levels of violence. Hussein did not testify at trial and was largely absent from proceedings after shouting from the dock on the opening day.

The convictions came against the backdrop of heightened concern over antisemitic violence, following a deadly attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney earlier this month that killed 15 people. While Islamic State did not formally claim responsibility, the group described the attack as a “source of pride,” according to intelligence assessments cited in court.

British officials have warned of renewed efforts by Islamic State and affiliated groups to inspire attacks abroad through online radicalization. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said last week that authorities were seeing signs of terrorism threats beginning to “grow again and escalate.”

Bilel Saadaoui’s conviction reflected prosecutors’ view that, while he was reluctant to participate directly, he failed to report clear warning signs. Sentencing for all three men is expected at a later date.