UK in belated revision of radical migrants

Links between extremists in Libya and radical migrants in the UK came to the surface three years ago, soon after a terrorist attack took place in Manchester.

The same links are popping up once more, especially after the latest terrorist attack in Reading, a large town on the Thames and Kennet rivers in southern England, a few days ago.

Arab Spring-induced turmoil

A large number of Libyan and Tunisian nationals left their countries to other countries, following the popular uprisings that occurred in the two North African states in 2011.

The UK was instrumental in the downfall of longtime Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. It also opened its doors wide for asylum-seekers.

Khairi Saadallah, the suspected perpetrator of the Reading attack, is a Libyan national who arrived in the UK soon after the eruption of the civil war in Libya in 2014.

Counter-extremism

In May 2017, Libyan national Salman Abedi, 22, detonated a homemade bomb as crowds were leaving a performance by US singer Ariana Grande.

The blast, between the main arena and neighboring Victoria station, blew people off their feet and caused widespread panic.

Witnesses described hearing an explosion and seeing a flash of fire.

Abedi’s father escaped persecution by Gaddafi in 1994. He returned to Libya, however, after the downfall of the Gaddafi regime in 2011. Nonetheless, he returned to the UK once more when violence erupted in his home country.

In Libya, Abedi and other family members developed links with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, an Islamist organization that fought against Gaddafi. When he returned to the UK, Abedi applied the knowledge he acquired in Libya.

Turning blind eyes

UK authorities failed to take warnings against potential attacks by radicals, including the perpetrator of the Manchester attack, seriously.

The UK allowed Libyans to travel to their country to fight against Gaddafi and then return. This permission was also given to Libyans who were under house arrest against the background of the counterterrorism measures applied in the UK at the time.