OAN Staff Blake Wolf
1:00 PM – Wednesday, October 16, 2024
A top al-Qaeda operative, jailed in 2008 for his role in orchestrating a terror plot, recently had his parole bid blocked after it was determined that he was likely to revert back to acts of terror.
48-year-old Rangzieb Ahmed, a British citizen, has been incarcerated since 2008 for his role in plotting a mass murder. He was found with links to foreign terrorists, along with explosives.
The Parole Board reviewing Ahmed’s risk assessment revealed that the former top al-Qaeda operative in the U.K. was still “susceptible to indoctrination,” meaning that he could pick back up right where he left off.
“Having considered the index offense, past behavior and the other evidence before it, the panel listed as risk factors those influences which made it more likely that Mr. Ahmed would reoffend,” a report by the board stated.
“The sentencing Judge had found that Mr. Ahmed was dedicated to the cause of Islamic terrorism, with Mr. Ahmed believing it was his religious duty to do so,” the report continued.
Ahmed’s parole was also rejected in September of 2022, prompting him to go through a mandated deradicalization program. The program aimed to aid his chances at an eventual release, making the claim that he has been rehabilitated.
Ahmed’s attempt at freedom is similar to Parviz Khan, another jailed terrorist who threatened to decapitate a British Muslim soldier. He recently appeared before a Parole Board.
“Public safety will be at risk if either of these men are released, You have to question whether it will ever be safe for either of them to walk the streets again,” stated Chris Phillips, the former head of the national counter-terror security office.
Meanwhile, somewhere between 40 to 50 terrorists were expected to be released from jail last year, according to the United Kingdom’s Contest counter-terrorism strategy, an alarming statistic that raises the terror threat in the country.
“Those convicted of terrorism, or a related offense, may continue to pose a threat [on release],” the Contest report stated. “Despite ongoing efforts to mitigate the terrorist risk posed by individuals in custody, the vast majority will require long-term risk management which may last for decades post-release.”
Officials involved in Ahmed’s hearing stated that he would be eligible for another parole hearing in the future despite the potential negative consequences.
“The panel also considered his interpretations of his faith to be an additional risk factor,” Ahmed’s report added. “At the time of his offending, the panel considered Mr. Ahmed’s risk factors to include his need to redress injustice, a need to defend against threats and Mr. Ahmed’s need for identity, meaning and belonging.”
Ahmed was the first person in the U.K. convicted of directing terrorism.
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