US launched anti-extremist campaign in UK to reverse radicalisation: WikiLeaks
By ANIFriday, February 4, 2011
LONDON - The United States had launched a secret campaign to reverse the radicalisation of young Islamists in Britain, according to classified US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks.
The campaign followed secret warnings from MI6 to the US that Britain was struggling to cope with the “unique” terrorist threat from “home grown” extremists.
The cables revealed that the US had proposed flying a moderate Muslim comedy troupe from America to perform in London, using reformed British extremists to engage with young radicals, and hiring Bollywood actors to make anti-jihad films, the Telegraph reports.
“The message their performance would send - of American Muslims, proud to be both ‘American’ and ‘Muslim’ - is a powerful message that would open British Muslim eyes to American cultural and religious diversity as well as encourage reflection on the part of British Muslim community in a positive, self-defining direction,” a cable stated.
“Our expected outcome would be to reach thousand[s] of British Muslims, including the disproportionately high youth population, with these positive messages,” it added.
American officials also toured the country to meet British Muslims and assess the scale of the extremist problem.
The dispatches reveal that US officials were given a private tour of London’s Finsbury Park Mosque, which was once the home of radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri. (ANI)
