Iraq war caused London bombs: Muslim leader
Regional-UK, Politics, 6/2/2006

The outgoing secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) Sir Iqbal Sacranie suggested today that last year's London bombings would not have happened if the UK had not invaded Iraq.

"We are suffering the consequences of the conflict," said Sacranie, who is stepping down from his post after serving two consecutive two-year terms, the maximum slowed under the MCB's constitution.

"I think if we had not gone to Iraq, the situation perhaps would not have been where we are today," he said in an interview with BBC Radio Four's Today program Asked if a terror attack, as seen in London last July, would have happened if Britain had not entered Iraq, he replied: "I personally don't think that would have happened, as much as one simply, utterly and totally condemns what act took place." One "cannot ever relate it to any justification by any person to carry out those acts, acts of criminality. But then again, one can only speculate at the moment." Earlier this month, the MCB repeated its call for a full independent inquiry into the London attacks after criticizing the publication of two official reports as not going far enough to develop a government strategy to defeat terrorism.

A total of 56 people were killed in four coinciding attacks on London's transport system on July 7 2005. Two weeks later, there were no casualties in what appeared to be a series of copycat bombings that failed to explode.

Police have blamed four British-born Muslim suicide bombers for carrying out the attacks.

Previous Stories:
  UK soldiers killed in Iraq awaiting inquests   (6/1/2006)
  Blair: Terrorism trying for civil war in Iraq   (5/24/2006)
  UK saw nothing of Iraq connection to London attacks   (5/20/2006)
  Ex foreign secretary savages Blair's 'reckless military adventures'   (4/22/2006)
  100,000 march in London against Blair's war   (3/20/2006)

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