U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are among the many who are disturbed that British counterterrorism police released five Muslims on bond the day after they were arrested for plotting a terrorist attack on a U.S.-operated air force base in Gloucestershire, England and while authorities investigate whether the suspects are linked to Iran.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor of the Metropolitan Police, the head of U.K. Counter Terrorism Policing, stressed Monday that the suspects face stringent conditions and "absolutely remain under investigation."
"It's very clear something very fishy is going on," comments Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch. "It likely has to do with the fact that the British authorities' very far-left government is always wary of doing anything that might offend its Muslim population. So, if that even includes releasing terror suspects, they don't care; they'll do it."
As AFN has reported, former FBI special agent and former Navy SEAL Jonathan Gilliam had similar things to say, and Derek Jones of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty sees "nothing positive out of having released them on bail."
Trump told reporters, "I'm surprised that they released them. I wouldn't have done that."
The U.S. has not been quick to release foiled terrorists on bond, but overseas, high-profile British Islamist extremists have successfully skipped bail or court mandates to flee the country.
So, Spencer is not confident that the five Islamists will be held accountable.
"I expect that they will walk in some way when the political heat is off," he predicts. "It's a little bit dicey now; it's a little bit difficult for the British authorities because now Marco Rubio has weighed in and spoken about this as an international plot, and so they have to save face in some way and give the appearance that they're doing something."
"But I think ultimately that's all it's going to be: an appearance," Spencer adds.
