ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A convicted terrorist in the UK openly admitted to supporting the Islamic State (ISIS), telling police the group represented “real Muslims.”
Amar Hussein, 52, last week received a life sentence for plotting a mass murder attack on the Jewish community with Walid Saadoui, 38, in 2024. Saadoui also received a life sentence and will serve a minimum of 37 years, with Hussein serving at least 26 years.
The two were convicted of plotting a large-scale Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack targeting Jewish communities outside of Manchester in a Crown Court sentencing on Friday.
A statement by the Crown Prosecution Service said Hussein was of Syrian origin but served in Iraq’s army under former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Top Iraqi Ba’athist military officials formed ISIS in Syria after being driven out of Iraq when the regime was toppled in 2003.
Hussein said he openly supported ISIS and defended terrorism as “our religion” during a videotaped police interrogation that was circulated on social media. He praised ISIS for practicing “Sharia law,” praising their so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq which committed mass atrocity crimes before being toppled by US and Kurdish-led forces.
He called Muslims “hypocrites,” saying, “ISIS, they are real Muslims. They make Sharia.”
“I’m proud [to] be terrorist here,” he said in broken English. “You know? I’m proud!”
The Crown Prosecution Service statement said Saadaoui planned to smuggle four military-grade AK-47 rifles, two pistols, and 900 rounds of ammunition into the UK, having paid a deposit on the weapons in early 2024.
His plan was to attack a mass march against anti-semitism in Manchester city centre before moving to a predominantly Jewish area of north Manchester. Hussein, a known ISIS supporter, was recruited to assist - including “killing law enforcement officers who might intervene,” the service said.
The plot was foiled by an undercover officer who infiltrated the group, posing as an extremist and gaining Saadaoui's trust. Saadaoui was arrested in May 2024 while attempting to obtain two assault rifles, a pistol, and nearly 200 rounds of ammunition.
Bilel Saadaoui, described as his brother's confidant, shared his ISIS convictions but declined to participate in the attack directly. He held a key to a safe containing £70,000 of his brother's money and kept a copy of his will, intended to shield assets from police seizure in the event of his death, prosecutors claimed.
Frank Ferguson, head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said the case "was a deeply disturbing plot inspired by extremist ideology.”
He added: "Had these terrorists succeeded, it would have led to mass murder and been one of the deadliest attacks on Jewish communities in this country.”