A new scandal is raising around the Manchester attacks: Salman Abedi, the 22 year old man that carried the bombing, was said to be known by the UK terror police who had received warnings on many occasions. Salman followed the basic path of a young man living in Europe and falling into radicalisation as some ask if it would have been possible to stop him.
A worried community that contacted the Terror Police several times
The Libyan community in Manchester, as well as many friends of the attacker, had expressed to the police and the Security Services their apprehension in regard to Salman's behaviour.
For instance, Salman was banned from Didsbury Mosque when a conflict started between him and an anti-extremist Imam (he delivered sermons about the dangers of extremism). The mosque conveyed the incident to the Home Office’s Prevent anti-radicalisation program, understanding that Salman had been placed on a "watch list".
Furthermore, two of the bomber friends called, at different times, to inform the Security services about the clear radicalisation of Salman: they said he was "supporting Terrorism" and defending the idea that "being a suicide bomber was ok".
A US official also confirmed members of Salman's family had called saying he was dangerous.
His youngest brother was also investigated over suspicious links to ISIS
Salman's youngest brother, Hisham, was already investigated for more than a month over a possible link between him and the Islamic State.
The Libyan's forces arrested him soon after the attack as they are certain Hisham knew about the bombing and helped his brother in the plot.
A Libyan spokesman, the Telegraph reports, informed that "We were not quite sure about this (Hisham's link to ISIS and knowledge about Salman's plan), but when we arrested and we asked him, he told us, 'I have an ideology with my brother'. Hashim told us, 'I know everything about my brother, what he was doing there in Manchester'."
A concerned father or part of a Libyan Islamic fighting group?
The mother and father of Salman Abedi flew Gaddafi's Libya in the 90's and sought refuge in the UK living first in London and moving later on to Manchester.The father is now being held by the Lybian militia in Tripoli (as he recently moved back to Libya with his wife).
He expressed shock and incomprehension at the news of his son carrying out such a horrific attack, he added “(Salman) was always against those attacks, saying there’s no religious justification for them. I don’t understand how he’d have become involved in an attack that led to the killing of children”.
However, it seems Mr.Abedi himself is part of a Lybian Islamic fighting group and was said to be worried about his son's behaviour. Recent revelations confirm that Salman's parents asked him to join them in Lybia as they were afraid of their son taking action on British soil. He joined them weeks before the attack and his father confiscated his passport to stop him from going back to the UK. Nevertheless, Salman lied to his mother showing a motivation to leave for Saudi Arabia during the Holy month of Ramadan which led her to return him the passport: he then directly flew back to Manchester.
The Terrorism Police: Clearly aware of Salman Abedi's threat?
The question is being raised on the implication of the British security services: over a period of 5 years, they have received many calls and complaints about Salman's radicalisation. The friends that called said that they never heard back from the service.
Besides, Salman's was travelling back and forth to Libya where it is believed he received a specific training and knowledge helping him to carry the attack.
The British government, over the years, has put in place devices to warn the services of an eventual citizen's radicalisation (phone numbers, advertisement about speaking up in the case of doubts etc.) however, when used, these services seem ineffective – a sad example is Salman Abedi's attack that, this information show, might have been avoided.
