Terrorism cyber-recruiter jailed

LONDON (Reuters) - A man described by prosecutors as a terrorism "Mr Fix-it" who recruited young people to al Qaeda's ideology over the Internet, was jailed for 12 years on Tuesday while one of his accomplices received a 10 year term.

Aabid Hussain Khan, 23, and Sultan Muhammad, 23, were found guilty on Monday of possessing a huge array of articles and information, ranging from extremist propaganda to practical guides on how to make poisons and suicide vests.

Prosecutors said Khan was the ringleader of the cell, calling him a committed and active supporter of al Qaeda.

"Aabid Khan was very much the 'Mr Fix-it' of the group," said Karen Jones, from the Crown Prosecution Service Counter Terrorism Division.

"He preyed on vulnerable young people and turned them into recruits to his cause, using Internet chat rooms to lure them in then incite them to fight."

One of those he recruited was Hammaad Munshi, 18, who was also convicted of offences along with Khan and Muhammad, making him the youngest Briton ever to be found guilty of terrorism crimes according to the CPS.

He was just 15 when he met Khan and 16 when he was arrested by anti-terrorism detectives at his home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, when he returned from school.

Blackfriars Crown Court heard that the three men were "facilitators" who provided exclusive, up to date information on terrorist techniques, training, weapons and explosives.

Munshi, said to have excellent IT skills, used the Internet to circulate terrorism material including technical documents on how to make napalm and homemade explosives.