UK police to hire convicted terrorists to combat the Islamic State

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/08/uk-police-to-hire-convicted-terrorists-to-combat-the-islamic-state

August 26, 2015 7:00 pm By Robert Spencer Leave a Comment

Contemporary Britain is so ridiculous, it would be a smash-hit comedy if it weren’t so tragic. “British police to hire CONVICTED TERRORISTS to combat Islamic State,” by Peter Henn, Express, August 26, 2015:

Scotland Yard wants to challenge Islamic extremism, and is getting what it describes as “significant” help from former radicals.
There is also an urgent need for operations in prisons to stop radicalisation and terror plotting from within jail, as the numbers of terrorists caged increases.
Commander Richard Walton, the Met’s head of counter-terrorism, wants to get prisoners who have recently been released on side, in an attempt to stop people going to fight in Syria.
He said former jihadis who have stopped radical activity had “the most powerful voices” in the fight against extremism.
He said: “We’re more likely to have success, as we do, with those who have been radicalised here and those who have been to prison.
“We can’t write off anyone convicted of a terrorist offence. We have got to try to work with them, engage with them, in prison if necessary, and try to turn them around.
“Some terrorist offence sentences for possession of extremist material are not lengthy. We know they are going to come out. It’s a concerning offence but they’ve not gone on to commit more serious terrorist offences, so there is an opportunity to work with them.
“A lot more could be done in that area. There has been some success on that. We talk to people in prison and when they come out.”
Mr Walton admitted radicalisation in prison was an issue because there were not yet counter-terrorism operations to tackle plots created inside.
He said: “We are convicting more people, so the challenge in prisons is bigger.
“Where operations start from within prison or with somebody who has just been released from jail, you know there wasn’t much success in de-radicalising them when they were in….

You don’t say!