9/11 Mastermind to Roam Free? UK’s Shocking Release of Al-Qaeda Terrorist
Haroon Aswat, a convicted al-Qaeda operative who confessed to roles in the 9/11 and 7/7 attacks, faces imminent release from a UK psychiatric facility without a full risk assessment due to a Mental Health Act loophole. The decision has sparked outrage, with officials warning of his ongoing threat to national security and lack of stringent oversight post-release.
Haroon Aswat, a 50-year-old British-born terrorist who confessed to aiding Osama bin Laden in orchestrating the September 11, 2001, attacks and the July 7, 2005, London bombings, may be released from a UK psychiatric facility within days, despite being deemed a “risk to national security.” Aswat, who helped establish an al-Qaeda training camp in Oregon in 1999, was sentenced to 20 years in a U.S. prison in 2015 for terrorism-related charges but was deported to the UK in 2022 after serving only seven years, partly due to time spent in psychiatric care at Broadmoor Hospital. Court documents reveal that in 2017, Aswat declared, “If you think I am a terrorist, I don’t shy away from my responsibility,” and claimed to be a “mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks and a 2005 terrorist attack in the UK,” referring to the London bombings that killed 52 people and injured over 770.
Despite warnings from counterterrorism officials, a UK High Court judge ruled that Aswat’s release from Bethlem Royal Hospital, where he has been held under the Mental Health Act, is imminent due to effective treatment for schizoaffective disorder. A 2022 psychiatric report noted Aswat’s continued expression of “violent extremist Islamic ideology,” including threats to kill Jews, Christians, and certain Muslims, yet a legal loophole prevents a full terrorism risk assessment.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick condemned the decision, stating, “This despicable man was behind one of the most deadly attacks in modern history. He should never experience freedom again.” A senior security official, speaking anonymously, added, “This is a man who trained terrorists, plotted mass murder, and gloried in his role. Releasing him into society with virtually no oversight is reckless. It’s an insult to every victim of the attacks he helped mastermind.”
Upon release, Aswat will face only a notification order, requiring him to register his address and report travel plans, with no surveillance or electronic monitoring. His links to al-Qaeda, including training in Afghanistan and associations with 7/7 bombers, heighten fears of his potential to radicalize others. Social media on X reflected public outrage, with one user stating, “Letting a 9/11 plotter walk free is a betrayal of justice.”