The Ugly Faces Of Terrorism

By Cernig


While American conservative bloggers are still wetting themselves at the "Al Qaeda under every bed" of the the last week, it's worth reminding ourselves about the pair above.

A former British National Party (BNP) candidate plotted to make bombs because he feared a war between Asian and white people, a court has been told. Robert Cottage, 49, and David Jackson, 62, both from Lancashire, have denied conspiracy to cause an explosion with chemicals ordered over the internet.

Mr Jackson, of Nelson, also denies possessing explosives - a charge admitted by Mr Cottage, of Colne.

Mr Cottage's wife told Manchester Crown Court her husband had "lost the plot".

Kerena Cottage, 29, said joining the BNP had made her husband "really radical" and destroyed their marriage.

"He just lost the plot, he just started acting really strange," Mrs Cottage told the jury at Manchester Crown Court.

She said: "He thinks there's a war going to happen with the culture, the Asian culture and the white culture and that Tony Blair and President Bush are scheming against people.

"It sounded to me as if he was delusional."

There are two sets of extremists out there, both of which are screaming about a "Clash of Civilizations" and both of which manage to produce their own violent terrorists. One is as much a part of the problem as the other and the loudmouths of one side should be castigated as inciting violence and terror just as those of the other side are.