When a nation becomes self destructive

Terror Brit Habib Ahmed out in 3yrs

Fury at terrorist’s early release

A BRITISH al-Qaeda terrorist is free on licence after serving less than three years of his ten-year jail sentence.

Habib Ahmed, 32, tried to smuggle secret code books vital to a UK massacre.

He is seen here strolling on a British street after his release from his sentence over the mass murder plot.

The move has infuriated counter-terrorism experts.

A source said: "Ahmed is the real deal as an al-Qaeda operative. There's no way he should be out."

Ahmed was jailed in December 2008 after being found guilty of al-Qaeda membership and having notebooks in "invisible ink".

The Sun watched last week as he wandered freely out of a bail hostel in Greater Manchester.

He was part of a British cell headed by Rangzieb Ahmed, who was described as an "extremely dangerous, active terrorist" at Manchester Crown Court.

Massacres

Police believed Rangzieb, 36 — not related to Habib — was planning massacres.

Habib downloaded a document called "a study of assassination" and looked up bomb-making techniques.

He also checked on the addresses of former Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, military bases and senior policemen.

He was caught when Customs found the notebooks — containing names and phone numbers of key al-Qaeda figures — as he flew from Dubai to hand them to Rangzieb.

Rangzieb was jailed for life. The judge Mr Justice Saunders told Habib: "You assisted a man who you knew to be an active terrorist. Those notebooks were extremely important. Without them he would not have been able to carry on organising terrorism."

Ahmed was first arrested in August 2006 and so spent a total of five years behind bars.

When spotted last week he was visiting his wife Mehreen Haji, 31. During his trial, she was cleared of arranging funding for terrorism.

Release ... Habib Ahmed, left, was part of British cell headed by Rangzieb Ahmed

Tory MP Philip Davies blamed the last Government for changing the law so criminals are freed after half their sentence.

He said: "We are releasing dangerous people."

The National Offender Management Service said: "Serious offenders on licence are subject to strict conditions and controls."

A FANATIC jailed for hiding a would-be 21/7 London bomb plotter has been allowed to stay in Britain. A judge ruled sending Ismail Abdurahman, 28, back to Somalia would breach his human rights.