Daily Star Sunday

JIHADI NUTS ON BENEFITS

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have stopped him and saved lives.” He added: “What happened with Salman Abedi, there was no support network – no one had a conversati­on with him, no interventi­on at all. “We could have looked deeper into his mind, at his viewpoints but no-one intervened.”

He claimed: “I can cite several examples over the years and across the country where such a missed opportunit­y to engage and intervene has happened before and it will most likely happen again.” Mr Qadir, from east London, went to Afghanista­n in 2002 after being angered by reports of Allied activities there.

But he realised the Taliban and al-Qaeda were the ones targeting civilians.

From 2007 he received Government cash to deliver the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy, but the funding stopped early last year. A SHOCKING 95% of terrorist suspects believed to be planning attacks in the UK are living off benefits, the Daily Star Sunday can reveal.

Intelligen­ce sources have revealed virtually all of the 3,000 suspects on British streets are being financed by the taxpayer.

Most are unemployed men or women, claiming state benefits living in council houses and being paid Income Support and Child Tax Credits.

It can also be revealed that spouses of terrorist suspects charged and held on remand in UK prisons are also allowed to claim benefits. Manchester bomber JOHN WARD Salman Abedi, above, who murdered 22 people and injured more than 100, is believed to have funded his terrorist campaign with student loans and benefits.

Abedi is believed to have claimed more than £7,000 in student loans after beginning a business administra­tion degree at Salford University in October 2015.

Terrorists groups like Islamic State and al-Qaeda now actively encourage students to fund their terrorist attacks with loans which they will never repay. The reve- lation last night prompted calls for a review of how Britain’s benefits system is being exploited by hate-filled Jihadis. One source last night said: “Virtually every terrorist suspect investigat­ed by either MI5 or the police counterter­rorist teams has been living off benefits or has received some form of government handout. It is now a major problem.” Colonel Richard Kemp, a former government counter terrorism expert, called for a crackdown on handouts. He said: “Whenever the government has strong evidence of involvemen­t in terrorist activity – even from secret intelligen­ce that cannot be used in court – measures should be taken to cut off their funding and either prosecute, deport or intern them.

“After Manchester we cannot any longer allow these people to remain at liberty and even fund their terrorist activities from taxpayers’ money.

“If we don’t take a strong stand on this we will be complicit in their violence – effectivel­y we will be supporting terrorism.”

Earlier this year a judge criticised hate preacher and convicted terrorist supporter, Anjem Choudary, left, who told his followers: “Take Jihadi Seeker’s Allowance.”

When he was sentenced it was revealed the father-of-four had claimed up to £500,000 from the state.

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