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Bradford family: Police 'complicit in radicalising sisters' Bradford family: Police 'complicit in radicalising sisters'
(about 3 hours later)
UK police were "complicit" in the "grooming and radicalising" of three Bradford sisters believed to be in Syria with their nine children, solicitors for their families say. UK police were "complicit" in the radicalisation of three sisters thought to be in Syria with their nine children, lawyers for the families say.
Officers "actively" encouraged the women to contact their brother thought to be fighting in Syria, solicitors said in a letter to MP Keith Vaz. Officers encouraged the Bradford women to contact their brother - believed to be fighting in Syria - with "reckless disregard" for the consequences, the lawyers told MP Keith Vaz in a letter.
There was "reckless disregard" for the consequences of such contact, they say. One mother said she left the UK due to "oppressive" surveillance, they added.
West Yorkshire Police said it completely rejected the claims. West Yorkshire Police said it rejected the claims.
Assistant Chief Constable Russ Foster said: "We completely reject accusations that the police were complicit in the alleged grooming of the missing family or that we were oppressive to them."Assistant Chief Constable Russ Foster said: "We completely reject accusations that the police were complicit in the alleged grooming of the missing family or that we were oppressive to them."
Smuggled into Syria Khadija, Sugra and Zohra Dawood and their children went missing on 9 June, and an Islamic State (IS) smuggler has since told the BBC they have reached Syria.
Khadija, Sugra and Zohra Dawood and their children went missing on 9 June. In the letter to Mr Vaz - chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Committee - solicitors representing two of the women's husbands, Akhtar Iqbal and Mohammed Shoaib, said they were "extremely disappointed" with the police's handling of the case.
An Islamic State (IS) smuggler in charge of some of the border operations has since told the BBC they have been taken into Syria in two groups. Voicemail from Syria
He said the first group crossed from Turkey into Syria on Wednesday, while the second followed on Thursday. They said officers from the North East Counter Terrorism Unit (NECTU) had been "actively promoting and encouraging" the three sisters to contact their brother, Ahmed Dawood.
In the letter to Mr Vaz - chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Committee - solicitors representing two of the women's husbands, Akhtar Iqbal and Mohammed Shoaib, said they were "extremely disappointed" with the way the case had been handled. He is believed to be fighting alongside extremists in the country, parts of which are controlled by IS militants.
They expressed "grave concerns" that officers from the North East Counter Terrorism Unit (NECTU) had allegedly been "actively promoting and encouraging" the three sisters to contact their brother, Ahmed Dawood. "It would appear that there has been a reckless disregard as to the consequences of any such contact on the families," the solicitors said.
He is believed to be fighting with extremists in the country, parts of which are controlled by Islamic State militants.
"It would appear that there has been a reckless disregard as to the consequences of any such contact on the families," solicitors said.
The letter continued: "Plainly, by the NECTU allowing this contact they have been complicit in the grooming and radicalising of the women."The letter continued: "Plainly, by the NECTU allowing this contact they have been complicit in the grooming and radicalising of the women."
Labour MP Mr Vaz told the Mail on Sunday the claims were "concerning". The letter also stated that Zohra Dawood left a voicemail for her family on 17 June, confirming she was in Syria and saying she and her sisters travelled "due to the oppressive nature of the continued surveillance by the police".
"That three women could disappear from the UK to take nine children into the heart of a war zone is incomprehensible. The lawyers said police had refused to give their clients information about the case, and had been "anxious to ensure that there is no criticism of them and their tactics".
"The claims of their relatives in the UK that their links with IS were 'encouraged' by the authorities is concerning," he said. The home secretary and the foreign secretary will also be receiving letters complaining about the police, the lawyers added.
The Home Office said it had received the letter and would respond in "due course".
"Our priority is to dissuade people from travelling to areas of conflict and the Prevent strategy is working to identify and support individuals at risk of radicalisation," it said in a statement.
"We have introduced the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act to disrupt the ability of people to travel abroad to fight and then return, enhance our ability to monitor and control the actions of those who pose a threat, and combat the underlying ideology that feeds, supports and sanctions terrorism."
Fathers' plea
Labour MP Mr Vaz told the Mail on Sunday the lawyers' claims were "concerning".
"That three women could disappear from the UK to take nine children into the heart of a war zone is incomprehensible," he added.
BBC correspondent Danny Savage said the letter "raises questions that the police now have to answer".BBC correspondent Danny Savage said the letter "raises questions that the police now have to answer".
'Extensive enquiries' The sisters and their children went missing following a religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
The three sisters and their children went missing following a religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. They travelled to the Saudi city of Medina on 28 May and were last seen in a hotel there.
They travelled to the Saudi city of Medina on 28 May and were last seen in a hotel in the city. They were expected to fly back to Manchester, but their husbands reported them missing when they did not return.
The family was supposed to fly back to Manchester following their pilgrimage, but their husbands reported them missing when they did not return. The men had last spoken to their children on 8 June. On Tuesday, Mr Iqbal and Mr Shoaib said they "could not live" without their families and begged them to return.
On Tuesday, Mr Iqbal and Mr Shoaib said they "could not live" without their families and begged them to come home.
NECTU said it was "continuing to make extensive enquiries" in order to try to bring the women and children home.NECTU said it was "continuing to make extensive enquiries" in order to try to bring the women and children home.