Britain Charges 24-Year-Old With Iran Spying Over RAF Fairford Incident

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Oct 27

Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim, 24, was charged under the National Security Act with assisting a foreign intelligence service—believed to be Iran—through activities in Britain between Aug. 31 and Sept. 28.
The charge stems from a Sept. 27 counterterrorism operation near RAF Fairford, where masked men in vans were arrested overnight in Whelford, about half a mile from the base.
Nouman Essghir, also 24, separately faces a National Security offense alleging he entered, surveyed or approached a prohibited place on Aug. 22 for a purpose prejudicial to U.K. safety or interests; both men are due in court Tuesday.
Five other men arrested over suspected explosives offenses and later on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act remain on police bail, while an eighth man—a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national—was released without charge but kept on strict bail.
Counter Terrorism Policing said it sees a recent pattern of incidents directed by the Iranian state; RAF Fairford had been used for U.S. missions in the Iran war, and Washington withdrew at least 12 B-1 bombers a week after the incident.