Alleged IS fanatic Walid Saadaoui is accused of plotting the mass murder of Jewish people in Manchester
Walid Saadaoui was seen getting into Farouk’s car for a trip to Dover(Image: Counter Terrorism Police North West)
An alleged Islamic State fanatic took an undercover operative on a tour of potential targets in north Manchester, walking by synagogues and schools where children were playing, a jury was told.
Walid Saadaoui escorted the operative, named only Farouk, through Salford, Cheetham Hill and Prestwich on March 17, 2024 ahead of what prosecutors say was a plot to kill ‘as many Jews as possible’ in the summer of 2024.
The Tunisia-born former restaurateur, said to have ‘hero-worshipped’ the mastermind of the Paris terror attacks of 2015 which claimed 130 lives, was unaware he was being recorded when he spoke to Farouk.
When counter terror cops arrested him in May 2024, Mr Saadaoui tried to flee but officers found two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol and almost 200 rounds of ammunition in his car, the court has been told.
He was awaiting delivery of a further two assault rifles, another pistol and more ammunition to launch a terror attack to kill ‘as many Jews as possible’ in Prestwich, Higher Broughton and Cheetham Hill in the summer of 2024, according to the Crown.
As the trial of Mr Saadaoui and his co-defendant Amar Hussein – who deny terror charges – continued today, an undercover operative named only ‘Farouk’ began his eighth day in the witness box.
‘This is Salford, it has a lot of Jews’
The agent, giving evidence from behind a screen, said he drove the pair to Salford and parked up before they walked through the area.
Walid, unaware the conversation was being recorded, told Farouk that ‘people want the caliphate to come to them on a plate’, and he went on: “How can one be closer to god with things (deeds) other than worships? Especially the worship of jihad that is obligatory.”
When the pair arrived in Salford, Walid told Farouk: “This is Salford, the area has a lot of Jews.”
Alleged IS fanatics captured on surveillance footage with undercover agent during reconnaissance mission to Dover, jury hears
Walid later told Farouk: “But this is a matter of life and death. But by god it is a matter of life and death.”
When Farouk parked up in Cheetham Hill, Walid said: “This is a very long street, there is a lot of Jewish restaurant and coffee shops.”
Questioned by prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC, Farouk told the court the walk took them by synagogues and Jewish schools. Walid was said to have commented that he had visited the area with a friend previously and that ‘there are too many Jews here’.
Walid told the agent: “God willing, after we finish with the Jews with the protest. We move on to the crusaders.”
Farouk told the court that he believed ‘crusaders’ was a reference to Christians.
Amar Hussein (blue hat) and Walid Saadaoui with undercover operative Farouk (blurred) overlooking the port of Dover on a trip (Image: Counter Terrorism Police North West)
The witness told the court that as they walked along Upper Park Road and Bury Old Road they saw Jewish people and that they walked by a school where he saw ‘kids playing football’.
Walid had said they should take a picture and the witness told the jury he believed this was an address and website on a sign outside a school. Another picture was to be taken to get information from an advertising board about an upcoming march, the jurors were told.
The pair were pretending they were talking to people on their phones on Facetime but actually they were taking pictures, said the witness.
When they walked a little further, Walid was captured saying: “Let’s take a picture here. Look they are playing football. You are taller than me, you can see. They look like English people.”
The defendant told the agent Jews ‘are the most cowardly people’.
Later, Walid told the operative: “These are the killers of the messengers and prophets… their children… Yes, I will tell you why; they have a big community, they gather together. They have congregations, I just need to know. As I told you we will execute.”
Walid told Farouk he created a ‘fake’ Facebook account and tried to join Jewish groups but they ‘refused to accept me’.
Pair walked by schools
While they were walking by a school, Walid told Farouk: “By god Look at these, if you kill children at this age they go to heaven. They didn’t reach the age of accountability yet.”
He added: “You would know, the pens didn’t record their deeds, they go to heaven, and they don’t count as infidels… There are certain areas. This big school here and the other one there.”
Farouk told the jury that children were playing outside at the time.
The pair then walked by Lubavitch Boys School and later King David School campus including a high school and a primary school where Farouk said he saw children playing football. The witness said he saw a security guard in a cabin outside King David School.
The pair then turned up Upper Park Road in Prestwich and then walked by the entrance to Tashbar School. The jurors were shown CCTV images of the two men.
As they walk by Habonim nursery, children were playing in the playground. Farouk said he thought the children were aged under 10.
Farouk told Walid his blood had ‘started to boil’ as he walked by Jewish children. He told the jury this was ‘part of the persona’.
Walid told Farouk: ““This is a school this one. It is a school time. There is one hour and a half left. We will go to poison them; we will put poison in the water.”
Farouk replied ‘of course’, and Walid continued: “Their children, their cars and their houses.”
Farouk told the court he couldn’t recall whether the defendant was referring to the school they were passing.
The jury heard that the pair walked by another school, Mechinoh L’yeshiva school, Lubavitch synagogue, Bnei Akiva youth club and then Holy Law synagogue.
Surveillance pictures shown to a jury show Walid Saadaoui (left) and Amar Hussein in a car. They deny terror charges(Image: Counter Terrorism Police North West)
The pair then walked into K Outlet supermarket where CCTV captured them walking through the store, the jurors were told.
They pair discussed buying water or potatoes but they left without making any purchases, Farouk told the court. Outside, Walid said ‘all of the money will go to Israel’.
Walid talked about how to approach the store and went on that they ‘could have the pieces in the bags’. Farouk said this was a reference to machine guns.
“If they move to the left then you will kill them on the left,” Walid told Farouk.
The witness told the court he urged Walid to be patient as feared the defendant would carry out an attack right then. He told the jury: “Walid Saadaoui had told me he wanted to behead a Jewish person and rub their blood around him. That’s in the back of my mind so I have to control the situation and just say patience because I didn’t want anything to take place at the time.”
After the tour of north Manchester, Walid told Farouk ‘what I have shown you is the secondary target’ and the ‘primary target’ was a pro-Israel march because they were ‘original Jews who are supportive of Israel with whose money they kill Muslims’.
Speaking of the march, Walid told the agent: “They are cowardly. You will see, the minute they hear boom or ‘Allahu Akbar’ you wouldn’t find them.”
Mr Saadaoui and Mr Hussein have pleaded not guilty to preparation of terrorist acts, namely that between December 13, 2023, and May 9, 2024, with the intention of committing acts of terrorism, they arranged for the purchase and delivery of firearms, conducted reconnaissance and made plans of attack.
The court has heard that Mr Saadaoui’s defence is that he was being pressured by others and that he planned to sabotage the plot and alert the police.
Walid’s brother, Bilel Saadaoui, 36, from Hindley, Wigan, has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of failing to disclose acts of terrorism between the same dates.
Proceeding