Shameless: What's the point?

Walid Saadaoui's "Shameless Liar" Defense: Is It Working?

So, a guy accused of plotting a terror attack against Jews in Manchester claims he's not a "shameless liar," but just "playing along" with some ISIS dude. Give me a break. This Walid Saadaoui character, right? He's telling Preston Crown Court he was just pretending to be a terrorist. He says he was trying to sabotage the whole thing by eventually calling the cops. Seriously?

The "Threat" That Wasn't?

The guy claims he was being threatened by some Syrian dude, "Person A," since 2017. This "Person A" supposedly drove him out of his "very successful" restaurant, The Albatross, in Great Yarmouth. Had to uproot his whole life and move to Wigan with his wife and kids. All because of online threats.

But here's where it gets interesting. The prosecutor, Harpreet Sandhu KC, says this "Person A" – turns out his name is Hamdi Almasalkhi – died in 2021. Got a death certificate and everything. Natural causes, apparently.

Saadaoui's response? "No, he didn't. He is alive." He even claims it's an "Isis classic" to fake your own death when the cops are after you. Okay, so now he's an expert on ISIS tactics?

This whole defense smells fishier than a week-old Albatross left out in the sun.

And get this. Saadaoui admits the only evidence he has of these "seven-year ordeal" of threats is what he himself told the court. No messages, no voice notes, no phone calls. Just his word against a death certificate.

The Car Park Surprise

Then there's the little matter of him getting arrested in a hotel car park in Bolton, approaching a car with two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol, and almost 200 rounds of ammunition. But, offcourse, he wasn't planning anything. Just out for a casual stroll, maybe?

The prosecutor's question cuts right to the chase: "The reason you moved to the North West was that you knew that your terrorism was going to go up a level." Saadaoui's response? "Absolutely not."

So, let me get this straight. He moved to Wigan to escape a dead guy, then somehow ended up with a car full of weapons, and he expects us to believe he's just a harmless victim?

It's like saying you accidentally tripped and fell into a bank vault with a bag of money.

I mean, come on.

But wait a minute... is it possible he's telling the truth? Maybe he really was threatened. Could he be so deep in denial that he's clinging to this ridiculous story, even with the death certificate staring him in the face? I dunno. Maybe I'm giving him too much credit. Probably am.

The "Shameless" Game

The article in "The Dissenting Opinion" makes a good point about "naming and shaming." It works on people who have something to lose. Executives, politicians, community leaders. But what about someone who's already embraced the "shameless" label? What if being seen as a villain is part of their plan? You can’t shame the shameless | The Dissenting Opinion

Could Saadaoui be playing some kind of twisted game, knowing that any attention, even negative attention, feeds his narrative? Is he trying to become a martyr for some sick cause?

The prosecutor thinks he's lying to avoid being exposed as an ISIS supporter. "Is the position this, you simply can't go back and change your account because it would expose you are a shameless liar."

Saadaoui's reply? "I don't have to change my account, it's the truth."

This Guy's Got Some Nerve...