Two Islamic State (IS) fanatics, Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein, plotted the mass murder of Jewish people in Manchester in the summer of 2024, united by a hatred of Jewish people and Israel due to the war in Gaza, and a desire for martyrdom in the name of Allah. While their outwardly presented lives differed significantly, their underlying extremism brought them together in a sinister plot examined by the Manchester Evening News.

Walid Saadaoui, a Tunisian-born restaurateur, presented a facade of respectability, attempting to play down any religious extremism. He claimed to be a 'cultural Muslim,' born in Tunisia and not religiously raised, asserting a belief in 'jinn' or black magic as the cause of his family's divorces. Saadaoui characterized himself as a hard worker, employed in various roles from a car factory to an entertainer, where he met his first wife, Jane, during his time in Tunisian tourism. They moved to the UK in 2012, where he became a citizen and later purchased an Italian restaurant, The Albatross, in Great Yarmouth. His marriage to Jane ended, and he subsequently married Michelle, with whom he had two young children. During this period, Saadaoui claimed to have met a shadowy IS terrorist named Hamdi Almasalahki in Norwich in 2017. He spun a convoluted tale of being coerced by Almasalahki, whom he initially described as a 'nice person' to whom he sent thousands of pounds as 'zakat' or charity. He alleged that Almasalahki later threatened his family, demanding money and ordering him to spread IS propaganda on Facebook, content Saadaoui insisted he never read. He claimed he sold his restaurant and moved to Wigan to escape Almasalahki's threats, with a plan to sabotage the terrorist attack by cutting the guns and reporting both Almasalahki and an undercover operative named Farouk to the police. However, detectives discovered Almasalahki had died in Turkey in February 2021, nearly two years before Saadaoui's alleged escape to Wigan. Despite being presented with a death certificate and a picture of Almasalahki dead, Walid adamantly insisted he was alive, attributing it to IS tactics of faking deaths. The prosecution labeled Saadaoui a 'shameless liar' and an IS supporter attempting to shift blame.

In stark contrast, Amar Hussein, a Kuwaiti national from Kurdish Iraq, was an unashamed IS hothead and self-proclaimed 'soldier of god.' Having served three years in Saddam Hussein’s army, he later converted to a 'very strict creed' of Islam before coming to the UK in 2006. Hussein largely boycotted his own trial, spending only 30 minutes in the dock due to repeated outbursts, including lambasting the prosecutor and proudly admitting his terrorist beliefs. During secretly recorded conversations, Hussein expressed extreme anti-Semitic views, stating, 'The main thing is that we kill those ones, we slaughter the non-believers. The Jews and the nonbelievers.' He discussed the expected Kalashnikovs, noting their 'kickback is strong,' and joined Walid and Farouk on a reconnaissance trip to Dover to scout gun smuggling routes. Following his arrest, Hussein proudly declared, 'Terrorism is our religion… Quran say terrorism is normal… we are proud,' and justified his actions by stating, 'Because you kill all our children in Palestine. We have to protect our Islam things… We are soldiers of Allah.' He also expressed homophobic views. Police described Hussein as confident, controlling, charismatic, a dangerous narcissist, and unfazed by his arrest, noting his previous convictions for possessing a knife and a racially aggravated assault trial.

Walid’s younger brother, Bilel Saadaoui, initially presented himself as a vain fitness fanatic working at Pound Bargains, but was convicted of failing to inform authorities about the terror plot. The prosecution argued Bilel 'sympathised with the views of the Islamic State' and 'knew what his brother was up to.' Evidence included a revealing text message sent to Walid, 'May Allah Safeguard you. If you see of them something that displease/disturb you or almost expose you, then dispense or return. This is better for you,' interpreted as a warning. Bilel shared a similar upbringing to Walid, working in hotels in Sousse, and moved to Wigan after marrying British hairdresser Catherine, who converted to Islam. On his phone, police found a gym workout video he created with an IS 'nasheed' (religious song) playing in the background, repeatedly referencing 'jihad.' He also had a picture of himself with his right finger raised, a sign said to be of IS support, which Bilel claimed was a 'simple symbol of Islam that represents the oneness of god.' Another video showed his stepson shooting a rifle in a yard with an IS nasheed titled 'We Rose Up' playing. Bilel claimed his stepson was interested in 'memorabilia.' A photo on his wife's phone showed Bilel and his stepson bare-chested, armed with swords and faces covered, which Bilel dismissed as 'acting daft at home.' He also shared extremist messages, including one stating 'the blood of of the infidel is the blood of the dog,' which he claimed was a 'debatable' speech. Police found £18,000 in cash hidden in his home, which Bilel claimed his wife had saved for trips to Scotland, despite his apparent lack of income since 2017.