HAMMAAD Munshi and his co-accused were "dangerous individuals" who posed a very real threat to the public, according to the head of the Leeds Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU).
Speaking outside court on Monday, Det Chief Supt John Parkinson, said: "Today's verdict marks the end of an intense and complex enquiry.
"Let there be no doubt, these are dangerous individuals.
"These men were not simply in possession of materi
al which expressed extremist views. They were also in possession of material that was operationally useful to anyone wishing to carry out an act of violence or terrorism."
Det Chief Supt Parkinson said much of the recovered material was not widely available on the Internet and was restricted to trusted individuals who had privileged access to secure online chat rooms.
He said: "Some of the information was even created by the defendants.
"While these men may not have been actively planning acts of terrorism themselves, they sought to incite others for terrorist purposes, promoting al-Qa'eda ideology and training programmes.
"In many respects, Khan, Muhammad and Munshi were 'facilitators'. They had the knowledge required to orchestrate terrorist acts and they willingly shared that expertise with others.
"These are not the actions of curious individuals, or even those who are sympathetic to terrorist objectives.
"They are the actions of people who pose a very real threat to our communities."
Det Chief Supt Parkinson thanked the Savile Town community for their co-operation during the police investigation.
He said: "We will continue to work alongside local people and our partners, both in the UK and abroad, to counter terrorism at every level and protect all our communities from harm.
"We would like to thank communities in West Yorkshire for their consistent support and co-operation throughout both the investigation and the duration of this trial."
