By Andrew L. Jaffee

What happened when some British Muslims found that another Muslim decided to honor his country by serving in the military? Did they write a letter to the editor? Call a council meeting? Mind their own damn business? No. The Islamists were planning to “abduct [the] British Muslim soldier and behead him” in an “‘Iraq-style’ execution.” Lovely. From the AP:

Counterterrorism police arrested eight men in an alleged kidnapping plot during pre-dawn raids Wednesday, police said, while a broadcaster reported the suspects wanted to abduct a British Muslim soldier and behead him. Police would not comment on Sky News reports about that, or about a plan to post the beheading on the Internet. Counterterrorism officials — speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation — said the plot was the first of its kind to be uncovered in Britain.

The potential victim was in protective police custody, Sky reported, saying the kidnapping was going to be an “Iraq-style” execution.

Birmingham has been the site of several recent terrorism sweeps, including summer raids that unveiled an alleged plot by several British suspects to use liquid explosives to blow up as many as 10 trans-Atlantic flights.

It is also the hometown of Britain’s first Muslim soldier to be killed in Afghanistan last year — a death that prompted militant Islamist Web sites to denounce Cpl. Jabron Hashmi, 24, as a traitor. One site — that of extremist British sect al-Ghurabaa — posted an image of the soldier surrounded by flames.

There are 330 Muslim personnel serving in the British armed forces, according to the Defense Ministry, which would not comment on reports that the intended victim was a Muslim soldier.