Supporters of his conviction claim that at the time of his arrest Barot was a high-level al Qaeda figure whose plans for terrorist attacks in the United States and the United Kingdom were on the verge of being executed. This view was held by much of the British press. On the other hand, Barot's defense attorney and some analysts who examined the evidence against Barot have argued that Barot had done little more than sketch vague plans that had no funding from or link to al Qaeda. They believe that Barot was being used by the British Government as an example of its commitment and effectiveness in taking preventive action in the war on terror. After examining Barot's life and assessing the threat he posed, this article argues that he was a committed terrorist and was likely an official member of al Qaeda who posed a threat to British and U.S. security; however, the lack of public information on certain periods of Barot's life and his arrest at the stage of initial planning for possible terrorist attacks suggest that claims about his high status within al Qaeda and the imminence of his execution of the attacks should be viewed with skepticism. 47 notes