Next 9/11 in Britain warn banned Muslim militants

Leaders of the Al Muhajiroun sect said Osama bin Laden had taught the Americans a "lesson" seven years ago, but the "crusaders" had not learned and the next "9/11 will take place in Britain, the next 7/7 [London bombings] could take place locally".

Exiled cleric Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed addressed a 100-strong audience in Walthamstow last night via a video link from Lebanon.

The radical preacher told supporters he believed the British government was trying to assassinate him and claimed to have foiled a bomb plot.

Technical difficulties meant much of his speech was inaudible, but his appearance was greeted by cheers of "faith" and "god is great" at the community centre on Lea Bridge Road. Bakri's right- hand man, Anjem Choudary, led the proceedings in person, under the auspices of a group called Association for Islamic Research.

The most incendiary speech was delivered by Saiful Islam, who lauded Bin Laden and al Qaeda for their "courage" in retaliating against the "dictatorship and oppression" of the West.

He said: "The blame of 9/11 belongs to no one but the American government. They are the terrorists. Sheikh Osama warned America numerous times, it was because of their own arrogance, because they thought they are a superpower and nobody could match them, that Sheikh Osama taught them a lesson - a lesson they still haven't learned."

Mr Islam, who is linked to an organisation called Salafi Youth for Islamic Propagation, warned that unless British and American troops were withdrawn from "Muslim lands" they would be to blame for the consequences, sayingthe West would "never achieve security until our own [Muslim] lands achieve security".

"Wake up. Withdraw. Listen to the warnings. Muslims will stand side to side, not just al Qaeda. The actions of the British and Americans have given prominence to al Qaeda. All of us have a part to play in stopping the violence or the next 9/11 will take place in Britain, the next 7/7 could take place locally," he added. Mr Choudary was the last speaker and was more guarded in his address to the young Muslim men that made up most of the audience.

But he criticised the Government for persecuting "innocent Muslims", naming Bakri, Abu Hamza, Abu Qatada and Omar Brooks along with the defendants in the airliner bomb plot trial.

He said: "They [the Government] say they are civilised. But they don't act very civilised. They jailed Sheikh Abu Qatada in Belmarsh prison. Is that the way you treat your guests?"

Mr Choudary then referred to Bakri's notorious aim of flying the "flag of Sharia" over Downing Street, claiming that this would happen by 2020 as 500 people a day were converting to Islam and laughing that Muslim families in places like Whitechapel and Bethnal Green were having "10 or 12 children each".

He ranted against mainstream bodies like the Muslim Council of Britain, who condemned 9/11 and 7/7, accusing them of "selling their souls to the devil".