Al Qaida terrorist jailed for life

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Rangzieb Ahmed, 33, headed a three-man al Qaida service cell which was preparing to commit mass murder, Manchester Crown Court heard.

The Rochdale-born Muslim, who was told he must serve a minimum of 10 years, was also found guilty of al Qaida membership, along with his associate, Manchester taxi driver Habib Ahmed.

Habib Ahmed, 29, was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison - nine for being a member of the terror group and an additional one year for possessing a document for terror-related purposes.

Handing Rangzieb Ahmed a life sentence, Mr Justice Saunders said: "The prosecution case accepted by the jury was you were not one of the leaders but a recruiter and organiser of smaller terrorist cells throughout the world to work for al Qaida.

"You were a not insignificant member of al Qaida - a terror group that is prepared to kill and maim innocent people indiscriminately to achieve their aims.

"I am satisfied you are dedicated to the cause of Islamic terrorism. You are an intelligent, capable and superficially reasonable man who is involved in terrorism. That makes you an extremely dangerous man."

He ruled that he should serve a minimum of 10 years before he is considered for parole and that would only be when he is no longer considered a danger to the public and has forsaken his radical views.

Counter-terrorism chiefs in Greater Manchester were not sure where Rangzieb Ahmed was planning to strike, but they were convinced an attack was imminent.

His scheme was uncovered when he passed three diaries to Habib Ahmed, no relation, to bring into the UK from Dubai. The diaries appeared largely blank but actually contained details of key al Qaida operatives written in invisible ink - contact books for a terrorist.