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Three Islamist extremists were convicted this afternoon of plotting to murder thousands of passengers in suicide attacks on flights from Heathrow to America and Canada.
The discovery of a plan to take on board liquid bombs made of hydrogen peroxide hidden in soft drink bottles led to a security clampdown at airports around the world.
Abdulla Ahmed Ali of Walthamstow, leader of the al Qaeda inspired cell based in east London, wanted to eclipse 9/11 as the world's biggest terror attack and create what he described as a “world shock,” Woolwich crown court was told.
Video in which Abdulla Ahmed Ali warns British public to expect "floods of martyr operations" that would leave body parts scattered in the streets
Surveillance recordings reveal it may have involved 18 or 19 bombers who could have claimed more than 5,000 victims on the aircraft and on the ground.
Many of the flights were taking off within two hours of each other from Terminal 3 in August 2006.
Counter terrorist police, the security services and prosecutors spent more than £35 million foiling the plot and bringing Ali to justice.
Ali had been trained in Pakistan alongside 7/7 suicide bombers Mohammad Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer and was also linked to the failed 21/7 bombers. Some of the gang made martyrdom videos which were played to the court.
The three were described by prosecutor Peter Wright QC as having “the cold-eyed certainty of the fanatic”.
The verdicts returned today are vindication for Crown prosecutors and detectives who had pressed for a retrial after the failure of the first marathon hearing last year.
In the first trial only three defendants were convicted, and then only of the more general charge of conspiracy to murder and not the specific plot to attack passenger jets.
They were Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Tanvir Hussain, both 28, and 29-year-old Assad Sarwar.
Today the three were convicted of the plot to blow up passengers jets.
Ibrahim Savant, 28, of Stoke Newington, Arafat Waheed Khan, 28, of Walthamstow and Waheed Zaman, 25, of Walthamstow, were found not guilty of the airliner plot.
The jury failed to reach verdicts on the three in connection with the conspiracy to murder.
The jury failed to reach a verdict on Umar Islam, 31, of Plaistow, on the airliner plot. But Islam was convicted of conspiracy to murder.
Donald Stewart-Whyte, 23, of High Wycombe, was found not guilty of both conspiracy to murder on aircraft and conspiracy to murder.
The jury watched videos of Ali, Hussain, Savant, Khan, Islam and Zaman, claiming responsibility for the forthcoming suicide attack, and justifying the deaths of Western civilians.
Police discovered 38 litres of hydrogen peroxide at or near Sarwar's home in High Wycombe.
Meanwhile, modified Lucozade and Oasis bottles and batteries were found in a bomb factory in Forest Road, Walthamstow, used by Abdulla Ahmed Ali and Hussain.
A computer memory stick found in Ali's pocket contained flight schedules for a number of American and Canadian airlines, with seven specific departure times highlighted.
Ali and Sarwar sent emails to terror chiefs in Pakistan with coded instructions and progress reports about the plot.
In court Ali, Sarwar and Hussain claimed they were merely planning to set off small, non-lethal devices in a public place to alarm the public and gain publicity for an anti-war documentary film.
Hussain, Savant, Khan, Islam and Zaman said they were recruited by Ali as “actors” for the film — playing suicide bombers in “mock” martyrdom videos.
Stewart-Whyte, who claimed to like watching John Wayne movies, insisted he had never heard of Abdulla Ahmed Ali, and had nothing whatsoever to do with any plot.
The gang's ringleader had direct links to the failed July 21 bombers.
Phone records showed that two months before the failed attacks on the London transport network in 2005, Ali was in touch with 21/7 leader Muktar Said Ibrahim.
Both men had also been in Pakistan for training at the same time as 7/7 suicide bombers Sidique Khan and Tanweer. Ali was in Pakistan when both the 7 July and 21 July attacks were launched.
Anti-terrorist detectives believe he was picked out to lead a far more ambitious operation.
It is believed the different groups were linked by “fixers” — among them two other terror suspects who are still in Britain and have never been charged in relation to the plots. Ali, Hussain, of Leyton, Islam (born Brian Young), of West Ham, Khan, of Walthamstow; Sarwar, of High Wycombe, Savant, of Stamford Hill, Waheed Zaman, of Walthamstow, and Stewart-Whyte had all denied the airline bomb plot and conspiracy to murder between January and August 2006.
Stewart-Whyte, Islam, Khan, Savant, and Zaman denied conspiracy to murder. Ali, Sarwar and Hussain admitted conspiracy to cause explosions, while Ali, Sarwar, Hussain, Islam, Khan, Savant, and Zaman admitted conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.
The flights allegedly targeted by the cell were United Airlines 931 to San Francisco, Air Canada flights 849 and 865, heading for Toronto and Montreal, United Airlines flights 959 to Chicago, and 925 to Washington DC, and American Airlines flights 131 and 91 to New York JFK.
All were due to take off within two and a half hours of each other.
Adina Ezekiel, for the prosecution, said they would announce a decision on whether they would seek a re-trial of Savant, Khan, Zaman and Islam at a later date.
Mohammed Gulzar, 28, was acquitted of all charges, but the Crown continues to maintain he acted as a link man between the UK cell and their Pakistani masters.
Reader views (41)
Just think of the amount of oil Britain will get for the "humanitarian" release of these terrorists.
- Jim, Chicago, USA
Muslim fanatics are maic king U.K a more scary and horrible place. One never knows when one of these pyscho fanatics will get thru and murder thousands of inncoent civilians in the name of ALLAH.
The soft approach to terroisim and a blind eye to illegal immigriation isruining this once beautiful country
- Rupert, lONDON
When will Britain tightin its borders and stop importing crime?
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London
I wanted to say 'go to hell with them'. Quite probably they will recieve the best attention inside prison and demand their 'human' rights. Perhaps a tv, dvd player and respect for Ramadan, (which they do not deserve) at a cost to us tax payers who they wanted to kill.
Oh, come on Mr. Brown, start to protect us from those who wish not to live among us like human beings.
- Steve. E11, london uk
It goes to show how hated the US is in the Islamic world and the UK by association, have become targets as well.It is time we ended this "special relationship" which has brought us nothing but trouble.
T H Leeds
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK
If it was not a more serious subject this story and content looks like a stupid story invented by ‘Big Brother’ the goons who over use CCTV in the UK.
What a lame brained bunch these guys look, are they drugged up because they look as if they are?
The so-called ‘Bomb Factory’ no more than a much hyped so-called ingenious liquid bomb design, concealed within 500ml Oasis or Lucozade bottles.
Now of course this give ‘Proven Liars New Nazi Labour’ the chance to draft even more Laws to restrict your freedom even further.
Signed Carl Barron Chairman of agpcuk
- Carl Barron, Christchurch, Dorset
Yes, Manny Goldstein, most people do.
Fancy going to your synagogue with 3 mosques around you?
Fancy being a Palestinian who's land in the West Bank has gone for ever?
What about Stalin who murdered over 20 million of his own people? Get real will you!
- Macdangler, Wimbledon SW19
Most muslims i've met genuinely oppose and condemn terrorism. There is no need to genralise about an entire community.
- Leavaski, London
Jane, Southeast: "panda to ignorance"? I think you mean pander. Mind you, those flipping pandas are bringing the country to ruin. I read about them in the Daily Mail.
- Graham, London
IT IS EASY. Stop the welfare state in Britain full stop. If you don't work you don't get help. My grand parents would turn in their graves if they saw what was happening in this country now. They were hard working, law abiding people. Learn from Singapore, they have rules and proper punishment, it works, it's safe, it's clean and people respect the law. Nobody is out of work for long there and begging is not allowed.
Stop throwing taxpayers money down the drain. We are taxed on every single thing yet nothing works properly and the country is falling to bits and we know where the money is going. All we do is give it away to the undeserving. Bring back proper punishment for criminals. Life in prison should mean life and capital punishment IS a deterrent. If you commit a crime and you are not from Britain, be sent home along with every other family member. Let's stop trying to please other cultures, this is England, if you move here respect our culture, our religion and our way of life. If you don't like it then don't come. Most of us, not all, have tried embrassing every culture from God knows where and it is plain to see it is not working. It is about time we started treating British people respectfully. I love this country but I am afraid it is about time that the British woke up to reality and stood up for themselves and their own rights. No other country on the face on the earth would treat its own people as second class citizens. It is NOT too late for change.
- Ashly Smithson, st albans
In 8 years time they will all be released on compassionate grounds......
- Steve, Cheltenham
Lock them up and THROW the keys away for this scum of the earth.....
- Jan Kessey, neasden uk
Proper life sentences for these nutjobs please!
This made me laugh:
Jane, Southeast
"We are a soft touch and panda to ignorance"
Hope it was a typo, but amused me on a dull evening anyway.
- H, London
Neil, where apart from the internet is the proof that the US leaders carried out 9/11? With the Pentagon and the White House and the US government machine, the CIA etc all 'leaking' like mad, don't you think it rather strange that not one member of the entire government machine has ever come out and exposed this apparent crime? Do you think that Bush and the neo-cons have such enormous power and influence they could have kept this all buried, even after they were gone? And all the passengers that died in the Pentagon crash that also 'never happened' if you believe the internet. I suggest you tink before you write such twaddle as a fact.
- Stephen Rothbart, Prague Czech Republic
The big parties have a policy of giving in to minority demands for British society and our way of life to be destroyed.
Every time something like this happens they might condemn but in its wake will appear more concessions nominally to avoid conflict but really to ensure politicians a quiet life for a bit longer until they've made their money and are out of politics.
- Mike Newland, London, England
I am just waiting for the inevitable collapse of these convictions as unsafe, or being in violation of the human rights of the accused or something similar. The general public will never know the ins and outs of this case, it being a matter of "national security". Who'll give me odds that the three will be put away, only to be reprieved and paid significant damages at the taxpayers' expense a few years down the line?
- Edward Thompson, Bedfordshire
this case was prosecuted by the CPS and Police, "
Lonsdale you are such a fool if you don't want to see that our PM is responsible for the legal and lenal system in the UK. It is his persistence that deserves the credit.
- Keith Price, Luton England
@Neil, London: It is hard to know what is really going on, but it is much harder for governments to conspire than it is for individuals to. After all, lesser crimes, such as the expenses scandal was exposed through good honest old fashioned journalism. Re our freedoms being taken away on the back of real or imagined terrorism, the key is to do what I do and refuse to allow my freedoms to be challenged if I know I am innocent - such as being asked not to take innocent photographs in public places. We have courts and the fact some Muslims who were arrested have since been released without charge is proof the system works. We're all in a very difficult situation. The key is to know the truth, and that can only be done by travelling the world and getting to know people and see how they live first hand. Everything else is just 'maybe', 'talk', 'rumor', second or third hand information, propaganda and more.
Knowledge is power!
- Oflife, London
I'm not entirely convinced I believe this story.
- Michael Cooper, London
Er, yes Neil. But I think this one might be a bit more credible what with the video footage of this particualr chap telling us what he want to do to the British public.
What our "leaders" are doing to the British public is far worse; and the US's "leaders" carried out 9/11 and blamed Saudi Arabia, then invaded Afghanistan and Iraq! It is all lies, damned lies and yet more lies.
- Neil, London, London UK
'does anyone possibly believe that this conviction is safe? - Manny Goldstein, London, England'
They found their martyrdom videos. This comment is paranoid to the point of being inane.
Jane, Southeast - stop being a miserable self loathing defeatist, and stop reading The Daily Mail.
- James, London
Lets hear the Muslim community speak out and condemn this scum. I won't be holding my breath waiting for it though. They were quick enough to get out on the streets of Birmingham protesting against the perceived far right, or our troops coming home elsewhere. We never hear them condemn their own 'excrement extremists'.
- Alan, Florida USA
Instead of the London Mayor exalting all of us to fast for Ramadam in order to understand the Islamic way of life, perhaps Muslims should attend a Church and Synagogue service a few times so that they could understand our way of life. While it may be true not all Muslims are terrorists, it is almost certainly true that 90% of terrorists are Muslims, and it's time Boris spoke up for tolerance by Islam of other faiths and other beliefs.
- Stephen Rothbart, Prague Czech Republic
The only "terrorism" in the world is that which is practised by sovereign governments. This so-called "plot" is a pack of lies, and it looks as though most people have fallen for it!
- Neil, London, London UK
It always amazes me that when these sick terrorists are arrested that they never commit suicide in prison,it would appear that when you deradicalize them they then lose all their bravado and guts,and are then exposed as the sad cowards that they always were.
- Aufdeutsch, Canterbury Communist Britain.
Darren, london. I agree but what can we do? The English culture is fighting for survival as hate is to be found on most streets and anarchy is around growing around the country. We are a soft touch and panda to ignorance and people filled with hatred. I wish I had an answer and fear for my life and want to escape this country I truly hate what has become of this once great country. I hate it here. Liberal PC tree huggers created this mess now violence will turn our streets into a bloodbath. Without rules and punishment anarchy will reign. Well done England 2009. Btw I am not a racist that why I want to leave I see nothing worthwhile fighting for here anymore, good luck those who stay and fight.
- Jane, Southeast
FILTHY SCUM. I hope they rot
- Alan, London
The Dangers of brain washing,nee religious brainwashing,these people are really sick"he planed to take his baby on a suicide mission"Massacre thousands of innocent people,these people are home grown!Well done to the special branch,but shame on the politicians who have let/or even encouraged such developments.
- Kev, London-UK
The MacGuire Seven, the Birmingham Six, The Guildford Four, Judith Ward, weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq, does anyone possibly believe that this conviction is safe?
- Manny Goldstein, London, England
Keith Price:"Well done Gordon Brown for showing the stamina to take this fight to the bitter end.A life sentencein Bellmarsh would be a fair result I feel"
What utter garbage, this case was prosecuted by the CPS and Police, not Gormless McBroon. If there was any difficulty or controversy, it will have been down to the cancerous spread of left-liberal apologism that has been precipitated by 12 years of anti-British Nuliebour rule.
As for a "life sentence in Bellmarsh", thanks to your Glorious Leader, a life sentnece in this country means nothing and is certainly no deterrent to evil scum like these.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
There are so many lies told about terrorism that I frankly don't believe this story. I think terrorism is made up by politicians to get us to throw our freedoms away.
- Neil, London, London UK
Er, yes Neil. But I think this one might be a bit more credible what with the video footage of this particualr chap telling us what he want to do to the British public.
- Mb, London
£35m to bring him to justice!? Not allowing him into the country £0-. Am i the the only person on the planet who can add up? Never mind, comming soon to a council house near YOU!
- Loki, Roskilde, DK
UK born terrorists are the biggest threat to this country, the enemey within. It is not Afghanistan.
- Darren, london
In 1992 I flew on the flight deck of a British Airways 747 comeing into Heathrow from Rio,it was one of the delights in flying.Now these idiots have ruined everything.
We are now all suspected of being terrorists,what a world we live in.
- David Nigel Braham, Milan Italy
Bring back the death penalty and get rid of these scum or just send them back to their beloved islamic countries
- Adam, london
The guilty verdict will come as an enormous relief for Government ministers who endured heavy criticism for introducing the draconian luggage restrictions."
Well done Gordon Brown for showing the stamina to take this fight to the bitter end.A life sentencein Bellmarsh would be a fair result I feel
- Keith Price, Luton England
Unemployed. Wonder who was paying his keep then. Oh, of course that'll be the British taxpayer. Another home grown terrorist. What was it Gordo was saying about the war on terror....that our troops had to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan because of the war on terror, when its actually being created by those who were born here. If they glorify death so much, even that of an innocent baby then they should be hung.
- Sue, Orpington, Kent
This ought be a capital offence and he and his co-conspirators should be hanged. As it is they should receive life long prison sentences with no possibility of release and be kept segregated from the rest of the prison population to prevent them spreading their poisonous racial and religious hatred any further.
- Matthew, London, UK
Excellent! That'll be him off the streets until at least Christmas, then!
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
There are so many lies told about terrorism that I frankly don't believe this story. I think terrorism is made up by politicians to get us to throw our freedoms away.
- Neil, London, London UK
amazing ... i assumed Clown Brown wound have used his powers to insisted they are innocent, in the hope of appeasing the 'muslim community' and the hope that none of the rest of the 'community' tries something similar in the future.
- Ben Farrell, London
