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Terror cell jailed for 100 years over airliner bombs plot
Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent14.09.09
Three Islamist fanatics who plotted to explode bombs on at least seven transatlantic airliners killing thousands of passengers were jailed for more than a 100 years in total today.
Bomb plot ringleader Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 28, was jailed for life with a minimum of 40 years for planning what judge Mr Justice Henriques said was an atrocity comparable with the September 11 attacks.
His lieutenant Tanvir Hussain, also 28, was jailed for life with a minimum of 32 years and bombmaker Assad Sarwar, 29, received a life sentence with a minimum of 36 years.
The three British Muslims were part of an al Qaeda cell which planned to detonate home-made liquid bombs on board flights bound for major North American cities.
The suicide attacks were planned to take place either in mid-Atlantic or as the planes descended over American cities, possibly more than doubling the death toll.
Mr Justice Henriques told Woolwich Crown Court today that the gang was planning a “grave” terrorist atrocity which would have been comparable to the September 11 attacks.
He described the bomb plot as imminent saying the men had amassed “sufficient chemicals for 20 home-made detonators of commercial strength”.
He said: “I'm satisfied that there is every likelihood that this plot would have succeeded but for the intervention of the police and the security service,” he said.
Referring to a video of a mock explosion on board an airliner, the judge said: “I could only conclude the chance of an aircraft surviving such an explosion at altitude was remote.
“Had this conspiracy not been interrupted, a massive loss of life would almost certainly have resulted - and if the detonation was over land, the number of victims would have been even greater still.”
The three men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder by detonating bombs on airliners at the end of a six-month trial at Woolwich Crown Court last week. A jury at their previous trial had failed to reach verdicts on whether such a plot existed.
Police swooped on the men in 2006 and the operation led to chaos at airports worldwide with immediate restrictions on passengers carrying liquids in their hand luggage. A ban on containers larger than 100ml is still in place.
The court heard how the men had researched details of seven flights from London to six cities in the United States and Canada.
The flights all departed with a few hours of each other to destinations including Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, San Francisco, Washington and New York so once airborne the attacks could not have been stopped.
MI5 and counter terrorist police bugged the gang's bomb factory in a run-down flat in Walthamstow and eavesdroped as they discussed details of the plan.
The men intended to make bombs using soft drink bottles, liquid explosive, batteries and disposable cameras.
Today Mr Justice Henriques said the trio were convicted of “the most grave and wicked conspiracy ever proven within this jurisdiction”.
He said: “The intention was to perpetrate a terrorist outrage that would stand alongside the events of September 11, 2001 in history.”
The judge said emails at the centre of the retrial - which were unavailable to prosecutors in the first trial last year - “are a vital source of information as to the control, progress and scope of this conspiracy”.
“They establish beyond question the ultimate control of this conspiracy lay in Pakistan.”
He said others in Pakistan controlled, monitored and funded the airliner bomb plot.
Ali, Sarwar and Hussain were “high-level executives within this country”, the judge added.
Mr Justice Henriques told Ali: “I have concluded you are a driven and determined extremist with boundless energy and an ambition to lead a terrorist outrage of boundless proportion.
“By this conspiracy you sought the attention of the world, and you now have it.”
He said Ali was “producer, director, cameraman, part-author and actor in the six martyrdom tapes” which warned the British public to expect “floods of martyr operations” that would leave body parts scattered in the streets.
“You made it as clear as can be that innocent people were going to die - men, women and children,” the judge said.
He went on: “You have embraced Islamic extremism and it is that burning extremism that has motivated you throughout this conspiracy and is likely to drive you again.”
Mr Justice Henriques said that, from watching Ali give evidence, it was clear he was “intelligent” as he “argued the unarguable over many days with senior Treasury counsel” and “sought to justify the mass killing” in videos.
“This was a viable and meticulously planned conspiracy and I conclude it was imminent,” the judge said.
Reader views (12)
I think the sentences were fair, but I would simply ask that as we will have to foot their bill for their long term incarceration that certain savings are considered.
perhaps we could economise a little on their protection from the other prisoners?
- Scotty, london
Why not a whole of natural life sentence? I'm opposed to any such savage sentence as punishment, but there are certain classes of criminal from whom the public need protection for as long as the criminal poses a threat.
These men will be able to make and plant bombs for as long as they breathe. They have dedicated their lives to mass murder and terrorism, they have showed no remorse, and in any case what reason can we ever find to believe anything that they might now say or do is in good faith?
They should have received indeterminate sentences, and a warning that they will not be released for as long as there is any doubt as to their future good intentions. Since it is unclear how such doubt can ever be dispelled, they should also have been warned that in all likelyhood they will never be released.
- Nigel, London
Wow, pretty tough sentencing there. Way to go Judge!
- Gary, London
Until they are released on compassionate grounds in 8 years' time when some big private oil company wants a new contract . . .
- Roz, France
Been reading a few Sociology books in the last month or so...Look at the eyes, are they a little too close together or possibly vacant?
- Someone Who Cares, Rochester Kent
Too lenient.
- British Not Racist, Bracknell England
At last the judge has got it right and given a decent sentence it just a shame that I have to pay my taxes to keep those pieces of rubbish in prison for the next 40 years but heck you can't have everything can you ?
- Linda Cliff, London
So why do these sentences not get passed down to those who do actually kill people? Why are pathetic 12 year tariffs handed down to people who have actually taken lives?
- Jen, London
There are plenty more where they came from, they will keep going until they have there way and with this government they will get there way.
- David, Abbey Wood
Some martyr!
He didn't even have the courage to admit to the conspiracy in court.
As he loves their way of life, it's a pity he can't spend the next 40 years in a Pakistani jail, I understand they are not as comfortable as ours, but at least he will feel at home.
- Mark Myword, London
Even with comprehensive Video and Audio of these guys plotting to commit the worst atrocity since 9/11 and the fact they made suicide martyr videos of themselves, there will still be idiots out there saying it was a conspiracy and the whole thing was made up etc etc
- Hansel, London
Why not a proper life sentence, or can't we have those? I.e. go to prison and only leave in a bodybag.
- Hassan, London
