Morning:
8°c
Terror ‘foot soldier’ jailed for life over Heathrow liquid bomb plot
Felix Allen10 Dec 2009
A British Muslim was jailed for life today for his role in a foiled plot to murder thousands of transatlantic jet passengers.
Adam Khatib, 23, was told he must serve a minimum of 18 years after being convicted of conspiracy to murder.
Khatib, of Walthamstow, was a follower of Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 28, the leader of an east London terror cell that planned to detonate liquid bombs on at least seven jets leaving Heathrow.
Factory worker Khatib was one of Ali's “foot soldiers”, willing to sacrifice himself to inflict mass casualties. He provided crucial support to the conspirators after being drawn to radical Islam as a teenager in Walthamstow.
In a bugged conversation, Ali talked about “Adam” as a potential suicide bomber, Woolwich crown court heard.
The plot was foiled by police and MI5 in August 2006 as preparations were being finalised. A jury convicted Khatib yesterday after a two-month trial.
Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner John McDowall said after the verdict that Khatib had been “actively involved in a conspiracy to attack innocent members of the public”, adding: “He may not have known the full extent of the plan... but he certainly knew they had murder in mind.”
Khatib's co-defendant Nabeel Hussain, 25, of Chingford, was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts.
He was a “backroom boy” providing key logistical and financial help to the cell leader.
Shopkeeper Mohammed Shamin Uddin, 39, of Stoke Newington, was jailed for 15 months for one count of possessing materials, namely a CD, likely to be useful to terrorism. He was also jailed for a further five years and nine months for possessing a firearm. He has served most of his sentence on remand and could be eligible for release in two months, the court heard.
The trial heard the three men were not aware of the specifics of Ali's plot, but knew it involved attacks on civilians. Peter Wright, QC, prosecuting, said: “The troops on the ground may be kept in the dark until the final days. All that's required is a preparedness to do their bit. Khatib is one such individual.”
Khatib travelled with Ali to Pakistan, the court heard. Another cell ringleader, Assad Sarwar, 29, was also there and admitted learning how to make bombs. The plot became operational after they returned to the UK. Ali, Sarwar and Tanvir Hussain, 28, are serving life after being convicted of the plot.
Khatib was one of the few admitted to the “bomb factory” in Walthamstow, where Ali and Tanvir Hussain prepared explosives. Details of explosives and a “recipe” for a home-made detonator were found at Khatib's home.
Reader views (18)
@ Nigel, London
Unfortunately they don't really oopose these actions. In fact a survey for the Times showed that a whopping 40% of Muslims in this country want the full introduction of Sharia Law.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 11/12/2009 09:21
Report abuse
They and along with all other terrosts are as islamic as a PORK chop!
I thing that is a fair statement!!!
- Feroz, North London, 10/12/2009 20:58
Report abuse
This is the oddest thing, where one sees "jailed for life" followed by a reference to serving "18 years" or some other (relatively short) fixed period of time.
Not the first time I have seeen this in these news reports so I guess it is pretty common. I suppose it is not much different from being jailed for x years then paroled prior to the end of sentence but there really is no need to call this "jailed for life". Maybe this is supposed to fool people into a false sense of justice and security? But if so it seems so transparently silly that I find even that hard to believe.
- Rich, New York City, New York, 10/12/2009 18:57
Report abuse
burn him!
- Amir, London, 10/12/2009 16:03
Report abuse
Deport the co-conspirators once they have served their FULL sentences. While Adam Khatib was indeed a British born Muslim, they were not. Adam was lead into extremism by a flawed immigration policy that has seen neighbourhoods changed in as little a a few years and seperate foriegn communities formed. It is this type of mass immigration and then isolation from British society that fuels extremism. Also when Imans are solely shipped in from from Saudi arabia, preaching bias views of that nation within Britain, there is bound to be anti western and anti British sentiment in these preachings. It is high time we took a stance against these issues before more areas are affected.
- Porky Pies, London, UK, 10/12/2009 14:23
Report abuse
They should all get the rope,justice has now become a sick joke in the UK.
- Jacob, Bent Kent Region1648A EUSSR, 10/12/2009 14:13
Report abuse
deporting them and their families (uncles and aunties if necessary) would surely be a massive deterrent.
the threat of having to live under sharia law ,
FOR REAL!!! , and not just as a part time novelty with our lovely human rights laws to fall back on, would surely surely make them appreciate the priveledge of having a british passport.
- Clive, london, 10/12/2009 13:32
Report abuse
Minimum 20 years for the vermin.
- Macdangler, Wimbledon Sw19, 10/12/2009 13:28
Report abuse
Moslems living in the UK who reject extremism and terrorism need to do more to actively oppose it. When are we going to see moslems demonstrating under a "not in our name" banner (against "moslem" terrorists that is, not the UK gevernment)? When will we see them throwing extremists out of their mosques and community centres, and harassing them wherever they show their faces? Why are extremist recruiting posters left un-defaced, their meetings un-picketed?
Sometimes, minding one's own business, seeing, hearing, saying nothing, is not enough.
- Nigel, London, 10/12/2009 13:02
Report abuse
Should be extradited to America, where life means life.
- Bill, Hay~Heath UK, 10/12/2009 12:41
Report abuse
Do to them what they are prepared to do others.
Throw the key away.
Or will the tax payer pay for them.
Injsutice to the law adiding public
- Reginald, Islington, 10/12/2009 12:11
Report abuse
I feel sorry for Muslims living normal lives in Britain. There is complaint in the Muslim media here that they receive constant negative national press coverage. What they have to accept is that their radicalised young do sometimes become a dangerous and very serious threat to the rest of those who live in the UK, regardless of race, colour or religion.
It's very smart work and high Intelligence vigilance which keeps many of these would be mass destroyers from harming the population.
Teens and twenties are volatile periods for young men everywhere. It's part of transition into adulthood. At this age, Muslim British youth face most danger of becoming radicalised. Unless Muslim parents, community leaders and Imams work vigorously to counter radicalisation among their young, they unfortunately have to continue to live with the fear, suspicion, even hostility of the population who feel threatened by these would be acts. These young men live among us as they plot their carnage.
Deporting families of terrorists to their countries of origin would be likely to happen only if the terrorist situation here escalates to unsustainable levels. The only positive aspect of a threat of deportation is that it would galvanise families to work harder to ensure that their young do not become sucked into the radicalisation process.
With home grown terrorists now emerging on American soil, hostility to would be terrorists is only going to grow.
- Trevor Lloyd, Reading, 10/12/2009 11:22
Report abuse
Life meaning how long exactly?
Deport the whole family, harsh and maybe unfair yes I know, but what a fantastic deterrent, if they knew the family would be punished as well.
- P Staker, london, W8, 10/12/2009 10:32
Report abuse
forget about how long is a life sentence, forget about about building more prisons,england is one giant prison now,the only ones allowed out are the ones with money...the only ones allowed on the exercise yard are the ones with bombs,guns and knives
- Scony, middlesbroughf, 10/12/2009 09:50
Report abuse
We should give them the option:
Life in prison (solitary confinement) with no chance of parole or a free ride home and mid air drop onto Pakistan without a parachute.
- Adam, Harrow, UK, 10/12/2009 09:45
Report abuse
I hope they rot in prison and i hope life means life! These people carry out these acts in the name of islam and it has nothing to do with our religion.
- Abdul, Manchester, 10/12/2009 09:35
Report abuse
Just to be sure, deport all their relatives.
- Carl, London, 10/12/2009 09:31
Report abuse
How long is a life sentence these days? Why do we not bring back capital punishment intead of using tax payers money to keep murders in prison? Why are these people not deported along with ALL of their family? But most importantly were they not screened when they entered Britan! Who are all these losers and low lifes in this country? England is no longer the Land of Hope and Glory and how many of you out there are happy that its not?
- Ashley Smithson, st albans, 10/12/2009 09:03
Report abuse
