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Videos reveal attacks planned to avenge Iraq
Six Britons accused of plotting to blow up at least seven trans-Atlantic airliners recorded martyrdom videos saying the attacks were revenge for the US invasion of Iraq, a London court heard on Friday.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:34 April 5, 2008
London: Six Britons accused of plotting to blow up at least seven trans-Atlantic airliners recorded martyrdom videos saying the attacks were revenge for the US invasion of Iraq, a London court heard on Friday.
In extracts played and read to the jury, the men, who were arrested in August 2006, said their mission was to punish non-Muslims and warned of "floods of martyrdom operations" because governments had ignored the warnings of Osama Bin Laden.
"If you think you can go into our lands and do what you are doing in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and keep on supporting those who are fighting against Muslims and think it will not come back on your own doorstep may you have another think coming," Umar Islam, one of the eight defendants said.
On Thursday, the court was told that the men had planned to use liquid explosives disguised as soft drinks to simultaneously blow up at least seven transatlantic aircraft in mid-air, causing mass casualties on an almost unprecedented scale.
In total, up to 18 suicide bombers may have taken part in the planned attack, the prosecution said.
'Floods of martyrs'
The eight British citizens on trial at Woolwich Crown Court, a maximum security site in east London, are Abdullah Ahmad Ali, 27, Assad Sarwar, 27, Tanvir Hussain, 27, Mohammad Gulzar, 26, Ebrahim Savant, 27, Arafat Khan, 26, Waheed Zaman, 23, and Umar Islam, 29. All are charged with conspiracy to murder. They are also accused of plotting "to commit an act of violence likely to endanger the safety of an aircraft". They deny the charges.
Prosecutor Peter Wright said the suicide videos had been discovered in a camera in Sarwar's car and on a cassette tape in the garage of his home. In all the videos, the men sat dressed in black in front of a black flag with Arabic writing in white. "Each contained similar chilling sentiments," Wright said.
Umar Islam's statement said: "This is revenge for the actions of the USA in Muslim lands and their accomplices such as the British and the Jews."
Ali, said by prosecutors to be one of the three ringleaders, spoke of wanting to be involved in jihad since the age of 15.
"Enough is enough. We've warned you so many times, so many times to get out of our lands, leave us alone, but you have persisted in trying to humiliate us, kill us and destroy us and Shaikh Osama warned you many times to leave our lands or you will be destroyed," Ali said.
"You have nothing but to expect that floods of martyrdom operations, volcanoes of anger and revenge and raping among your capital."
Wright also said that computer memory sticks recovered from Sarwar's house indicated the potential targets he had in mind.
They contained details of London's Canary Wharf, British nuclear power stations, Britain's electricity grid, a gas pipe line running between Belgium and Britain, various British airports, oil terminals and the UK's main internet service provider exchange.
You have nothing but to expect that floods of martyrdom operations, volcanoes of anger and revenge and raping among your capital."
Abdullah Ahmad Ali, Terror suspect
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