Britain

British al Qaeda inspired bomb team sentenced to life

by Kris   ⋅   April 30, 2007   ⋅   Comment now   ⋅    RSS

Five members of an al Qaeda inspired team were sentenced to life today in Britain. It was one of the lengthiest jury deliberations in British history and with good cause. In addition to planning new attacks targeting nightclubs, trains and shopping malls, the team (Omar Khyam, Anthony Garcia, Jawad Akbar, Waheed Mahmood, Salahuddin Ami) have been linked to the British Islamist suicide bombings in London on July 7, 2005 that killed 52 people. Spies saw the gang with the suspected ringleader of the 2005 bombings (Mohammed Sidique Khan).

The key witness was a co-conspirator (Mohammed Babar) who testified against his former teammates in accordance with a plea bargain regarding his involvement in several terrorism plots in New York. Although Judge Michael Astill said, “[t]he sentences are for life. Release is not a foregone conclusion. Some or all of you may never be released,” Babar the backstabber better watch his back.

The gang trained in Pakistan with technical detonation services supplied from a Canadian source, Momin Khawaja. Their goal was to take revenge on Britain for assisting the United States after the September 11 attacks. They were going to use a whopping 600 kg (1,300 lb) of ammonium nitrate fertilizer.

Following the sentencing, Judge Astill berated the men. “You have received and taken advantage of the benefits that this society offered you, yet you sought to destroy it.”