Three convicted of plotting terror attack 'bigger than 7/7'
By Laura Smith-Spark , Jonathan Wald and Claudia Rebaza, CNN
February 21, 2013 -- Updated 1417 GMT (2217 HKT)
CNN.com
London (CNN) -- Three men were found guilty of plotting a terror attack they
hoped would be bigger than the July 7, 2005, bombings that rocked London, UK
prosecutors said Thursday.
Ashik Ali, Ifran Khalid and Ifran Naseer, all from Birmingham, England, were
convicted at Woolwich Crown Court on 12 counts of committing acts in
preparation for a terrorist attack.
The three men planned to set off up to eight backpack bombs in crowded areas,
and had traveled to a terror training camp in Pakistan for expert training and
preparation, the court heard during a 14-week trial.
"Had they not been stopped, the consequences would have been catastrophic,"
said Karen Jones, a specialist counter-terrorism prosecutor for the Crown
Prosecution Service. "These men had dangerous aspirations."
While their precise targets remained unclear, "the potential for damage and
loss of life from their plot should not be underestimated," Jones added.
"The evidence we put to the court showed the defendants discussing with awe and
admiration the attacks of 9/11 and 7/7. These terrorists wanted to do something
bigger, speaking of how 7/7 had 'gone a bit wrong.'"
West Midlands Police said Naseer, 31, talked of "spilling so much blood you'll
have nightmares for the rest of your lives."
The three men posed as bogus charity collectors within their local community to
raise money to fund their plans, the police statement said.
Naseer was also found guilty of helping four younger men travel to the terror
training camp after he, Khalid and Ali, both 27, returned from Pakistan, it
said.
"The link to training camps demonstrates the international dimension of the
threat we continue to face," said West Midlands Police Assistant Chief
Constable Marcus Beale.
"The numbers involved in terrorism are small but the potential impact they
could have if successful is huge."
The men are due to be sentenced later this year.
The judge told them all to expect life sentences with substantial minimum
terms, the police statement said.
The July 7, 2005 bombings in London, which targeted buses and the subway,
killed 52 people and injured more than 700.
CNN's Stephanie Halasz contributed to this report.
© 2013 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Share this article inShare
------------------------------------
Post message: [email protected]
Subscribe : [email protected]
Unsubscribe : [email protected]
List owner : [email protected]
Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
