3 Convicted in Plot to Blow Up Airliners
Last Updated 10:58 a.m. ET
Three British Muslims were convicted Monday of plotting to murder thousands by downing at least seven airliners bound for the U.S. and Canada in what was intended as the largest terrorist attack since Sept. 11.
A jury at a London court found Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 28, Assad Sarwar, 29, and Tanvir Hussain, 28, guilty of conspiracy to murder by detonating explosives on aircraft while they were in-flight.
Four other alleged conspirators - whom the prosecution said were to have smuggled liquid explosives onboard jetliners disguised as soft drinks - were acquitted of conspiring to blow up planes. The jury could not reach a verdict on an eighth man.
British and U.S. security officials said the plan - unlike many recent homegrown European terrorist plots - was directly linked to al Qaeda and guided by senior Islamic militants in Pakistan, who hoped to mount a spectacular strike on the West.
The officials said British plotters were likely just days away from mounting their suicide attacks when police rounded up 25 people in dawn raids in August 2006.
Their arrests led to travel chaos as hundreds of jetliners were grounded across Europe. Discovery of the plot also triggered changes to airport security, including new restrictions on the amount of liquids and gels passengers can take onto flights.
Prosecutors said suspects had identified seven specific flights from London's Heathrow airport to New York, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto and Montreal, as their targets.
British authorities estimate that, if successful, around 2,000 passengers would have died. If bombs were detonated over U.S. and Canadian cities, hundreds more would have been killed on the ground.
Plotters planned to assemble bombs in airplane toilets using hydrogen peroxide-based explosives injected into soda bottles.
"They were to be detonated in-flight by suicide bombers," including several of the accused, prosecutor Peter Wright said.
Tests by scientists who replicated the bombs in a laboratory showed the devices could produce powerful explosions, though there is no evidence that the terrorist cell had perfected the technique.
Wright told the trial that the group's suicide attacks were planned by "men with the cold-eyed certainty of the fanatic" and intended as "a violent and deadly statement of intent that would have a truly global impact."
He said the plot would have caused "a civilian death toll from terrorism on an almost unprecedented scale."
All eight defendants had denied most charges against them, claiming they were planning a stunt - and not a terrorist attack - to expose failings in Western foreign policy.
Prosecutors were unable to produce evidence that the men had produced a single viable bomb. The trial was the second to take place in a case which has frustrated prosecutors.
Last year, Ali, Sarwar and Hussain were convicted of conspiracy to murder, but the jury could not reach a verdict on whether they specifically targeted aircraft. The jury at that trial failed to reach verdicts against other four defendants.
Jurors on Monday cleared Donald Stewart-Whyte, 23, of all charges. They found Umar Islam, 31, guilty of a charge of conspiracy to murder, but could not decide if he was involved in targeting aircraft.
They found three other men: Ibrahim Savant, 28, Arafat Waheed Khan, 28 and Waheed Zaman, 25, not guilty of planning to blow up airliners, but could not reach verdicts on whether the three men were guilty of conspiracy to murder.
Each defendant, except Stewart-Whyte, had pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.
Prosecutor Adina Ezekiel said authorities will announce if they will seek a third retrial.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Three British Muslims were convicted Monday of plotting to murder thousands by downing at least seven airliners bound for the U.S. and Canada in what was intended as the largest terrorist attack since Sept. 11.
A jury at a London court found Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 28, Assad Sarwar, 29, and Tanvir Hussain, 28, guilty of conspiracy to murder by detonating explosives on aircraft while they were in-flight.
Four other alleged conspirators - whom the prosecution said were to have smuggled liquid explosives onboard jetliners disguised as soft drinks - were acquitted of conspiring to blow up planes. The jury could not reach a verdict on an eighth man.
British and U.S. security officials said the plan - unlike many recent homegrown European terrorist plots - was directly linked to al Qaeda and guided by senior Islamic militants in Pakistan, who hoped to mount a spectacular strike on the West.
The officials said British plotters were likely just days away from mounting their suicide attacks when police rounded up 25 people in dawn raids in August 2006.
Their arrests led to travel chaos as hundreds of jetliners were grounded across Europe. Discovery of the plot also triggered changes to airport security, including new restrictions on the amount of liquids and gels passengers can take onto flights.
Prosecutors said suspects had identified seven specific flights from London's Heathrow airport to New York, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto and Montreal, as their targets.
British authorities estimate that, if successful, around 2,000 passengers would have died. If bombs were detonated over U.S. and Canadian cities, hundreds more would have been killed on the ground.
Plotters planned to assemble bombs in airplane toilets using hydrogen peroxide-based explosives injected into soda bottles.
"They were to be detonated in-flight by suicide bombers," including several of the accused, prosecutor Peter Wright said.
Tests by scientists who replicated the bombs in a laboratory showed the devices could produce powerful explosions, though there is no evidence that the terrorist cell had perfected the technique.
Wright told the trial that the group's suicide attacks were planned by "men with the cold-eyed certainty of the fanatic" and intended as "a violent and deadly statement of intent that would have a truly global impact."
He said the plot would have caused "a civilian death toll from terrorism on an almost unprecedented scale."
All eight defendants had denied most charges against them, claiming they were planning a stunt - and not a terrorist attack - to expose failings in Western foreign policy.
Prosecutors were unable to produce evidence that the men had produced a single viable bomb. The trial was the second to take place in a case which has frustrated prosecutors.
Last year, Ali, Sarwar and Hussain were convicted of conspiracy to murder, but the jury could not reach a verdict on whether they specifically targeted aircraft. The jury at that trial failed to reach verdicts against other four defendants.
Jurors on Monday cleared Donald Stewart-Whyte, 23, of all charges. They found Umar Islam, 31, guilty of a charge of conspiracy to murder, but could not decide if he was involved in targeting aircraft.
They found three other men: Ibrahim Savant, 28, Arafat Waheed Khan, 28 and Waheed Zaman, 25, not guilty of planning to blow up airliners, but could not reach verdicts on whether the three men were guilty of conspiracy to murder.
Each defendant, except Stewart-Whyte, had pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.
Prosecutor Adina Ezekiel said authorities will announce if they will seek a third retrial.
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Given that
(i) "terrorists" wear no uniform and
(ii) "terrorism" by its primary definition is covert operation and proven to be carried out with very primitive or improvised devices
(iii) such attacks require no rocket science, no F16, no tankers, not even training (as simple as carrying a backpack)
(iv) such attacks require hardly anyone with a FREE WILL-(can carry a duffel bag with explosives left underneath a seat in a subway or on a busy street)
A) How can anyone believe that wars, drone attacks, airstrikes, massive ground assaults on the "suspected" will ever stop a voluntary attack as easy as wearing a belt in trousers?
B) If only, doesn't anyone see that all massive attacks on indigenous people have actually resulted in more counter "attacks" and many more can and will occur anywhere?
C) Doesn't anyone see that such massive undertaking against poor people of the mudhouses and on donkeys is creating hatred and despise against the "powers" among people around the world?
D) Doesn't anyone see that a two minute "training" video circulated about bunch of so called Al-Qaeda members jumping ropes in mountains has no real use or purpose in carrying out "attacks"-as easy as burying IEDs in mud?
E) Does anyone not know that there are millions of people around the world, right now, hold hatred against US policies and are boasting about wreaking vengenace on the innocent blood?
F) Does anyone not know that continued overt and covert attacks/operations against indigenous people of AFghan/Pak/Iraq/Yemen/Somalia/Phillipines and many other places will only add to more hatred and rage?
G) Does anyone not know that the hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, lived and recruited in Germany and received basic flight training in the US?
H) Does anyone not know that wreaking vengeance by a way as simple as menacing box-cutters or even pencils to carry out a spectacular attack?
I) Does anyone not know that any number of people can group in their apartments and plan and carry out another concerted attacks against the "power" in any way they can without the need for any rocket science?
J) Does anyone not see that such convictions are testament that no one needs a "harbor, shelter, safe haven" to do something at free will anywhere at any time?
K) Does anyone not know the roots of hatred and "terrorism" why it exists in the first place?
J) More importantly, how can anyone actually believe and buy into their political leaders ploy that such wars, drone attacks, ground assaults, massive overt and covert operation will ever make them "safer?"
E) Does anyone not know that there are millions of people around the world, right now, hold hatred against US and its allies policies and are boasting about wreaking vengenace on the "Big Satan?"
Says all-It is after all NOT what it portrayed it to be. Another stunt by the "Authorities" scoring points to perpetuate wars
Why would you want to minimize this? Huh? It's called conspiracy and that's against the law. You make it sound like this action means nothing when in fact it looked like it averted a terrible catastrophe.
oh, just imagine: all 3 are islamist males. but here in the US, the authorities are never to hone in on islamist males as criminals. no, no. that would be PROFILING.
WHAT ROT.
=====================
This past year, white supremacists in the U.S. have assassinated several people. Should we "hone" in on all white males as criminals or potential criminals?