5 British men convicted of planning terror attacks

Details kept secret during the trial link the five to group responsible for 7/7 London transit bombings.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
jp.services2 (photo credit: )
jp.services2
(photo credit: )
A jury found five men guilty Monday of plotting to use a 590-kilogram fertilizer bomb to attack a London nightclub, power plants or a shopping mall. The year-long trial was Britain's longest-ever terror case. Details that were kept secret to ensure a fair trial have now been revealed, showing ties between the five and a group who was responsible for the 7/7 London transit system bombings in 2005, as well as with other al-Qaida linked cells. Omar Khyam was found guilty of conspiracy to cause explosions made from chemical fertilizer which would endanger life. Also found guilty in the conspiracy were Anthony Garcia, Jawad Akbar, Waheed Mahmood and Alahuddin Amin. Two others, Nabeel Hussain and Shujah Mahmood, were cleared of conspiracy to cause explosions. The defendants, who had looked relaxed and were smiling as they were led into the court, became somber as the verdicts were read. The foreman read the verdicts after a record of nearly 135 hours of deliberation over 27 days. The judge, Sir Michael Astill, rejected defense claims that the plot had been abandoned. "This was a conspiracy that did not come to fruition, no doubt because of the intervention of the security services," Astill said. Shujah Mahmood gave a sigh of relief after being found innocent. He wiped an eye as he was led to the cells to complete the formalities. Hussain immediately bent down to the floor as the verdict was read. The five men who were convicted showed no emotion.