In chilling videos shown to a jury, defendants accused of plotting to bring down jetliners over the Atlantic called for revenge for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and praised al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden.
Most of the Britons charged in the alleged plot mad videotapes denouncing the West for what they said was its suppression of Muslims, prosecutor Peter Wright said on Friday as he outlined his case to jurors at a London court.
Eight men are accused of plotting to blow up at least seven jetliners bound for the US and Canada in 2006.
Some in the group were heard on secret police audio bugs discussing plans to take their wives and young children on the suicide missions, Wright said.
Wright showed a jury clips of videotapes the men recorded for distribution after their attacks. Each man wore a black and white checkered headscarf and sat alone in front of a black flag inscribed with a message in Arabic.
“I say to the nonbelievers, as you bomb, you will be bombed. As you kill, you will be killed,” said Umar Islam, 29, as he angrily wagged a finger at the camera, denouncing the US and Britain for their military role in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories.
Another defendant, Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27, predicted waves of new attacks on the US and Britain.
“We will take our revenge and anger, ripping amongst your people and scattering the people ... decorating the streets,” he said in a video.
Islam lambasted the British public, saying that they deserved to suffer because they cared more about sports and television soap operas than they cared about the plight of Muslims.
“Most of them are too busy watching Home And Away and EastEnders, complaining about the World Cup, drinking your alcohol, to care about anything,” he said.
Wright said on Thursday that the group had expressed hopes of recruiting as many as 18 suicide bombers. Seven specific flights from London’s Heathrow airport to Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Washington, Toronto and Montreal had been singled out for attack, but no specific date selected, Wright said.
The cell planned to strike all seven in one afternoon in late 2006.
Soft drinks bottles injected with hydrogen peroxide-based explosives were to be smuggled on board and improvised bombs assembled in jetliner toilets, Wright said.
He said the group had purchased a vacant flat in a London row house and used it as a bomb factory and collected large quantities of hydrogen peroxide for use as explosives.
Wright acknowledged the men had not been able to assemble a viable bomb, but he insisted they were close to achieving success.
He showed a jury a video of an experiment by government scientists using the same ingredients to create working devices.
Thick panels of reinforced glass shattered as the bomb exploded, spraying shrapnel across a laboratory.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
RSS