Current Al-Qaeda case in the UK

[Bailo]

Seven of these lads are on trial at the Crown Court now, the Beeb has listed the CPS' charges against them here.

 

Now is it poor reporting by the Beeb, or is all the CPS have?!

 

 

The allegations against each defendant

Seven men have gone on trial accused of involvement in a planned bombing campaign in Britain. All seven deny conspiracy to cause explosions between January 2003 and March 2004. Mr Khyam, Mr Garcia and Mr Hussain are also accused of possessing an article for the purposes of terrorism, namely 600kg of ammonium nitrate.

 

Mr Khyam and Shujah Mahmood also deny having aluminium powder for the purposes of terrorism between October 1 2003 and 31 March 2004.

 

What does the Crown say about each of the defendants?

 

OMAR KHYAM

 

Omar Khyam, aged 24, hails from Crawley in West Sussex. At the time of his arrest he was living in Slough, Berkshire. He allegedly used the alias Ausman when in Pakistan.

 

Mr Khyam allegedly told prosecution witness Mohammed Babar that he was working for a man called Abdul Hadi who was "number three in al-Qaeda".

 

The Crown claim Mr Khyam travelled to Pakistan in 2003 and told Babar he wanted to carry out operations in the UK and referred to pubs, nightclubs and trains as potential targets.

 

SHUJAH MAHMOOD

 

Mr Khyam's younger brother, Mr Mahmood is aged 18 and was living at the family home in Crawley.

 

ANTHONY GARCIA

 

Mr Garcia, aged 27, allegedly went by the aliases Rahman Adam, Abdul Rahman, John Lewis or Rizvan.

 

He lived in Ilford, Essex, and had a girlfriend who lived in Colindale, north London.

 

The Crown claims he carried out tests in Pakistan, along with Babar and Mr Khyam, into the effectiveness of ammonium nitrate as an explosive.

 

NABEEL HUSSAIN

 

Nabeel Hussain came from Horley, West Sussex, and at the time of his arrest was a student at Brunel University in Uxbridge, north west London.

 

Now 20, he is the only one of the defendants who is on bail.

 

JAWAD AKBAR

 

Jawad Akbar, aged 22, is also from Crawley but also had an address in Uxbridge.

 

WAHEED MAHMOOD

 

At 33, Waheed Mahmood is considerably older than the other defendants and also comes from Crawley.

 

Two months before his arrest Mahmood starting working for National Grid Transco, which operates electricity and gas systems in England.

 

He allegedly had several identities, including Abdul Waheed, Esmail, Javed or Jave.

 

The prosecution claim that Mr Mahmood told the witness Mohammed Babar that he was a supporter of al-Qaeda.

 

SALAHUDDIN AMIN

 

Salahuddin Amin, aged 30, comes from Luton, Bedfordshire. Unlike his co-defendants who were arrested on 30 March 2004, he was not arrested until April 2005 when he arrived at Heathrow from Pakistan.

 

He was allegedly known as Khalid by some people, including the main prosecution witness Mohammed Babar.