Liquid Bomb Plotters in Court
News Brief – April 6, 2008
A former British counterterrorism official, who was working for the government at the time, said several people living in Walthamstow, alerted the police in July 2005 about the intentions of a small group of angry young Muslim men.
The initial focus of investigations was not about possible terrorism aboard planes, but an effort to see if there were any links between the accused and the July 7 subway bombers, he said.
Shortly thereafter MI5, Britain's domestic security services, began an around-the-clock surveillance operation of the men – bugging their apartments, tapping their phones, monitoring their bank transactions, eavesdropping on their Internet traffic and e-mail messages, even watching where they traveled, shopped and took their laundry, according to senior British officials.
[PICTURE: Second storey flat alleged to be the 'bomb factory']
Walthamstow is best known for its faded greyhound track and the borough of Waltham Forest, where more than 17,000 Pakistani immigrants live in the largest Pakistani enclave in London.
In June 2006, a 22-year-old man who is among the suspects was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the plot, paid $260,000 cash for a second-floor apartment at 386a Forest Road, Walthamstow, according to official property records.
No mention has been made in the court case as to where this money came from. Nor have the authorities disclosed why they put the flat under such intensive surveillance in the first place, other than to say they had received an “annonymous tip-off”.
More significantly perhaps, 386a Forest Road is little more than 200 metres from Walthamstow's police station. So the alleged "bomb factory" was sited right under the noses of local police.
During the course of the operation agents noticed that six men were regularly visiting the second-floor apartment that came to be known as the "bomb factory," according to officials briefed about the case.
Prosecuters allege two of the men were conducting a series of bomb making experiments with chemicals.
The evidence for this comes from MI5 agents who had secretly installed video and audio recording equipment inside the apartment, senior officials said.
In a secret search conducted before the flat was raided on August 10, agents claim to have discovered that the inside of batteries had been scooped out, and that it appeared several suspects were doing chemical experiments with a sports drink bottle and syringes, the person with knowledge of the case said.
Investigators say they believe that the suspects intended to smuggle explosive chemicals aboard planes inside sports drink bottles.
According to a British official, one of the leaders and a man in his late 20's met in the flat at least twice to discuss the suspected plot, as MI5 agents secretly watched and listened. On Aug. 9, just hours before the police raids occurred in 50 locations from East London to Birmingham, the two men met again to record a martyrdom video.
Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, said the flat "contained the various paraphernalia necessary to create the kind of improvised explosive devices that could be carried through security at an airport, disguised as items of hand luggage and soft drinks."
Prosecutors claim the men planned to kill thousands by blowing up airliners packed with travellers.
Apart from suicide attacks on trans-Atlantic airliners, the prosecution alleges attacks on nuclear power stations, oil and gas terminals, Canary Wharf and Heathrow’s control tower were also being considered.
Documents found on computer memory sticks at the home of the alleged terrorist ringleader contained a list of targets across Britain – including the gas pipeline between Britain and Belgium.
The man, Assad Sarwar, was said to be in contact with terrorist leaders overseas and visited Pakistan a month before his arrest as preparations for the airline attacks were being finalised.
Peter Wright, QC, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Sarwar, who is on trial with seven other men accused of the airline plot, was not to have been a suicide bomber. “He was not about to travel on board any transatlantic aircraft with any improvised explosive device,” Mr Wright said.
“Mr Sarwar’s responsibility within this terrorist network was far too precious. It is the Crown’s case that he was one of those engaged in this plot with direct links to those overseas who may have a clear interest in the success of any such terrorist outrage struck in the name of Islam.”
The case continues this week.
[PICTURE: 386a Forest Rd, Walthamstow]
However as a reader has commented, it's interesting that one of the alleged “liquid bomb” plotters first set up the 'bomb factory' replete with MI5 surveillance cameras etc......after buying the flat outright with the U.S. equivalent of $260 000.
Where did the money come from and who made the "annonymous tip-offs": were they made by people inside Walthamstow's Muslim community or by outsiders?
And is it possible that the evidence against the accused was planted during the "secret search" of the flat?
After all, Briton’s MI5 has a history of deliberately turning a blind eye to impending “terror attacks” and even helping to finance terror cells. In the aftermath these attacks they are then cynically exploited for political gain.
During the IRA bombing campaigns many attacks had the fingerprints of MI5 and even if there was no active involvement by British Intelligence there was at least some prior knowledge.
Is this just the latest example of "terror" that has been contrived or covertly assisted by Britain's security services for their own purposes?
We may never know for sure but given the prevelance of Freemasons involved in Britain's legal system, don't expect this court case to reveal the truth of the matter either.
Photos courtesy Pete at www.snapperjack.net
[PICTURE: Above: view from the front of 386a Forest Rd to the corner. And below: from the corner to the police station, with a police van parked outside.]
[PICTURE: Almost on the doorstep of the alleged 'bomb factory'.]
Last updated 10/04/2008