quirk
04-04-2008, 12:12 PM
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44537000/jpg/_44537340_comp226_170.jpg
Members of a group accused of plotting to blow up passenger planes mid-air as they crossed the Atlantic made Islamic martyrdom videos, a court has heard.
Several of the eight men recorded videos in which one warns of "martyrdom operations" that would "rain down" on non-believers, jurors were told.
They were contemplating violent deaths in the name of Islam, prosecutors said.
All eight men deny conspiring to murder others and endangering aircraft bound for the US and Canada in 2006.
After their arrests in August that year, passengers were banned from carrying most liquids on board aircraft.
The jury at Woolwich Crown Court was played parts of one of the martyrdom videos featuring a man said to be defendant Umar Islam, who was shown speaking of a desire to kill non-Muslims.
"We are doing this in order to gain the pleasure of our Lord, and Allah loves us to die and kill in his fires," he was heard saying.
He was shown describing his plans as "revenge" for the actions of the United States and its "accomplices such as the British and the Jews".
"This is a warning for the non-believers that if they do not leave our lands there are many more like us and many more like me until the law of Allah is established on this earth," he went on.
He was then heard warning: "Martyrdom operations upon martyrdom operations will keep on raining on these kuffars [non-believers] until they release us and leave our lands."
In another video, which was said to feature a number of the defendants, a man described as defendant Abdul Ahmed Ali was heard saying: "Sheikh Osama [Bin Laden] has warned you many times to leave our lands or you will be destroyed, and now the time has come for you to be destroyed."
'Liquid bombs'
The man, who described himself as the leader of the group, was also heard warning of "floods of martyr operations" against non-Muslims which would scatter "the people and your body parts and your people's body parts".
Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, said the recordings "were significant" because they showed the men "contemplated losing their lives in some violent act", which would be a "perceived act of martyrdom in the name of Islam".
The eight men are accused of plotting to use home-made devices of liquid explosives, which would be smuggled on to aircraft and then used to blow up a number of transatlantic flights from London's Heathrow Airport.
At least seven aircraft flying to major cities across north America were the targets, the court has been told.
The defendants are Abdul Ahmed Ali, aka Ahmed Ali Khan, 27, of Walthamstow, Assad Sarwar, 24, of High Wycombe, Tanvir Hussain, 27, of no fixed address, and Mohammed Gulzar, 26, of Barking. Also charged, are Ibrahim Savant, 27, of Walthamstow, Arafat Waheed Khan, 26, of Walthamstow, Waheed Zaman, 23, of Walthamstow, and Umar Islam, aka Brian Young, 29, of High Wycombe.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7330330.stm
Members of a group accused of plotting to blow up passenger planes mid-air as they crossed the Atlantic made Islamic martyrdom videos, a court has heard.
Several of the eight men recorded videos in which one warns of "martyrdom operations" that would "rain down" on non-believers, jurors were told.
They were contemplating violent deaths in the name of Islam, prosecutors said.
All eight men deny conspiring to murder others and endangering aircraft bound for the US and Canada in 2006.
After their arrests in August that year, passengers were banned from carrying most liquids on board aircraft.
The jury at Woolwich Crown Court was played parts of one of the martyrdom videos featuring a man said to be defendant Umar Islam, who was shown speaking of a desire to kill non-Muslims.
"We are doing this in order to gain the pleasure of our Lord, and Allah loves us to die and kill in his fires," he was heard saying.
He was shown describing his plans as "revenge" for the actions of the United States and its "accomplices such as the British and the Jews".
"This is a warning for the non-believers that if they do not leave our lands there are many more like us and many more like me until the law of Allah is established on this earth," he went on.
He was then heard warning: "Martyrdom operations upon martyrdom operations will keep on raining on these kuffars [non-believers] until they release us and leave our lands."
In another video, which was said to feature a number of the defendants, a man described as defendant Abdul Ahmed Ali was heard saying: "Sheikh Osama [Bin Laden] has warned you many times to leave our lands or you will be destroyed, and now the time has come for you to be destroyed."
'Liquid bombs'
The man, who described himself as the leader of the group, was also heard warning of "floods of martyr operations" against non-Muslims which would scatter "the people and your body parts and your people's body parts".
Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, said the recordings "were significant" because they showed the men "contemplated losing their lives in some violent act", which would be a "perceived act of martyrdom in the name of Islam".
The eight men are accused of plotting to use home-made devices of liquid explosives, which would be smuggled on to aircraft and then used to blow up a number of transatlantic flights from London's Heathrow Airport.
At least seven aircraft flying to major cities across north America were the targets, the court has been told.
The defendants are Abdul Ahmed Ali, aka Ahmed Ali Khan, 27, of Walthamstow, Assad Sarwar, 24, of High Wycombe, Tanvir Hussain, 27, of no fixed address, and Mohammed Gulzar, 26, of Barking. Also charged, are Ibrahim Savant, 27, of Walthamstow, Arafat Waheed Khan, 26, of Walthamstow, Waheed Zaman, 23, of Walthamstow, and Umar Islam, aka Brian Young, 29, of High Wycombe.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7330330.stm