This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/7608780.stm

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
Seven men face bomb plot retrial Seven men face bomb plot retrial
(about 1 hour later)
Prosecutors are to seek a retrial of seven British men who were accused of a plot to blow up planes flying from the UK to North America with liquid bombs.Prosecutors are to seek a retrial of seven British men who were accused of a plot to blow up planes flying from the UK to North America with liquid bombs.
Three men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder but the jury was unable to decide whether they and four other men had planned to target planes.Three men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder but the jury was unable to decide whether they and four other men had planned to target planes.
The men had denied plotting to bring down planes with home-made bombs disguised as soft drinks.The men had denied plotting to bring down planes with home-made bombs disguised as soft drinks.
The Crown Prosecution Service will put a retrial application before a court.The Crown Prosecution Service will put a retrial application before a court.
The CPS said the seven men should face a retrial on every count the jury, which was discharged on Monday, had failed to agree on.The CPS said the seven men should face a retrial on every count the jury, which was discharged on Monday, had failed to agree on.
Director of public prosecutions Sir Ken Macdonald QC said: "This will include a count that each defendant conspired to detonate improvised explosive devices on transatlantic passenger aircraft. Director of public prosecutions Sir Ken Macdonald QC said: "This will include a count that each defendant conspired to detonate improvised explosive devices on transatlantic passenger aircraft," he said.
"We shall be returning to court to make this application in due course.""We shall be returning to court to make this application in due course."
Videos He added he had reached the decision after "careful consideration" with the head of his counter-terrorism division and counsel.
On Monday, after a five-month trial at Woolwich Crown Court, in London, Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Assad Sarwar and Tanvir Hussain, who have yet to be sentenced, were found guilty of conspiracy to murder. Making videos
But the jury was unable to reach a verdict on whether they and Ibrahim Savant, Arafat Khan, Waheed Zaman and Umar Islam conspired to detonate explosives on aircraft. The seven men are Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27, Assad Sarwar, 28, Tanvir Hussain, 27, Ibrahim Savant, 27, Arafat Waheed Khan, 27, Waheed Zaman, 24, and Umar Islam, 30.
The jurors also failed to decide whether Mr Savant, Mr Khan, Mr Zaman and Mr Islam were guilty of conspiracy to murder and those four also face a possible retrial on that count. On Monday, after a five-month trial at London's Woolwich Crown Court, Ali, of Walthamstow, Sarwar, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and Hussain, of Leyton, east London, were found guilty of conspiracy to murder. They have yet to be sentenced.
All seven had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit public nuisance, but none of the men has yet been sentenced. But the jury was unable to reach a verdict on whether they and Mr Savant, of Stoke Newington, Mr Islam, of Plaistow, and Mr Zaman and Mr Khan, both of Walthamstow, all London, conspired to detonate explosives on aircraft.
The court heard prosecutors allege the men had been planning to carry liquid explosives on to planes at Heathrow Airport, knowing the devices would evade airport security checks. The jurors also failed to decide whether Mr Savant, Mr Islam, Mr Zaman and Mr Khan were guilty of conspiracy to murder, and those four men also face a possible retrial on that count.
Police said the plot had been inspired by al-Qaeda in Pakistan. All seven had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit public nuisance by making videos threatening bombings, but none of the men has yet been sentenced.
But in their defence, the men, who had recorded videos denouncing Western foreign policy, said they had planned only to cause a political spectacle and not to kill anyone. Surveillance operation
Also, the explosives were never fully constructed and tickets had neither been bought nor plans to travel made. Ali, Sarwar and Hussain told the jury they had wanted to create a political spectacle in protest over foreign policy. It would have included fake suicide videos and devices that would frighten rather than kill the public.
Prosecutors alleged the men had been planning to carry liquid explosives on to planes at Heathrow Airport, knowing the devices would evade airport security checks.
But the court heard the explosives were never fully constructed and tickets had neither been bought nor plans to travel made.
Sweeping airport restrictions on liquids in hand luggage were brought in following the men's arrests in August 2006.Sweeping airport restrictions on liquids in hand luggage were brought in following the men's arrests in August 2006.
An eighth defendant was cleared of all charges. An eighth defendant Mohammad Gulzar, 27, of Barking, east London, was cleared of all charges.