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Men tried over 'plane bomb plot' Men tried over 'plane bomb plot'
(10 minutes later)
Eight men plotted to use "home-made bombs" disguised as soft drinks to blow up transatlantic planes mid-flight, Woolwich Crown Court has heard.Eight men plotted to use "home-made bombs" disguised as soft drinks to blow up transatlantic planes mid-flight, Woolwich Crown Court has heard.
The jury was told that had the alleged plot come off, there would have been deaths on an "unprecedented scale".The jury was told that had the alleged plot come off, there would have been deaths on an "unprecedented scale".
The bombs would be made of household items smuggled on board and detonated in mid-flight.The bombs would be made of household items smuggled on board and detonated in mid-flight.
All eight men deny the alleged plot, which counter-terrorist police claim to have foiled in August 2006.All eight men deny the alleged plot, which counter-terrorist police claim to have foiled in August 2006.
'Indifferent to carnage'
Prosecutor Peter Wright said the ringleaders of the alleged conspiracy were two men, Abdulla Ahmed Ali and Assad Sarwar, from Walthamstow, east London, and High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.Prosecutor Peter Wright said the ringleaders of the alleged conspiracy were two men, Abdulla Ahmed Ali and Assad Sarwar, from Walthamstow, east London, and High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
He said the pair shared an "interest" in ensuring the plot ended in the deaths of passengers and air crew. 'Indifferent to carnage'
What these men intended to bring about together and with others was a violent and deadly statement of intent that would have a truly global impact Prosecutor Peter Wright
Mr Wright told the jury: "The means by which they intended to inflict heavy casualties on ordinary civilians was by the carrying out of a series of co-ordinated and deadly explosions.Mr Wright told the jury: "The means by which they intended to inflict heavy casualties on ordinary civilians was by the carrying out of a series of co-ordinated and deadly explosions.
"These men were indifferent to the carnage that was likely to ensue if their plans were successful. To them the identities of their victims was an irrelevance by race, colour, religion or creed. What these men intended to bring about together and with others was a violent and deadly statement of intent that would have a truly global impact Prosecutor Peter Wright
"What these men intended to bring about together and with others was a violent and deadly statement of intent that would have a truly global impact. "These men were indifferent to the carnage that was likely to ensue if their plans were successful... They intended, with others, to cause a series of co-ordinated explosions aboard a number of transatlantic passenger aircraft."
"It's that they intended, with others, to cause a series of co-ordinated explosions aboard a number of transatlantic passenger aircraft. The explosions were to be caused by the detonation in-flight of home-made bombs made from everyday household items such as drinks bottles and batteries which could be smuggled on board, Mr Wright said.
Additional charge
"The explosions were to be caused by the detonation in-flight of home-made bombs commonly referred to as improvised explosive devices."
The bombs would be made from everyday household items such as drinks bottles and batteries which could be smuggled on board and detonated in mid-flight, Mr Wright said.
"The devices were to be smuggled on to the aircraft and were to be detonated in flight by suicide bombers prepared to lose their lives in this way.
"Inevitably such an event would have fatal consequences for the various passengers and crew who happened, quite by chance, to be flying to North America on the day selected by them to commit this atrocity."Inevitably such an event would have fatal consequences for the various passengers and crew who happened, quite by chance, to be flying to North America on the day selected by them to commit this atrocity.
Additional charge
"Consequently, it is the Crown's case that these men and others were actively engaged in a most deadly plot designed to bring about what would have been, had they been successful, a civilian death toll from an act of terrorism on an almost unprecedented scale.""Consequently, it is the Crown's case that these men and others were actively engaged in a most deadly plot designed to bring about what would have been, had they been successful, a civilian death toll from an act of terrorism on an almost unprecedented scale."
Those in the dock are: Abdulla Ahmed Ali, also known as Ahmed Ali Khan, 28, of Prospect Hill, Walthamstow; Assad Sarwar, 28, of Walton Drive, High Wycombe;Those in the dock are: Abdulla Ahmed Ali, also known as Ahmed Ali Khan, 28, of Prospect Hill, Walthamstow; Assad Sarwar, 28, of Walton Drive, High Wycombe;
Tanvir Hussain, 27, of Nottingham Road, Leyton, east London; Ibrahim Savant, 28, of Denver Road, Stoke Newington, north London;Tanvir Hussain, 27, of Nottingham Road, Leyton, east London; Ibrahim Savant, 28, of Denver Road, Stoke Newington, north London;
Arafat Waheed Khan, 27, of Farnan Avenue, Walthamstow; Waheed Zaman, 24, of Queen's Road, Walthamstow;Arafat Waheed Khan, 27, of Farnan Avenue, Walthamstow; Waheed Zaman, 24, of Queen's Road, Walthamstow;
Umar Islam, also known as Brian Young, 30, of Bushey Road, Plaistow, east London; and Donald Stewart-Whyte, 22, of Hepplewhite Close, High Wycombe.Umar Islam, also known as Brian Young, 30, of Bushey Road, Plaistow, east London; and Donald Stewart-Whyte, 22, of Hepplewhite Close, High Wycombe.
Mr Savant, Mr Khan, Mr Zaman, Mr Islam and Mr Stewart-Whyte face one additional charge of conspiracy to murder, which again they deny.Mr Savant, Mr Khan, Mr Zaman, Mr Islam and Mr Stewart-Whyte face one additional charge of conspiracy to murder, which again they deny.