21/7 man in call to Gordon Brown

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An alleged 21 July bomber has told a court he hopes Gordon Brown would deal with the situation in the Middle East.

Yassin Omar, 26, said at Woolwich Crown Court that the UK should change its foreign policy and it was conducting an illegal war in Iraq.

He said that was the reason he set off a "fake" suicide bomb on the London Underground at Warren Street in 2005.

Six men deny conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life on London's transport.

'Maximum effect'

Mr Omar told the jury that if he was acquitted he would dedicate himself to solving problems between different faiths.

He said of 21/7: "It had to be something big in order to have the maximum public and media effect, for the politicians to stand up and realise that the time has come, that the Muslims have to work together and have to try and solve the problems in Iraq.

"Foreign policy needs to change."

Mr Omar said if the government spoke to the IRA it should communicate with all Muslims, including extremists.

"I hope the new prime minister Gordon Brown has the vision to make this country the best," he said.

Judge Mr Justice Fulford said: "We are not going to have your view on what the next prime minister should do."

'Very simple-minded'

Mr Omar has already said the devices were a dramatic protest and never designed to hurt anyone.

Earlier, Mr Omar said he regretted what had happened because he was "very simple-minded" and did not realise it would cause such chaos.

Omar admitted lying to police, but said it was only because he thought officers would shoot his co-accused Muktar Said Ibrahim and Ramzi Mohammed, following the fatal shooting of Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell Tube station.

He said he was not a suicide bomber because he had got married just four days before 21/7 and had not yet been on the holy Hajj pilgrimage.

Mr Omar, of New Southgate, north London, is in the dock with Mr Ibrahim, 29, from Stoke Newington, north London; Mr Mohammed, 25, of North Kensington, west London; Hussain Osman, 28, of no fixed address; Adel Yahya, 24, of High Road, Tottenham, north London; and Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, 34, of no fixed address.

The trial was adjourned to Thursday.