Terrorist plotter had ‘limitless ambition’

A GANG of British Islamic terrorists drew up a list of targets across Britain with “limitless” ambition, a court heard yesterday.

Canary Wharf, a gas pipeline, oil refineries and nuclear power stations may have been in their sights, a jury was told.

Woolwich Crown Court heard how eight men plotted to take liquid bombs disguised as drinks on board at least seven transatlantic jets.

Six of them recorded chilling suicide videos attacking Western governments and warning further attacks were to come, the court was told.

One accused the British of being too busy watching TV soap operas to care about anything, adding: “As you kill, you will be killed.”

Two of the men were also bugged discussing whether they should take their wives and children on the suicide missions.

Prosecutor Peter Wright QC said one key figure obtained detailed information about other possible targets.

He said Assad Sarwar was too important to give up his life in the wave of mid-air suicide attacks.

Wright said: “The horizon in respect of Mr Sarwar’s terrorist ambition was, we say, limitless.”

The high security south-east London court heard a second day of extraordinary evidence yesterday against the eight men.

They are accused of conspiring to murder and to endanger the safety of aircraft. All eight deny the charges.

The prosecution alleged that:

When government scientists tested one of the liquid bombs the blast was so powerful it destroyed recording equipment;

The gang bought a Walthamstow flat with cash and transformed it into a bomb factory and location for their suicide videos;

Police recorded one of the men claiming the plot would be ready in a “couple of weeks” in the summer of 2006;

The leader threatened that body parts would be left “decorating the streets” if the West did not stop meddling in Muslim affairs.

The jury were played excerpts from suicide videos recorded by six of the defendants. The men attacked British and American foreign policy, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in provocative rhetoric.

Wright said each video contained “similar chilling sentiments” with the men standing in front of a black Arabic flag.

Abdulla Ahmed Ali said he was “over the moon” to lead the “blessed operation” and said he aspired to jihad since he was 15-years-old.

He said: “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.”

He added: “You show more care and concern for animals than you do for the Muslim Umah [Islamic nation].”

In his video, Umar Islam declared the West could “never win in this war” as long as people like him remained steadfast.

Islam said: “I say to you disbelievers that as you bomb, you will be bombed. As you kill, you will be killed.”

Apparently addressing the British public, he added: “Most of them are too busy watching Home And Away and EastEnders, complaining about the World Cup, drinking your alcohol, to care about anything.”