British al-Qaida terrorists jailed for life

Five British al-Qaida terrorists jailed for life today were told they had "betrayed their country".

Omar Khyam and his UK terror cell plotted to bomb public places such as the Ministry of Sound nightclub in London and the giant Bluewater shopping centre in Kent.

But Old Bailey Judge Michael Astill told them they had betrayed their countrymen and law-abiding Muslims.

He said: "You have betrayed the country that has given you every advantage in life."

A Downing Street spokesman said the operation had been a success and "as a result, many lives have been saved".

After they were found guilty of conspiracy to cause explosions, it was revealed that Khyam had meetings with July 7 bombers Mohammed Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer in 2004.

Khan had also been to a Pakistani terrorist training camp with Khyam the previous year.

Relatives and survivors of the London transport bombings in 2005 called for a public inquiry after it emerged that Khan had been spotted by MI5 surveillance on Khyam.

But British Home Secretary John Reid ruled out an inquiry because it would divert the police and security services away from the fight against terrorism.

He said that British Prime Minister Tony Blair had agreed that the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee - which has already investigated the 7/7 attacks - should look again at the evidence.

Peter Clarke, the head of Scotland Yard's Anti-Terrorism Command said: "If these men had succeeded in achieving their goal, there is no doubt at all that the carnage would have been immense.

"It was the first time since 9/11 that we in the UK had seen a group of British men intent on committing mass murder against their fellow citizens."

Khyam, Waheed Mahmood, Garcia and Salahuddin Amin showed their contempt for the court by refusing to enter court to be sentenced.

Only Jawad Akbar, who had been found guilty by a 10-2 majority, sat in the dock as the judge branded the terrorists ruthless misfits.

Judge Astill said: "It may be that you consider yourselves heroes of the cause that you espouse.

"But you are considered by the vast majority of the population of whatever religious faith, as nothing but cruel and ruthless misfits - and now you must pay the price exacted by that society."

Judge Astill said the "spiral of contamination" began with "the teachers and preachers of hatred and revenge who so often lurk in the shadows".

"Those who begin the process do not put themselves forward. They are masters of cowardice.

"They, like you, insult the numerous followers of the Islamic faith who enrich this society but who attract unmerited suspicions because of you, simply because of their faith."

The judge warned that the five young men, mainly from Crawley, West Sussex, may never be released from their life terms.

The court was told that they grew up in the suburbs of England where they played cricket and grew up to go to university.

But they became radicalised and went to a Pakistani terrorist camp to wage "holy war".

Following the September 11 attacks on the twin towers in New York and the Iraq war, they turned their attentions to Britain.

American Mohammed Junaid Babar told the court he conspired with them and they talked of bombing power installations and even poisoning football fans with spiked beer.

They had even looked into buying a nuclear bomb from the Russian Mafia.

The terrorists were told they may never be released from their life sentences.

Omar Khyam (aged 25), Waheed Mahmood (aged 35) and Jawad Akbar (aged 23) from Crawley, West Sussex, Anthony Garcia (aged 25) of Barkingside, east London, and Salahuddin Amin (aged 32), of Luton, were all found guilty of conspiracy between January 2003 and March 2004.

Khyam and Garcia were also convicted of having 600kg (1,300lb) of ammonium nitrate fertiliser. Khyam was also found guilty of having aluminium powder for the explosives.

The gang was arrested after the fertiliser was found stored in a warehouse in Hanwell, west London, in early 2004. It had been substituted with a safe substance by the police.

Khyam, Waheed Mahmood and Garcia were told they would have to serve a minimum of 20 years in jail.

Akbar and Amin were told they would have to serve at least 17.5 years.

Khyam's brother, Shujah Mahmood (aged 20) of Crawley, and Nabeel Hussain (aged 22) of Horley, Surrey were found not guilty.

In a statement read outside court by his solicitor Imran Khan, Hussain said: "I have never been an extremist or believed in extremism."