Pakistanis ready to extradite 7/7 terror link to UK

Published on Saturday 10 September 2005 00:56

THE man intelligence experts believe may be the "missing link" between the London suicide bombers and the al-Qaeda network is set to be extradited to Britain from Pakistan.

The government yesterday revealed that British and Pakistani diplomats are on the verge of signing the countries' first ever extradition treaty.

Zeeshan Siddiqui, 25, a British national who was arrested in Pakistan in May, is expected to be among the first to face extradition.

Another six detainees, mostly Pakistani nationals, might also face extradition.

The Home Office yesterday said negotiations on the treaty were in their "final stages". As well as possibly connecting the four British suicide bombers to Osama bin Laden's terror group, Siddiqui might form a link between the men and at least two other plots to bomb British targets.

It is believed that Siddiqui met at least one of the London bombers in Pakistan last year. He is also thought to have been at a terror "summit" in western Pakistan last year attended by Abdul Hadi al-Iraqi, who is said to be an envoy for bin Laden.

A security source yesterday told The Scotsman that Siddiqui is "definitely of interest" to Scotland Yard and MI5 investigators. The ability to extradite suspects from Pakistan is expected to prove "very positive" for the 7 July inquiry, the source said.

Attention is being focused on how the four bombers came to conceive and execute the attacks that killed 56 people.

Investigators have discounted suggestions of a "fifth man" or mastermind who led the attacks, believing instead that one of the bombers, Mohammed Sidique Khan, effectively led the operation.

But there remains an intensive search for the people who inspired and "radicalised" the bombers. That inquiry is increasingly concentrated on Pakistan. At least three of the four bombers visited Pakistan in the months before the London attacks.

Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani president, yesterday confirmed for the first time that one of the bombers, Shahzad Tanweer of Leeds, had visited a madrassa school linked with militants during his visit.

The school is run by the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which denies involvement in terrorism.

President Musharraf said Tanweer visited the site "briefly".

But Tanweer is also believed by British officials to have "shopped around" among militant groups in Pakistan and made contact with Siddiqui, who may have acted as a go-between with militant leaders.

One of the theories intelligence services are examining is that the 7 July attacks were only organised after the failure of an earlier plot, which Siddiqui is accused of orchestrating.

When Siddiqui was arrested, it is alleged that documents were found in which he referred to his "comrades" having "chickened out" and as a result, something he called "wagon" had been called off. One theory is that "wagon" indicated a plot to bomb transport networks.

Siddiqui has also been linked to an attack thwarted last year by a major anti-terrorist operation in Britain.

In a string of raids last year known as Operation Crevice, eight men were arrested. They are currently awaiting trial on terrorist offences.

It is understood that one of those arrested has told British authorities that Siddiqui was part of the network that organised the attack foiled by Operation Crevice.

One of the London bombers, Sidique, has already been linked to the alleged Crevice plotters. At the time of the arrests, MI5 identified him as an "associate" of one of those arrested, but judged that he was not involved in terrorism.

Siddiqui grew up in Hounslow, west London, but left Britain in 1999 after reportedly telling his parents he wanted be come a jihadi, or holy warrior. His best friend at school was Asif Hanish, who carried out a suicide bombing in Israel in 2003, killing four people.

Despite the weight of circumstantial evidence surrounding Siddiqui, British security sources say that only when officials here get a chance to question him fully will they be able to reach conclusions about his exact role and connections.

With that in mind, MI5 is said to be "extremely keen" to get full access to Siddiqui.

As he was arrested in May, well before the 7 July attacks, security sources discount the possibility that he was directly involved in the final execution of the bombings.

Instead, he may be important as intelligence officers build up "concentric circles" of contacts and associates around the four bombers, trying to establish what, if any, links they had to other extremists.

Siddiqui has been held since his arrest at a prison in Peshawar, sometimes being transferred to Islamabad for interrogations by Pakistani officials, who say he routinely "works himself into fits" to avoid questioning. Local reports suggest that he has been tortured by Pakistani officers.

British officials have also tried to question Siddiqui in Pakistan but with little success.

The Home Office yesterday sounded an optimistic note about an extradition agreement:

"Under the proposed treaty, alleged terrorism would be an extraditable offence.

"This work is in the final stages, but we do not have a date yet for when the treaty will be signed."

Even if an extradition treaty between London and Islamabad is agreed, there is no guarantee Siddiqui will be handed over. His lawyer in Peshawar has lodged a claim for her client to be treated as a Pakistani citizen, since both his parents have Pakistani nationality, although they are believed to have lived in Britain for several years.

Since Siddiqui is being held under Pakistan's Foreigners Act, a ruling that he is a Pakistani national could complicate any extradition request.

NO PLACE FOR BOMBERS' FAMILIES

RELATIVES of the 7 July London bombers will definitely not be invited to the national remembrance service for the victims, the government announced last night.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Culture which is co-organising the event on 1 November said: "The service is intended to provide comfort to the grieving families and friends of the victims.

"There is no truth in recent coverage which alleges that the families of the London bombers should be invited to the service, or that this was ever going to be the case."

It had been suggested the families of the four bombers who carried out the 7 July atrocities which claimed the lives of 52 people would be invited to attend the event.

But the government confirmed the relatives of the bombers would not be on the guest list for the service at St Paul's Cathedral.

The spokeswoman said the order of service and the guests were a matter for the Cathedral's Dean and Chapter and the DCMS. She said it would be "inappropriate" to invite the families of the bombers to the event.

"We fully understand the anguish of the families of the bombers, but it would be wholly inappropriate to invite them to this service."

She added that the service would be a chance to celebrate the capital's multicultural society.

"It also will be an opportunity to be an affirmation of London as one of the world's great cities and an affirmation of our multicultural and multi-faith society," she said.