Terror accused 'had videos urging jihad on laptop computer'

VIDEOS featuring the 9/11 attacks on the United States and Osama bin Laden were found on the computer of a student accused of terrorism charges, a court heard yesterday.

The images and documents were found in a folder on the laptop belonging to Mohammed Atif Siddique, which was seized at Glasgow Airport.

Siddique, 21, from Alva in Clackmannanshire, denies a total of five charges including distributing terrorist materials through websites and claiming to be a member of the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

Michael Dickson, 42, forensic analyst with the E-crime unit attached to the police, told the High Court in Glasgow the items were in a folder called "1" which could have been difficult for a casual observer to find.

Two of the videos were played in court yesterday.

One showed a series of images including the planes flying into the World Trade Centre and images of war and men in Islamic dress, as well as pictures of George Bush, Tony Blair and Osama bin Laden.

The images were accompanied by chanting with English subtitles translating the words.

The chants were directed against Americans and included the words: "Oh Allah eradicate them with your power and omnipotence" and "Direct your forces against them".

A second video showed the image of someone who appeared to be bin Laden urging Muslims to jihad, or holy war.

It also showed pictures of young men moving across the screen who were described as members of the "martyrdom battalion".

It also showed a man who urged: "Come and join the jihad."

Mr Dickson also found text documents on the computer which included one titled The Islamic Rules On The Permissibility Of Self Sacrificial Operations, another called Mourning Over A Knightess, and The Book Of Jihad.

Earlier the court heard how, when Mr Dickson was first given the computer to investigate, he realised that it had already been switched on.

He said this was unusual and said switching the computer on could have destroyed evidence. The computer should be switched on only by somebody authorised in order to preserve the integrity of evidence.

He said the computer had been switched on between 10:19pm and 11:30pm on 5 April, 2006, although it was seized from the accused's possession at 8pm on that date and more than 200 files had been updated in that time.

But he said it was not possible to establish whether the files had been destroyed or damaged.

Siddique faces three charges under the Terrorism Act 2000, one under the Terrorism Act 2006 and a breach of the peace charge.

He is accused of possessing items which gave a reasonable suspicion that they were connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism.

It is also alleged that he collected information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Siddique is charged further with setting up websites that demonstrate how to make explosives and freely distributing terrorist publications via websites.

He is also accused of committing a breach of the peace at Glasgow Metropolitan College on various dates by claiming to be a member of al-Qaeda, and of showing images of suicide bombers. The trial continues.