Radical Islamists admit London Stock Exchange bomb plot

IT was to be a campaign of terror that would have wreaked fear and havoc in the city of London during the run-up to the Christmas period.

The list of potential targets scoped out by the al-Qaeda inspired group – Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and the Palace of Westminster – resembled a must see guide to the English capital.

The nine men, who pleaded guilty to terror offences, also discussed sending five mail bombs to various addresses during the 2010 festive season.

And one of their homes contained the addresses of London Mayor Boris Johnson, two rabbis, the American Embassy and the London Stock Exchange.

But it was the stock exchange that “lynchpin” Mohammed Chowdhury, 21, and his accomplice Shah Rahman, 28, eventually set their sights on.

Along with brothers Gurukanth Desai, 30, of Albert Street, and Abdul Miah, 25, of Ninian Park Road, both Cardiff, they planned to detonate an improvised explosive device (IED) in toilets in the heart of the City’s financial centre.

Christopher Blaxland QC, representing Chowdhury, of Tower Hamlets, London, said the bomb plot came “with the obvious attendant risk, but without any intention to cause death or even injury, but with the intention to terrorise, damage property and to cause economic damage”.

The group, who met through membership of extremist Islamic groups and stayed in touch through the internet, mobile phones and special meetings, also included Usman Khan, 20, of Persia Walk, Mohammed Shahjahan 27, of Burmarsh Walk and Nazam Hussain, 26, of Grove Street, all Stoke, who talked about leaving homemade bombs in the toilets of their city’s pubs, and discussed travelling abroad for terror training.

They admitted a charge of engaging in conduct for the preparation of terrorism between 1 November and 21 December, 2010.

Omar Latif, 28, of Neville Street, Cardiff, admitted attending the meetings with the intention of assisting others to prepare or commit acts of terrorism.

Mohibur Rahman, 27, of North Road, Stoke, admitted possessing two editions of the al-Qaeda magazine Inspire, which contained such articles as “Make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom”.

The magazine was the brainchild of Anwar Al-Awlaki, a prominent al-Qaeda leader who was killed by a drone attack in Yemen in September last year, and prosecutors believe the plotters had been motivated by his preachings, even though they were not members of the global terrorist network.

Andrew Edis QC, for the prosecution, said the nine “were implementing the published strategy of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)”, the network formerly led by Al- Awlaki.

Mr Edis said the four involved in the stock-exchange plot had not intended to maim and kill.

He said: “Their intention was to cause terror and economic harm and disruption. But their chosen method meant there was a risk people would be maimed or killed.”

The nine men were due to stand trial at Woolwich Crown Court, but changed their pleas at the 11th hour.

The judge, Mr Justice Wilkie, indicated Chowdhury would receive 18 and a half years and Rahman, of St Bernhard’s Road, Newham, London, would be handed 17.

However, they would be expected to spend just six years behind bars as five are served on licence, prisoners only serve half their term as standard, and they have already been behind bars for more than 12 months.

Sentencing of the group will begin on Monday.

Speaking outside the court, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, senior national co-ordinator for counter-terrorism, said: “We welcome the guilty pleas entered by all nine defendants today, following what was the largest counter- terrorism operation of 2010.

“Our priority is and always will be the protection of the public.”