Stop the War / Hull CND / Iraq / Iran / Faslane / Civil Liberties / Palestine / 911 issues
Notes : "Islamic": it is unfair to blame an entire religion or culture for the acts of a few. Bush has called his wars a Crusade... but we don't really call Bush and Blair's efforts "Christian"
Britain and terror: The Guildford Four , the Birmingham Six, the Maguire Seven - were all INNOCENT, FALSELY ACCUSED, BEATEN FOR CONFESSIONS AND FALSELY IMPRISONED FOR DECADES BETWEEN THEM. That is the real history of British terror crimes.
Al-Megrahi - the Libyan agent convicted of the Lockerbie plane bombing in 1988 killing 270 - may be set free as INNOCENT. The odds are that it was a tit for tat operation by Iran in retaliation for the USS Vincennes warship shooting down an Iranian passenger jet, also 1988.
Over 1100 arrested, over half released with no further action (R4/8.2.07) Some today call "Britain a police state for Muslims". Remember Niemoller: "First they came for the Communists..."
Trial began in April 2008. Why the delay? My first guess would be the security services had to get their story straight. Unflattering picture all over British newspapers. Article full of innuendo. Does not refer to 24 arrested originally. The men are: Ali, 27; Assad Sarwar, 27; Tanvir Hussain, 27; Mohammed Gulzar, 26; Ibrahim Savant, 27; Arafat Waheed Khan, 26; Waheed Zaman, 23 and Umar Islam, 29.
Transatlantic Jet Plot - GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT.
Summary - 24 (BBC. Wiki:25 ) Muslim men arrested, the "Liquid Bombers", largely E. London residents, by a joint UK and Pakistan security operation, with clear American knowledge. Much circumstantial speculation with HUGE COVERAGE, here and in America. Alleged "Al Qaida" ringleader tried in Pakistan and terror charges DROPPED in Dec 2006. Trial JAN 2008 at earliest!!!
Arrests: 25. Charges: 17 charged with terrorism offences. (Wiki) ALL DENY ALL CHARGES. Rauf charged with forged documents in Pakistan, terror charges were dropped. 2 were discharged in Nov. Convictions so far: 0 .
24 men arrested over huge plot to blow up to 10 planes with a variety of chemicals carried aboard. Joint UK / US / Pakistani security operation. Accused had not bought tickets - some had no passports. Inc a Muslim charity worker and a Heathrow employee.
Craig Murray: The War on Shampoo "More propaganda than plot" by former ambasador: Liquid bomb scare was a Home Office sponsored hoax.
US intel said bombers about to do a test run. Suspects surveilled since Dec 2005 by MI5. (US: DHS claims as many as 50 were involved). 2 left martyrdom tapes according to "sources".
Alleged mastermind at large in Pakistan. Some had tickets. US source says 5 suspects still being hunted. Chertoff (US) described: "well-advanced and well-thought-out and ... really resourced to succeed." Mostly E. London residents. At least one of the plotters attended a terrorist training camp in Pakistan, and more than one of the accused prepared a martyrdom tape, a counterterrorism official told NBC News.
Briton named Rashid Rauf, appears to have been the operational planner and is believed to have connections to al-Qaida in Afghanistan, Pakistani and U.S. officials said. Rashid Rauf will face charges in Pakistan of impersonation / carrying a fake identity card / fake documents when his hearing starts in Feb 2007. Rashid Rauf could not be handed over to the UK as he was on trial in Pakistan. The alleged ringleader / mastermind / explosives expert /al-Q'aeda link of the alleged plane plot had all of his terror-related charges dismissed (13.12.06) .
Rashid Rauf, alleged al-Q'aeda mastermind and ringleader of the so-called "Liquid Bombers", has had enough. According to his attorney, he is "preparing to sue the British government for implicating him in a concocted terrorism case."(Jan 07) Half of those arrested in Britain were charged with "conspiracy to murder", even though the means by which they were allegedly plotting to commit those murders is so far-fetched as to be laughable.
Their trial in the UK is expected to begin in the spring of 2008. Rashid Rauf's brother, Tayib Rauf, was arrested in the UK during the "anti-terror" raids of August 9/10 and held for two weeks before being released without charges. Their father, Abdul Rauf, was arrested (or merely detained) in Pakistan before he too was released without being charged. Within a few days of his release, however, a Muslim charity which he founded, and which had allegedly been funneling money to terrorists, had its funds frozen. Hmmm. For instance, some reports indicate that he was arrested on August 9th in Pakistan, that he sent a text message (or else phoned a friend who sent a text message) to the alleged plotters in England, telling them to go ahead, and that the police intercepted the message and arrested the alleged would-be bombers.
21.7.05 - Nigerian bomb plot -
Jean Charles de Menezes - 12/7/05
Jean was killed because he was thought to be a Muslim suicide bomber, instead of a Brazilian Catholic electrician. Jean was shot by an armed policeman some 8 to 11 times through the head, reportedly over 30 seconds. No-one resigned or was fired for this killing - or was prosecuted. The policeman concerned was promoted to train others. This as disgusting and another step towards a police state.
The London Bombings - 7/7/2005
Summary: 52 people died. Almost universally blamed on 4 Muslim suicide bombers with rucksack bombs, the "evidence" is highly circumstantial, and much questionable. A report issued but no public inquiry has been held despite Britain on being high alert and apparently knowing of "ringleader" Khan in advance.
see "The London Bombings" by Nafeez Ahmed, for an expanded description beyond what the newspapers say. Points out first forensic evidence of timing devices and Cemtex of Bosnian origin.
Ricin Plot - Jan 2003 dont die laughing... (Wiki)
Arrests: Charges: Convictions: 1, 4 not guilty. All deported!
Our verdict was ignored. (Guardian, 19.9.06) Two jurors from 2005 ricin trial explain why they feel betrayed by a decision to deport men they found not guilty. Government announced the acquitted men were to be deported to Algeria - where they could face imprisonment, torture or death. Two of the men from the trial were arrested last September and put in Belmarsh prison, labelled a threat to national security. They were "released" on bail four months later on condition they wore electronic tags and limited their movements. Mr Justice Ouseley, the SIAC chairman, found no reasonable cause to suspect Mr Y will be harmed if he is returned, based on diplomatic assurances from Algeria. However, he has a death sentence on his head in Algeria, and Amnesty International remains convinced torture is still in use there. A government we thought we could trust seems bent on chiselling away at civil liberties. The case of Mr Y and the others has changed that.
Police in north London (Guardian) discover the raw ingredients required for the production of ricin but none of the actual toxin is found. Nine people are arrested. Kamel Bourgass is jailed for plotting to spread poisons and for murdering Detective Constable Stephen Oake. The prosecution provides no evidence against four men and they are acquitted. The other four men are found not guilty of involvement in the plot.
Richard Reid, Dec 01- "Shoe Bomber" (Wiki)
Reid is serving a life sentence in the USA. He was arrested by the FBI for attempting to set off a shoe bomb on a transatlantic plane. Interesting confession in court, fighting murderous American imperialism. Apparently working alone though claims allegiance to Osama bin Laden.
Arrest: 1. Charges: Terrorist: attempting to set off a bomb on a plane. Conviction: Life imprisonment.