11British terror plot suspects appear in court

LONDON – Eleven people charged in the alleged plot to blow up US-bound airliners were taken from a secure police station yesterday to make their first appearance before a judge.

The scheduled appearance at the City of Westminster Magistrates Court will be the first time the suspects, all of whom were charged on Monday with terrorism offences, would appear in public since being arrested on August 10. Eight people each were charged with two offences – conspiracy to commit murder and preparing acts of terrorism.One person, a 17-year-old, was charged with possession of articles that could be used to prepare a terrorist act, and two people were charged with failing to disclose information that could help prevent a terrorist act.One person was released without charge, while 11 remain in custody but have not yet been charged.Nine of those charged are from London, according to a Bank of England list of suspects whose assets were frozen following the arrests.Two are from suburban High Wycombe, 50 kilometres northwest of London.Investigators warned that the evidence was still being examined in minute detail.”Fingerprints, DNA, electronic data, handwriting comparisons, chemical analysis and indeed the full range of forensic disciplines will be used,” Peter Clarke, the head of the Metropolitan Police’s anti-terrorism unit told reporters after the Crown Prosecution Service announced the charges Monday.”The meticulous investigation of all this material will take many months.All the data will be analysed.There will be thousands of forensic examinations and comparisons,” he said.”The scale is immense, inquiries will span the globe.”British officials also confirmed for the first time that the plot involved the manufacture of explosives, which would then be assembled and detonated on board airliners.”There are chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide, electrical components, documents and other items,” Clarke said.”We have also found a number of video recordings – these are sometimes referred to as martyrdom videos.This has all given us a clearer picture of the alleged plot.”The details of the charges against one man, Mehran Hussain, allege that sometime between September 23, 2005, and August 10 – the day police announced the plot had been busted – he had information that could have prevented a terrorist act and didn’t disclose it.More than 8 000 items of data storage, such as compact discs, DVDs and memory sticks, were found.Maps of Afghanistan, suicide notes from willing terrorists and books on explosives also were seized, officials said.Nampa-APEight people each were charged with two offences – conspiracy to commit murder and preparing acts of terrorism.One person, a 17-year-old, was charged with possession of articles that could be used to prepare a terrorist act, and two people were charged with failing to disclose information that could help prevent a terrorist act.One person was released without charge, while 11 remain in custody but have not yet been charged.Nine of those charged are from London, according to a Bank of England list of suspects whose assets were frozen following the arrests.Two are from suburban High Wycombe, 50 kilometres northwest of London.Investigators warned that the evidence was still being examined in minute detail.”Fingerprints, DNA, electronic data, handwriting comparisons, chemical analysis and indeed the full range of forensic disciplines will be used,” Peter Clarke, the head of the Metropolitan Police’s anti-terrorism unit told reporters after the Crown Prosecution Service announced the charges Monday.”The meticulous investigation of all this material will take many months.All the data will be analysed.There will be thousands of forensic examinations and comparisons,” he said.”The scale is immense, inquiries will span the globe.”British officials also confirmed for the first time that the plot involved the manufacture of explosives, which would then be assembled and detonated on board airliners.”There are chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide, electrical components, documents and other items,” Clarke said.”We have also found a number of video recordings – these are sometimes referred to as martyrdom videos.This has all given us a clearer picture of the alleged plot.”The details of the charges against one man, Mehran Hussain, allege that sometime between September 23, 2005, and August 10 – the day police announced the plot had been busted – he had information that could have prevented a terrorist act and didn’t disclose it.More than 8 000 items of data storage, such as compact discs, DVDs and memory sticks, were found.Maps of Afghanistan, suicide notes from willing terrorists and books on explosives also were seized, officials said.Nampa-AP