Pakistan quizzes ‘British al Qaeda chief’ linked to London bombings

LONDON – An alleged British al Qaeda chief linked to the London bombings was being questioned by police in Pakistan who say he telephoned the four suspect suicide bombers just hours before the attack, a report said yesterday.

Security officials in Islamabad said they were holding 228 suspects, but denied media reports that Haroon Rashid Aswat was among the detainees. For their part, Scotland Yard and the Home Office declined to comment on the latest reports about the investigation into Britain’s worst terrorist attack, which ripped through London’s subway network and a bus exactly two weeks ago.The Times newspaper, however, reported that the 30-year-old suspected terror mastermind was arrested during one of many raids on Islamic religious schools, known as a madrassas.”We believe this man had a crucial part to play in what happened in London,” it cited a senior Pakistani source as saying.Responding to the news, Aswat’s father, Rashid, who lives in Batley, West Yorkshire – the same town in north England as one of the presumed London bombers – said he had lost contact with his son many years ago.”We are being asked about Haroon Rashid Aswat.He has not lived at this house and we have not had contact with him for many years,” he said in a statement, adding that his son had received a normal upbringing and education and at the age of 19 began studying at a local madrassa.An unnamed brother told the regional Yorkshire Post newspaper that Aswat moved to London 10 years ago and the family had not seen him since.The Times, citing anonymous intelligence sources, said the key suspect was understood to have been posing as a businessmen and using a false name.- Nampa-AFPFor their part, Scotland Yard and the Home Office declined to comment on the latest reports about the investigation into Britain’s worst terrorist attack, which ripped through London’s subway network and a bus exactly two weeks ago.The Times newspaper, however, reported that the 30-year-old suspected terror mastermind was arrested during one of many raids on Islamic religious schools, known as a madrassas.”We believe this man had a crucial part to play in what happened in London,” it cited a senior Pakistani source as saying.Responding to the news, Aswat’s father, Rashid, who lives in Batley, West Yorkshire – the same town in north England as one of the presumed London bombers – said he had lost contact with his son many years ago.”We are being asked about Haroon Rashid Aswat.He has not lived at this house and we have not had contact with him for many years,” he said in a statement, adding that his son had received a normal upbringing and education and at the age of 19 began studying at a local madrassa.An unnamed brother told the regional Yorkshire Post newspaper that Aswat moved to London 10 years ago and the family had not seen him since.The Times, citing anonymous intelligence sources, said the key suspect was understood to have been posing as a businessmen and using a false name.- Nampa-AFP