War On Terror
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"Bomber had Osama Bin Laden video"
A FORMER High Wycombe man accused of plotting to blow up transatlantic fights had video footage of terrorist attacks on London and Osama Bin Laden, a court heard today.
Umar Islam had items that were "consistent with a man pursuing a violent Islamist agenda", said prosecutor Peter Wright QC.
A jury at Woolwich Crown Court was told that police found writings about Jihad at the home of Islam in Bushey Road, East London.
He is among eight men, two from High Wycombe and six from East London, who deny conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to endanger life aboard an aircraft. They were arrested in August 2006.
Police found footage of the July 7 2005 bombings Osama Bin Laden and a martyrdom video' of Mohammed Shafique Khan, one of the bombers who died on a tube train, in Islam's house.
The court was shown a martyrdom video on Friday made by Islam, 29, who it is alleged conspired with seven others to blow up passenger flights bound for the USA and Canada from Heathrow.
Mr Wright went through in detail frequent telephone conversations between a High Wycombe man and co-defendant Mohammed Gulzar, who he said was a "senior figure within the plot".
Assad Ali Sarwar, 27 of Walton Drive, Totteridge, along with Gulzar, are said to be the men most responsible for the plot.
Gulzar flew to England from Pakistan under a false identity on July 18, 2006 - less than a month before he was arrested. He did not make his return as scheduled on August 1.
Mr Wright said: "Something must have prevented him doing so. This was, you may consider, an extremely unusual trip to the United Kingdom."
Gulzar took up residence at a house in Priory Road, Barking.
When police searched the home they found a Nokia mobile telephone which contained two numbers, one in Pakistan and one Mr Wright said belonged to Assad Ali Sarwar.
Mr Wright said this was an "operational phone for use in order to make links with certain members of the conspiracy".
The phone was found in Sarwar's possession when he was arrested in Walthamstow, East London, on August 9 along with co-defendant Ahmed Abdullah Ali, 27.
Mr Wright said police found Gulzar's phone number listed under the name Tony'.
Mr Wright then listed a series of telephone calls made by Sarwar using an international calling card from telephone boxes in Barking, Slough, Reading and High Wycombe.
The telephone call from High Wycombe was to a company in Plymouth that provides materials such as glass beakers which Mr Wright said could play a part in constructing an improvised explosive device.
Mr Wright said Sarwar and Gulzar had a "mutual interest in terrorist activities and potential targets in a violent agenda".
The jury were shown surveillance footage which Mr Wright said showed Ali, Sarwar and Gulzar meeting in Barking in early August 2006.
The court was told that police found among Gulzar's possessions videos of speeches by Bin Laden, a beheading and Top 20 sniper shots' showing attacks in US military personnel.
There was also an MP3 of a song which included the lyrics: "I am a terrorist and blow them up, blow them up wherever they are and slaughter them."
Earlier the court was told one of the defendants, Arafat Waheed Khan, 26, of Farnan Avenue, Walthamstow, was a key figure in connecting Ali to Sarwar.
Khan's fingerprints were found on a conical flask that was in a suitcase found in Kings Wood, High Wycombe, Mr Wright said.
Someone matching Khan's description had bought the item along with syringes from a pharmacy in West London.
Mr Wright said of Khan: "Not only was he one of the intended suicide bombers but he was also an important conduit between Ali and Sarwar.
"In other words, between the Walthamstow and High Wycombe end of this particular conspiracy. He was liasing between the two and was directly involved in the purchase of equipment to make the explosive devices.
The trial continues.
2:19pm Monday 7th April 2008
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