02/04/2008

Eight Terror Suspects To Stand Trial

Eight men accused of conspiring to blow up transatlantic airliners with liquid explosives are to stand trial.

Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Assad Sarwar, Tanvir Hussain, Mohammed Guizar, Ibrahim Savant, Arafat Waheed Khan, Waheed Zaman and Umar Islam are charged with conspiracy to murder.

The arrests in August 2006 caused chaos with over 1,000 flights being cancelled and baggage restrictions being set in place for several days.

Mr Justice Calvert-Smith told potential jurors at Woolwich Crown Court: "This concerns an allegation that in 2006 a number of men planned to create bombs which some of their number would take on board passenger aircraft flying from London Heathrow to various destinations in Canada and the USA."

It is thought that the trial could last up to eight months.

A police spokeswoman said: "It is the biggest counter-terrorism trial in the world that's ever been seen, I would suggest."

(DS)


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