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London “plotters” lose appeal

LONDON: Four men convicted last year for allegedly plotting to bomb London on July 21, 2005 have lost their bid to challenge their convictions with the Court of Appeal describing their actions as “merciless” and “extreme.” The plot took place barely two weeks after the “7/7” suicide attacks on the underground train network, which claimed more than 52 lives.

The four — Muktar Said Ibrahim, Yassin Omar, Ramzi Mohammed and Hussain Osman — are serving jail sentences that could last up to 40 years for allegedly attempting to detonate explosives on tubes and buses.

The prosecution claims that a major tragedy was averted as the explosives failed to go off. However, the four have described the plot as a “hoax,” claiming they wanted to draw attention to the British-U.S. occupation of Iraq. Rejecting their appeal, a three-member Bench comprising Sir Igor Judge, Justice Forbes and Justice Mackay ruled that their actions were too serious to warrant a review. Upholding their convictions, Sir Igor said: “On July 21, 2005, London came within a vanishingly short breath of wholesale murder by terrorists. The explanation why the date will not be twinned in the annals of its venerable history with the murderous outrage perpetrated on July 7, 2005, is simple: it was sheer good fortune.”

He said their sentences were “utterly justified.” Sir Igor rejected the defence plea that the trial had not been fair and ruled that it was marked by “conspicuous fairness and commanding judicial control.”

The verdict came as the police claimed they had foiled at least 15 terror plots since the 7/7 bombings and warned Britain faced a greater threat of a terrorist attack than any other Western country, including the U.S. Police chief Ian Blair supported the government’s controversial proposal to extend the pre-trial detention period of terror suspects from the present 28 days to 42, arguing that the move was justified in the present circumstances.

The move has sparked a controversy with many Labour MPs threatening to vote against the government in the House of Commons.

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