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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| 7/7 mastermind still in Pakistan |
| 2005-09-13 |
| One of the four London suicide bombers made numerous calls to a stolen mobile phone in Pakistan up to three days before the July 7 attacks, British newspaper Telegraph reports. Pakistani officials say they have traced the stolen phone after receiving requests from Britainâs MI5 to investigate. They suspect that it was used by terrorists linked to the bombers, and then discarded after the London attacks, the newspaper says. The phone number was rung several times - as late as July 4 - by Shehzad Tanweer, one of the bombers who visited Pakistan more than six months ago along with Mohammad Sidique Khan, the cellâs suspected ringleader. The disclosure has deepened suspicions that a âmastermindâ based abroad was guiding the gang, the report adds. Pakistan is considered vital to the investigation into the London attacks, which killed 56 people. Last weekend The Sunday Telegraph disclosed that MI5 officers suspect that the video message of Sidique Khan was recorded in Pakistan, possibly with the assistance of Al Qaeda. Security officers also suspect that Khan and Tanweer may have received advice on bomb making at a training camp in Pakistan or Afghanistan. Pakistani intelligence officers have discovered that the mobile phoneâs SIM card microchip originally came from a phone used in Sukkur, in Sindh province, which is renowned as a militant city. It was originally owned by a tailor, but fell into criminalsâ hands. It has not been used since the London attacks, the Telegraph report says. It emerged on Friday that seven terrorist suspects wanted over possible involvement with the London bombings are facing extradition from Pakistan to Britain under a new agreement. One is thought to have met one or more of the suicide bombers. Whitehall officials refused to confirm details of the MI5 request to Pakistan for âoperational reasonsâ, but conceded that mobile phone calls, including some made abroad, were now central to the investigation. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |