Three men ''intoxicated by the evil of terrorism'' engaged in training in a park to join or carry out violent jihad, a court heard. Styling themselves as ''The Blackburn Resistance'', the trio were said to have gathered a stockpile of weapons as they studied guerilla warfare ahead of a possible mission to Iraq or Afghanistan.
| Clear demonstration of sub-optimal IQ right there. How did the young gentlemen think they were going to get their little weapons stockpile out of the country, across Europe, and across the border into Iraq or Afghanistan? One can't put such things into checked luggage anymore, guys. |
The Crown Prosecution Service said at first glance the film appeared to show them ''larking about'' in a comical manner but their overall purpose was ''less funny''. Edward Brown QC said: ''The prosecution does not suggest that this group is a highly sophisticated, well trained or well funded terrorist cell. We do suggest however these three young men from Blackburn had become intoxicated by the evil of terrorism and had started to train themselves to join or carry out violent jihad. At the stage when they were stopped by police, they had not got very far.''
The park video and images of the three defendants firing weapons into the air in the back garden of the Iqbal family home were contained in a mobile phone storage card belonging to Abbas Iqbal, it was alleged. Mr Brown said the card was found in the suitcase of Abbas Iqbal when he was arrested at Manchester Airport in August 2008 en route to northern Europe with another alleged extremist, who cannot be named for legal reasons. The pair intended to ''spread their creed'' by taking material which they intended to encourage others to commit, prepare or instigate acts of terrorism, he added.
The arrests led to the detention of Ilyas Iqbal and Ahmad - who together with Abbas Iqbal were stopped as they allegedly prepared for terrorist activity. Mr Brown told the jury: ''Consistent with their interest in jihadi activity, all three defendants had developed a keen interest in weaponry and had filmed themselves engaged in military-type activity connected with their preparations for acts in pursuit of their extreme cause. They were also in possession of material that would help themselves and, or, others to commit terrorist acts.''
He added: ''They had gathered together the collection of weapons and other equipment for training and they had set about educating themselves about guerilla warfare. They had made a film about their training programme which was designed to imitate the more professional propaganda of al Qaida made and published.''
All three defendants deny preparing for acts of terrorism between April 30 2006 and August 14 2008. Abbas Iqbal also denies disseminating terrorist publications and possessing documents likely to be useful to a terrorist. Ilyas Iqbal pleaded not guilty to two counts of possessing documents likely to be useful to a terrorist.
Mr Brown said: "It became clear that these three had formed a group which styled itself "The Blackburn Resistance" and which supported jihadi terrorism. Some of the material may at first blush seem almost comical in its amateurishness but when you recall their purpose, you may think it is less funny.
"The prosecution say, calling themselves the Blackburn Resistance, the three defendants were acting together with their armoury of training equipment and with the information they had gathered, readying themselves for active participation in violent jihad or training for jihad, probably abroad."
The armoury stockpile was found in a weapons cabinet at the Iqbal brothers' home in Percival Street along with terror-related documents on a desktop computer, the Crown alleges. The computer was said to have contained video clips of beheadings and executions, with much of the footage focussed on information from Iraq. There were songs about jihad and the conflict in Chechnya, and various speeches including one which stated: "I have received so many emails from ladies, they want to be the bombs themselves and do jihad."
When police searched Ahmad's home in Whalley Range they discovered extreme material he had written, extremist speeches, martyrdom videos and mobile phone images of executions with people being slit by their throats. The jury was told Ahmad's birth name was Paul Andrew Cryer but he had changed his name in 2004 and described himself as a "revert" to the Muslim faith.