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| Britain |
| Briton Linked to Shoe Bomber in Court |
| 2003-12-04 |
| EFL: A British man accused of working with Richard Reid, the al-Qaida follower who tried to detonate shoe bombs aboard a U.S. airliner, appeared in court Thursday on explosives and conspiracy charges. Sajid Badat, 24, one of more than 20 people arrested in Britain since last week in a series of anti-terrorism raids, spoke only to confirm his identity in Bow Street Magistrate’s Court. His next court appearance was scheduled Thursday. London’s Metropolitan Police said Badat was charged with two explosives offenses as well as conspiracy. Police gave no indication of how or where Badat and Reid allegedly conspired. Prosecution lawyer Deborah Walsh, in opposing bail for Badat, said police had seized a handmade detonating device but gave no details. British court rules, they don’t blab to the press like they do in the States. Badat was arrested at his home in Gloucester, southwestern England, on Nov. 27, and police who searched the home said they had found explosive materials. That’s nice. A charge filed Wednesday alleged that Badat "unlawfully and maliciously conspired with Richard Reid and others unknown" to cause an explosion "likely to endanger life or cause serious injury." The charge said the conspiracy occurred between Sept. 1, 2001 and Nov. 28, 2003. British Home Secretary David Blunkett said last week that the security services and police believed Badat "has connections with the network of al-Qaida groups." If he was connected to shoe boy, he has to be. Ibrahim Master, chairman of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, said last week that Badat had been a student at the College of Islamic Knowledge and Guidance in Blackburn, northern England. Badat was born in Gloucester to a Muslim family who moved to England from Malawi in the 1960s, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday. The newspaper said he had trained as a Muslim cleric in Pakistan, where members of his family live. A Pakistani trained holyman with explosives, what a shock. Well, no, it would be a shock if he didn’t have any. |
| Posted by:Steve |