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| Terror Networks & Islam |
| Second London bombings may have been masterminded from Soddy Arabia |
| 2005-07-31 |
| Scotland Yard is investigating evidence that the two waves of terrorist attacks on London last month may have been masterminded from Saudi Arabia. The Metropolitan police anti-terrorist squad has learned that Hussain Osman, 27, one of the suspects for the second failed attacks, called a number in Saudi Arabia hours before his arrest in Rome Friday. He was believed to be making only the most vital calls because he feared his mobile phone was being tracked by investigators. In an unconfirmed development, the Saudi Arabian authorities are understood to be investigating the possibility that the attacks were planned by extremists there. Officials at Scotland Yard believe there are no links in Britain between the two cells responsible for the July 7 bombings that killed 56 people and the failed suicide attacks two weeks later. But one senior source said the anti-terrorist squad is investigating links between the two cells and ``foreign camps'' of terrorists. They are also inquiring into claims that, like the July 7 bombers, some of the July 21 attackers traveled extensively abroad shortly before the attacks. Police believe that although the July 21 terrorists expected to die, they made plans in case the bombs failed or their mission was aborted. One security official said: ``Most of the suspects did not use mobile phones registered to them and neither did they use land lines. Therefore they must have had some sort of contingency plan and probably had help from sympathizers. This tells us that they must have had some training, so the question now is by whom and where did they receive that training.'' Scotland Yard began proceedings in Rome Saturday to extradite Osman, who is suspected of being the failed Shepherd's Bush suicide bomber of July 21. Italian newspapers, quoting police and security sources, claimed that he at first said that he only carried a backpack on to the Tube but admitted Friday night that he had been involved in the attacks. But Osman allegedly insisted he had no links to al-Qaeda, the terrorist network led by Saudi-born Osama bin Laden. Scotland Yard is skeptical of many of the alleged claims - sometimes confused and contradictory - made by Osman, a British citizen born in Ethiopia. He allegedly said he had intended to spread fear not to kill members of the public. ``We wanted to make an attack but only as a demonstration.'' One Italian newspaper said that he told investigators: ``We were supposed to blow ourselves up.'' The father of two from south London, is the first person held under regulations that took effect Thursday after Italy signed the UK's Extradition Act of 2003. He is believed to be fighting enforced return to Britain. The number of arrests in connection with the botched July 21 attacks rose Sunday to 18 with the arrest of seven people in southern England. Those questioned include the three suspected of failing to explode bombs at Shepherd's Bush, the Oval and Warren Street Tube stations and a bus in Hackney. Another man is being questioned over an abandoned bomb found in west London. Osman, whose real name is believed to be Hamdi Isaac, and three London suspects were arrested Friday and a fifth suspect was held Wednesday in Birmingham. Osman apparently traveled to Rome five days after the July 21 attacks. He was arrested, without resistance, at his brother's home. Scotland Yard traced him to Italy because he occasionally used a mobile phone. He is believed to have taken the Eurostar from Waterloo to Paris, then a train through Italy visiting Bologna, Milan and Rome. Security sources in Italy said he made four calls Friday: three local calls apparently to relatives and one to a mobile phone in Saudi Arabia. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 Perhaps this is al Turki's way of saying goodbye to the UK, heh. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-31 19:56 |
| #1 That would be a huge surprise, for sure. |
| Posted by: Sneatle Crinemp3932 2005-07-31 14:20 |