Terrorism: UK Trial Update

Since the trial began, the following information has been presented to the jury:

• The group purchased a flat in north-east London in July 2006 for GBP138,000 ($275,558 US dollars at today's exchange rate.) in cash and transformed it into an alleged "bomb factory."
• Searches of the property produced many components with the ability to create liquid improvised explosive devices that could be assembled and detonated on an aircraft.
• The woods near one suspect's home contained a suitcase filled with syringes and chemicals.
• The main ingredient of the explosives mixture was hydrogen peroxide mixed with other organic materials.
• The terrorists would inject the liquid explosive into sealed 500 millilitre plastic bottles of soft drinks "Oasis" and "Lucozade" prior to boarding the plane.
• Tang, a sugary drink, would be mixed with the hydrogen peroxide solution for a more powerful explosion.
• The liquid explosives would be detonated using a substance called HMTD (hexamethylene triperoxide diamine) concealed in AA 1.5-volt batteries.
• Pages from one of the suspect's (Mr. Ali) handwritten diary make apparent references to how the bomb materials would have been taken onto the aircraft.
• The bombers would have used a syringe to insert the explosive material into the base of the bottles, without breaking the seal on the cap.
• The detonator would have been ignited using a metal wire, a small bulb or the flash from a disposable camera.
• Pornographic magazines were to be placed in carry-on luggage to distract security personnel and indicate that the men were not religious zealots.
• Each man intended to carry two bottled explosives through security in case one of them was taken away.
• The allegedly targeted flights included aircraft bound for Montreal, Toronto, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC.

There were allegedly seven flights targeted: these were scheduled, say prosecutors, to all be beyond the point of no return when the first bomb was detonated. But also making sure that all those involved would not be stopped by any security screening.

The eight men were arrested by British authorities in August 2006, allegedly close to the execution date of their plot. The plot included bringing liquid explosives disguised as commonly consumed UK beverages onto seven planes from London's Heathrow Airport to various cities in the United States and Canada. The liquid explosives would have detonated while flying over the Atlantic Ocean.

All seven targeted flights were scheduled to depart London within a time period of two hours and 35 minutes, offering little hope of saving the already airborne planes once the first explosive was detonated. Having the planes explode over the ocean would have made recovery and investigation very difficult. Had the plan been successful, it is estimated that as many as 1,500 passengers would have been killed.

The seven flights identified are

• 14:15 United Airlines Flight 931 to San Francisco
• 15:00 Air Canada Flight 849 to Toronto
• 15:15 Air Canada Flight 865 to Montreal
• 15:40 United Airlines Flight 959 to Chicago
• 16:20 United Airlines Flight 925 to Washington
• 16:35 American Airlines Flight 131 to New York
• 16:50 American Airlines Flight 91 to Chicago

On 31 July 2006, just days before the men were arrested, British officers found two plastic bags in a park in east London. The bags contained wires attached to miniature bulbs, with exposed filaments designed to spark liquid bombs. Experts have found DNA and fingerprints linking defendant Tanvir Hussain to the two bags.

Additional details on the contents of the suitcase found in the woods near one suspect’s home have been released. The suitcase found is now said to have contained everything needed to make the high explosive HMTD, including: hydrogen peroxide, citric acid, hexamine, thermometers, syringes, pipettes and glass flasks. One glass jar inside the suitcase had a fingerprint on it that resembles that of defendant Assad Sarwar, one of the ringleaders of the alleged plot.

In another nearby wooded area, search teams discovered 20 litres of hydrogen peroxide in 5 litre containers hidden in black garbage bags.

Additional items have been found in the London flat used as the alleged "bomb factory," including: drink bottles with holes in the bottoms and DNA of defendants Abdulla Ahmed Ali and Tanvir Hussain, the drink mix Tang, electronic scales, black wire, pieces of foam, jars full of batteries, tape, food colouring, a stained metal spoon, a volt reader, a ph reader and a pocket knife.

(courtesy US TSA)