Fox News : British Charge 12th Suspect in Airline Terror Plot

British Charge 12th Suspect in Airline Terror Plot

Official: British Terror Suspects 'Apparently' Had German Contacts

August 24, 2006


LONDON — British authorities charged a man with violating the country's terrorism law Thursday, bringing to 12 the number of people formally charged in the alleged plot to blow up U.S.-bound commercial flights, police said.

Umair Hussain, 24, was charged by prosecutors with having information about a possible terrorist act and not disclosing it, police said.

The lawyer for one of two detainees released Wednesday without charge, said police had failed to disclose any evidence against him during two weeks in custody.

Police were given another week late Wednesday to quiz the remaining suspects arrested Aug. 10. Under British anti-terrorism law, detectives can seek a judge's permission to hold suspects for up to 28 days before they must be charged or released.

Eight appeared in court this week charged with conspiracy to murder and preparing to commit acts of terrorism. Three others — including the mother of an 8-month-old — are charged with lesser offenses, including failing to disclose information.

Hussein's lawyer, Timur Rustem, earlier told The Associated Press that he believed Hussain could be released.

"I think I may be able to see him face to face on Thursday night," he said.

When police announced some two dozen arrests and a series of raids in London, Birmingham and suburban High Wycombe on Aug. 10, they said they had foiled an audacious plot to blow up as many as 10 passenger jets using liquid explosives.

In an unusual move earlier this week, senior officers revealed details of their investigation, saying detectives had recovered thousands of pieces of evidence in searches of dozens of properties and two stretches of woodland.

British police seldom disclose evidence about ongoing investigations for fear of prejudicing any future trials.

Investigators have found bombing-making chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide, and electrical components during their searches, said Peter Clarke, the head of Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist department.

Months of surveillance had produced "significant video and audio recordings" about the alleged plot, he said Monday, including "martyrdom videos" by some of the prospective bombers.

More than 8,000 items of data storage, such as compact discs, DVDs and memory sticks, were found. A map of Afghanistan, suicide notes and books on explosives also were seized, officials said.

The names of the two suspects released Wednesday were not provided by the police, but they were identified by lawyers, friends and police sources as Tayib Rauf, 22, and 23-year-old Amin Asmin Tariq.

Tariq's lawyer, Mudassar Arani, said police had not disclosed a "shred of evidence" against him during his two weeks in custody.

Tariq was suspended from his job with Jet Airways at Heathrow Airport after his arrest.

"Despite a very thorough police investigation, not a shred of evidence implicating him in terrorism was disclosed to him," Arani said.

"Mr. Tariq now wishes to be left alone to spend time with his family and rebuild his life."

Tayib Rauf's brother, Rashid Rauf, is being interrogated by law enforcement authorities in a town near the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, over his alleged key role in the plot, officials said.

Pakistani officials have linked people arrested there in the alleged conspiracy to Al Qaeda militants.

Investigators have not revealed if the alleged airline plot suspects were linked to Al Qaeda.

In the days immediately after the Rauf brothers' arrests, a swirl of attention focused on their role in the plot.

Their father, Abdul Rauf, immigrated to Britain from the Mirpur district of Pakistan several decades ago, and his five children were born in Britain.