Guardian : Man admits plotting terror outrages

Man admits plotting terror outrages

Press Association | October 12, 2006

A British Muslim was facing a lengthy jail sentence after admitting plotting to murder people in terrorist outrages on both sides of the Atlantic.

Dhiren Barot, of Willesden, north London, planned to carry out explosions at financial institutions in Washington, New York and Newark, including the New York Stock Exchange, which were "designed to kill as many innocent people as possible", Woolwich Crown Court heard.

He also plotted to use a radioactive "dirty bomb" intended to cause "injury, fear, terror and chaos" in one of a series of synchronised attacks in the UK.

In one of them, the 34-year-old, who moved to Britain with his parents when he was one, planned to blow up three limousines "packed" with gas cylinders and explosives in underground car parks, the court heard.

Barot, who is thought to have been raised Hindu before converting to Islam as an adult, entered his guilty plea on Thursday morning but reporting restrictions were only lifted by Mr Justice Butterfield in the afternoon.

Edmund Lawson QC, for the Crown, outlined the defendant's basis of plea. He said: "Mr Barot has indicated that he pleads guilty on the basis that count one concerns both the US and the UK.

"Your Lordship will recall that there were plans or proposals that were found by the police on the computer after the arrests of August 2004; being plans for attacks on the International Monetary Fund and World Bank buildings in Washington, the New York Stock Exchange and Citigroup buildings in New York and the Prudential buildings in Newark. These being plans ... to carry out explosions at those premises with no warning, basically designed to kill as many innocent people as possible."

Mr Lawson said the plot to blow up the limousines - known as the Gas Limos Project - was planned by Barot to form the "main cornerstone" of a series of attacks in the UK. The barrister said that by pleading guilty, Barot "makes no admission with regard to the involvement of any of his seven co-defendants in the conspiracy".

Barot, who went to respected Kingsbury High School, north London, had also faced 12 other charges: one of conspiracy to commit public nuisance, seven of making a record of information for terrorist purposes and four of possessing a record of information for terrorist purposes. Mr Justice Butterfield ordered them to lie on the file. Seven other men are due to stand trial next year.

Barot will be sentenced at a later date.

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