Guardian : Jihad camps were preparation for murder, court told

Jihad camps were preparation for murder, court told

· Stallholder and four others accused of terror training
· Some failed 21/7 bombers took part, jury hears

Owen Bowcott | The Guardian | October 11, 2007

An alleged organiser of military-style training camps in Britain for jihadis urged his followers to carry out murderous atrocities and "see how many you can take at the same time", Woolwich crown court was told yesterday.

Mohammed Hamid, 50, who called himself "Osama bin London" and ran a religious book stall in Oxford Street, London, described the 7/7 tube and bus bombings, in which 52 people died, as "not even a breakfast for me", the court heard.

Many of the paintball sessions, indoctrination meetings and combat drills he organised across England were attended by a number of those who later carried out the failed 21/7 London bombings, it was said. Mr Hamid's home was bugged by the security services and an undercover police officer penetrated the group's activities, David Farrell QC, for the prosecution, revealed.

The case is the first to have been brought under the Terrorism Act 2006, which makes it a criminal offence to receive terrorist training. Surveillance film shown to the jury yesterday identified suspects at Baysbrown farm, near Ambleside, Cumbria, in 2004. Another camp was held in the New Forest.

Five men face a variety of charges which include soliciting for murder, providing weapons training, attending terrorist training and possessing information likely to be of use to a terrorist.

Hamid and a sixth man, Atilla Ahmet, 43, were described as the main figures in the conspiracy. Mr Ahmet, described as the leader, has already pleaded guilty to soliciting murder.

He was not in court but the other five sat behind glass security screens in court three of Woolwich crown court, south-east London, chatting and occasionally smiling as evidence was given.

"From 2004 onwards," Mr Farrell told the jury, "Hamid was involved in the organisation of camping trips to various parts of the United Kingdom, and visits to paintballing sites at which military-style training of the participants took place.

"The training and imposition of discipline in association with the teaching provided by Hamid and Ahmet ... was designed to foster ... a feeling that they were training for jihad against the kuffar, or non-believers."

When Mr Hamid was arrested at his stall in Oxford Street in October 2004 for public order offences, along with Muktar Said Ibrahim, one of the convicted 21/7 conspirators, he told police his name was Osama bin London and said "I've got a bomb and I'm going to blow you all up."

Mr Hamid invited potential recruits he met on his stall to his home in east London, the court heard. "Assisted by Ahmet, [he] was a recruiter, groomer and corrupter of young Muslims," Mr Farrell said.

After the 7/7 London bombings, Mr Hamid sent a text to one of those who later participated in the 21/7 attacks. "Assalam bro," it read, "we fear no one except ALLAH, we will not change our ways, we are proud to be a Muslim an we will not hide ..." The court also heard a covert recording in which he encouraged a recruit to carry out killings.

The prosecution said that when the defendants were arrested in September 2006, extremist material was seized including CDs and DVDs "glorifying terrorism; [showing] the murders of innocent people, including their beheading, suicide bombings and the like".

During the group's final visit to Baysbrown farm in August 2004, the security services observed their activity. A surveillance officer, the court heard, "saw [14 of] them undertaking physical exercises, including press-ups and sit-ups and then moving in a military-type formation.

"They were seen to practise the tactics needed to defend themselves against an armed ambush. They were seen to adopt positions from which they fired imaginary weapons and pretended to remove the pin from grenades before throwing them. They were seen to perform leopard crawling, very low on the ground ..." The farmer, Bruce Rowland, initially called them jokingly "my Taliban" but later became concerned and banned them from his top field.

A paintballing combat trip was held at the Springwood Centre in Tonbridge, Kent. The visit was even filmed by a BBC documentary crew and later broadcast in a programme entitled Don't Panic, I'm Islamic.

The meetings organised by Mr Hamid and Mr Ahmet in London served as preparation for training weekends and paintballing days, Mr Farrell said.

"Both Hamid and Ahmet were obsessed with security, informants and MI5. Why was Hamid so obsessed if he thought what they were doing was lawful?" he asked.

The meetings discussed a variety of topics including "anti-semitic and anti-American talk", "talk of jihad and killing non-believers". Those who attended had their mobile phones collected, turned off and put into a box during the meetings.

Mr Hamid is accused of providing weapons training, soliciting to murder, providing training for terrorism and possessing information. Mousa Brown, 31, is charged with providing weapons training and receiving weapons training. Kibley da Costa, 24, is accused of providing training for terrorism, attending a place used for terrorist training and possessing information. Kader Ahmed, 20, is charged with attending a place used for terrorist training. Mohammed al-Figari, 43, is charged with attending a place used for terrorist training and possessing information.

All have pleaded not guilty. All are from Greater London. The trial continues.