UK Jury Ruling on Jihadists Ignores Plot to Bomb Transatlantic Jets Headed to America

By Jeffrey Imm

On September 8, 2008, a British jury ruling on the transatlantic airline terror plotters decided that three of eight plotters were guilty of conspiracy of murder.

However, this British jury ruling had nothing to do with their actual plots to bomb transatlantic jets destined for American and Canadian cities. The British jury convicted three of the British Jihadists (Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Assad Sarwar, and Tanvir Hussain) – not because of their transatlantic jet plots, but because of their plots to attack British oil refineries and an electricity grid, Internet providers, and airports (including Heathrow Airport).

As reported by the Guardian, the British Jihadists that were convicted for conspiracy to murder were only held accountable for plots to "murder hundreds of Britons." As the London Times reported, the British "jury rejected the main charge made against the men that there was a plot to cause a series of explosions on airliners to rival the 9/11 attacks."

Americans need to understand that two years after British Jihadists plotted to attack transatlantic jets with liquid bombs headed to destinations such as New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco – British jurors have essentially found such British Jihadists "not guilty" of such plots.

On April 7, 2008, the Daily Telegraph reported on the trial that:

"In what would have been the worst terrorist atrocity since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, the eight defendants planned to kill hundreds and possibly thousands of [airline] passengers 'all in the name of Islam,' it is alleged. The plotters were allegedly 'almost ready' to carry out their plans to detonate liquid explosives on board at least seven flights from Heathrow to the US and Canada. Their plans were allegedly so advanced that they had drawn up details of specific flights to be targeted and bought the components needed to make hydrogen peroxide bombs disguised as soft drinks such as Lucozade and Oasis."

But the British jury was only concerned about other plots to attack British facilities in their homeland. This troubling news story that a British jury was unconvinced about this mass-casualty plot to kill thousands in flights headed to America will undoubtedly get little coverage by the mainstream media.

Americans should not be surprised by this British jury verdict. Two years ago, in my August 16, 2006 article "How The Road To Terror Leads Back To London," I pointed to multiple British news reports that quoted Britons and British Muslims that believed that the transatlantic airline plot was "make-believe," "propaganda," a "cover-up because of what's going on in Lebanon," a "lie," and a hoax.

Four British Jihadists involved in the transatlantic jet plot, Umar Islam, Waheed Zaman, Ibrahim Savant, and Arafat Waheed Khan, admitted to merely "conspiring to cause a public nuisance." One individual, Mohammed Gulzar, was found not guilty on all counts.

British Jihadist Umar Islam, whose "martyr video" specifically called for Jihad and "revenge" against the "USA," was not convicted of conspiracy to murder. Umar Islam explained that "[w]e are doing this in order to gain the pleasure of our Lord and Allah loves us to die and kill in his path."

British Jihadist Waheed Zaman, who stated that after such attacks "America... [should] have no cause for complaint..." because America deserved such punishment, was not convicted of conspiracy to murder.

British Jihadist Ibrahim Savant, who vowed that he "participate[s] within this blessed raid for - upon the enemies of blessed Islam," was not convicted of conspiracy to murder.

British Jihadist Arafat Waheed Khan, who promised that "[w]e will rain upon you such a terror and destruction that you will never feel peace and security.. [and that] there will be floods of martyrdom operations and bombs falling through your lands," was not convicted of conspiracy to murder.

In my August 31, 2008 article, I addressed the growing problem of British Islamic supremacism and its impact on American national security and American counterterrorism tactics. This September 8 ruling demonstrates again how serious that the United Kingdom remains as a security threat to the American homeland.

Perhaps this September 8th jury ruling will finally wake up Americans that British priorities are not ours:
-- three major British Jihadist plots / attempts for mass casualty terrorism on or impacting the American homeland (April 2001, December 2001, August 2006)
-- the continuing use of the UK as a base by Islamic supremacists
-- repeated reports of the UK's historical "covenant of security" with Islamic supremacists
-- UK Security Minister West calls for talks with Al-Qaeda and UK Defense Secretary Browne's calls for talks with the Taliban
-- British Jihadists openly praising 9/11 attackers

Now, a British jury ruling clearly communicates to British Jihadists – we won't convict you for planning attacks on jets headed towards the United States, but we will convict you if you plot attacks on the United Kingdom homeland. This will be interpreted as an open offer of a "covenant of security" to Islamic supremacists.

Three days before the 9/11 anniversary, this is an unambiguous signal regarding British attitudes regarding American security.

Perhaps it is past time for Americans to wake up and realize that a nation where Osama bin Laden sought to live is not going to have American national security interests as their priority. In June 2008, the Daily Telegraph reported that a plurality of Britons viewed America as a "force for evil."

The by the British jury on the British Jihadists behind the transatlantic jet plot has sent a very clear and inescapable message to America when it comes to punishing Jihadists that would seek to threaten America: "America, Drop Dead."