On June 15, 2007, Britain’s Woolwich Crown Court convicted seven members of an al-Qaeda “sleeper cell” led by “dirty bomb” plot master, Dhiran Barot. The seven men were sentenced for up to 26 years over an al-Qaeda-linked plot to strike the UK and the United States. Six plead guilty to charges of conspiracy to perpetrate explosive attacks and a seventh was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. The June 15, 2007, conviction follows a recent spate of guilty sentences being handed down to suspected terrorists in the UK.
British Accomplices Arrested
On June 15, 2007, a British court sentenced seven accomplices of convicted “dirty bomb” plotter, Dhiran Barot, to prison terms ranging from 15 to 26 years for planning terrorist attacks in Britain and the US. Citing Britain as an attractive target for terrorist attacks, British Home Secretary, John Ried, welcomed the sentences.
In November 2006, Kenyan-born al-Qaeda operative Dhiran Barot, was sentenced to 40 years in jail for planning terrorist attacks in the US and Britain. The plots included detonating explosives in a London mass transport tunnel and multiple coordinated bombings employing explosives-packed limousines and a dirty radiation device. In a plot countered by British police, seven accomplices made up a “sleeper cell” and played supporting roles to Barot. Barot devised several terrorist plot plans as well as wrote a terrorist training guidebook. In 2004, Barot traveled to Pakistan to present his terrorist attack plans to key al-Qaeda figures where al-Qaeda leadership approved his plans. In the UK, seven accomplices proved vital to Barot’s push to attack Britain. Throughout the summer of 2004 Barot’s British-based accomplices played key roles as couriers, drivers, researchers, and at times employing counter-surveillance measures in an attempt to negate British security forces from uncovering one or many of Barot’s attack plans.
On June 15, 2007, Britain’s Woolwich Crown Court convicted:
• Mohammed Naveed Bhatti, 27, received 20 years in jail
• Junade Feroze, 31, received 22 years in jail
• Zia Ul Haq, 28, received 18 years in jail
• Abdul Aziz Jalil, 24, received 26 years in jail
• Omar Abdur Rehman, 23, received 15 years in jail
• Nadeem Tarmohamed, 29, received 20 years in jail
• Qaisar Shaffi, 28, received 15 years in jail
Profile of a Home Grown Terrorist
On November 7, 2006, British courts convicted 34-year-old al-Qaeda operative, Dhiran Barot to 40 years in prison. The Kenyan-born British citizen was raised in London and attended al-Qaeda training camps as early as 1995. In early 2001, Barot carried out surveillance on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Citigroup, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and Prudential in New York, Washington D.C., and Newark. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Dhiran Barot turned his attention to the UK and proceeded to plot coordinated attacks employing a radioactive so-called “dirty bomb,” involving limousines filled with gas cylinders and rusted nails. In a similar scheme, Barot planned to blow up a subway train as it passed below the famed River Thames.
In a Pakistan raid in July 2004, London’s Metropolitan Police found Barot’s attack plans on the laptop computer of a known associate. Evidence found included circa April 2001 amateur footage of US financial institutions including images of the World Trade Center, just five months prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks . There is no evidence to support Barot had prior knowledge or was directly involved in the 9/11 attacks, however according to the United States 9/11 commission report, Dhiran Barot was sent at the behest 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Shiekh Mohammed, to stake out potential US targets.
Despite his involvement in US-based terrorist operations and frequent trips to Pakistan, Barot recruited his seven “sleeper cell” accomplices in Britain where he maintained his base of operations.
Expanding Threat, More Convictions
The UK remains at significant risk for a terrorist attack. The June 15, 2007 convictions of top al-Qaeda personality Dhiran Barot’s accomplices are the latest in a string of recent arrests and subsequent convictions. As we have previously reported, in the aftermath of the July 7, 2005, London transport bombings, British security services, to include famed British intelligence agency, MI5, have continued to clamp down on suspected Islamist terrorists throughout the UK. Homegrown Islamist terrorists continue to reside in the UK. To that end, should a successful terrorist attack occur on British soil, we will undoubtedly see a substantial ramp up in security procedures and increased anti-terrorism legislation akin to the laws currently enacted.
