Sunday, July 24, 2005
Times Online: London 9/11 plotter jailed
Mohammed Afroze was sentenced to seven years after he admitted that he had a role in an al-Qaeda plot to attack London, the Rialto Towers building in Melbourne and the Indian Parliament.
His lawyer has claimed, however, that the confession was “forcefully taken” and that Afroze was tortured by Indian police.
Afroze admitted that he and seven al-Qaeda operatives planned to hijack aircraft at Heathrow and fly them into the two London landmarks. The suicide squad included men from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Afroze said. They booked seats on two Manchester-bound flights, but fled just before they were due to board.
Afroze returned to India in October 2001. He was arrested in Bombay and charged with “committing depredation on territories at peace with India”...
For those with timeline issues, 9/11/01 was prior to the invasions of either Iraq or Afghanistan. Just saying.
Hello, namesake. This Afroze case has some puzzling nuggets in it.
How could he have been planning to take part in TWO suicide attacks? Why did he suddenly chicken out and flee instead of flying a jet into Parliament? There are no other known Al-Qaeda terrorists from India -- did Afroze have Indian accomplices? Is there any other evidence for planned passenger attacks upon Britain on 9-11?
Hello!
All good questions. As I type I know little more than the few paragraphs in this story, unfortunately. That will change, I'm sure.