Three men from Birmingham found guilty of bomb plot

The men supposedly aimed to carry out an attack as big as the 9/11 in the UK

16:24 21 February 2013

Three men from Birmingham have been found guilty of terrorism offences. The individuals, who are being perceived as the ringleaders behind the bomb attack, were given the verdict at Woolwich Crown Court.

They are named as Irfan Naseer, aged 31, Irfan Khalid, who is 27-years-old, and a third man called Ashik Ali, 27, was also convicted.

The plot which was stopped dead in its tracks involved the use of explosives, and these were to be contained in rucksacks. If the attack would have been carried out in Britain, reportedly it could have been on the same scale as the 9/11 attack on America.

Judge Mr. Justice Henriques said: "You were seeking to recruit a team of somewhere between six and eight suicide bombers to carry out a spectacular bombing campaign, one which would create an anniversary along the lines of 7/7 or 9/11. It's clear that you were planning a terrorist outrage in Birmingham."

The Assistant Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Marcus Beale, explained that “no-one should underestimate” how serious the plot was which was devised.

Mr. Beale said: "We had got them under close surveillance, which meant we were able to intervene at an early stage before there was any serious risk to public safety. But had they been able to continue with their plans, the consequences could have been worse than the London bombings of 2005.”

It is believed that some individuals involved in the case intended to be suicide bombers, and that they visited Pakistan to receive training.

The 9/11 relates to a series of attacks that took place September 11th, 2001.