2006 transatlantic aircraft plot suspects
Encyclopedia
According to British and American authorities, the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot
was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives
carried on board several airliner
s travelling from the United Kingdom
to the United States
.
On 10 August 2006, London
's Metropolitan Police
announced that they had arrested key suspects, all British muslim
s, and that the plot had been disrupted as it was "getting close to the execution phase."
The suspects planned a rehearsal within two days of the arrests, according to United States intelligence officials. Unnamed security sources said that the alleged plotters had not bought airline tickets, some did not possess passports, and the United States and United Kingdom disagreed about when to move against the suspects.
Arrests were also made in Pakistan
. On August 21, Scotland Yard
announced that eleven people have been charged and bomb-making equipment and martyrdom video
s have been recovered.
of the Bank of England
froze their assets. One person was released without charge and not named. Another was arrested later but also released. The Crown Prosecution Service
announced on 21 August that 11 of those arrested would be charged: eight with conspiracy to murder and preparing acts of terrorism. Two more were charged with failing to disclose information and one 17 year old with possession of articles useful to someone preparing acts of terrorism. One woman was released without charge. Brothers Mehran and Umair Hussain were released on 1 November 2006 due to insufficient evidence.
Out of the 25 who were arrested in the UK, the names of 21 were released:
were to be applied was published on 11 August. The names of 18 are: Abdula Ahmed Ali, Shazad Khuram Ali, Cossor Ali, Nabeel Hussain, Tanvir Hussain, Umair Hussain, Umar Islam, Waseem Kayani, Assan Abdullah Khan, Waheed, Arafat Khan, Osman Adam Khatib, Tayib Rauf, Muhammed Usman Saddique, Assad Sarwar, Ibrahim Savant, Amin Asmin Tariq, Shamin Mohammed Uddin, Waheed Zaman. A 19th individual's name was redacted in a revision of the order on 24 August because he was under 18.
2006 transatlantic aircraft plot
The 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board at least 10 airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada...
was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives
Explosive material
An explosive material, also called an explosive, is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure...
carried on board several airliner
Airliner
An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such aircraft are operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an aircraft intended for carrying multiple passengers in commercial...
s travelling from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
On 10 August 2006, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
announced that they had arrested key suspects, all British muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, and that the plot had been disrupted as it was "getting close to the execution phase."
The suspects planned a rehearsal within two days of the arrests, according to United States intelligence officials. Unnamed security sources said that the alleged plotters had not bought airline tickets, some did not possess passports, and the United States and United Kingdom disagreed about when to move against the suspects.
Arrests were also made in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. On August 21, Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
announced that eleven people have been charged and bomb-making equipment and martyrdom video
Martyrdom video
Martyrdom videos are video recordings, generally from Islamist activists who are about to take part in a suicide attack and expect to die during their intended actions. They typically include a statement by the person preparing to be a martyr for their cause. While they are generally of amateur...
s have been recovered.
Suspects arrested in the UK
Of the 25 arrests made in the UK, the names of 19 suspects, all of them living in the UK, were formally announced when the Financial Sanctions UnitFinancial Sanctions Unit
The Financial Sanctions Unit of the Bank of England administers financial sanctions in the United Kingdom on behalf of HM Treasury. It has been in operation since before 1993 when it applied sanctions against the Government of Libya...
of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
froze their assets. One person was released without charge and not named. Another was arrested later but also released. The Crown Prosecution Service
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
announced on 21 August that 11 of those arrested would be charged: eight with conspiracy to murder and preparing acts of terrorism. Two more were charged with failing to disclose information and one 17 year old with possession of articles useful to someone preparing acts of terrorism. One woman was released without charge. Brothers Mehran and Umair Hussain were released on 1 November 2006 due to insufficient evidence.
Out of the 25 who were arrested in the UK, the names of 21 were released:
London
- Ahmed Abdullah Ali, born 10 October 1980 (WalthamstowWalthamstowWalthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
, London E17). Was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006. - Cossor AliCossor AliCossor Ali is one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England.-Charges:...
born 14 December 1982, (Walthamstow) is a 23-year old mother of an eight-month-old baby. She was charged with having information which she knew or believed might be of material assistance in preventing the commission of another person namely, Ahmed Abdullah Ali, of an act of terrorism and failed to disclose it as soon as reasonably practicable. Contrary to Section 38B (1) (a) and (2) of the Terrorism Act 2000. - Mehran Hussain was charged with having information which he knew or believed might be of material assistance in preventing the commission of another person namely, Nabeel Hussain, of an act of terrorism and failed to disclose it as soon as reasonably practicable. He was released on 1 November when a District Judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to try him.
- Nabeel HussainNabeel HussainNabeel Hussain was one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England.-References:...
, born 10 March 1984, (ChingfordChingfordChingford is a district of north east London, bordering on Enfield and Edmonton to the west, Woodford to the east, Walthamstow and Stratford to the south and Essex to the north. It is situated northeast of Charing Cross and forms part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest...
, London E4). He was charged with conspiracy to murder and terrorism on 29 August 2006. - Tanvir Hussain, born 21 February 1981, (LeytonLeytonLeyton is an area of north-east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, located north east of Charing Cross. It borders Walthamstow and Leytonstone; Stratford in Newham; and Homerton and Lower Clapton in the London Borough of Hackney....
, London E10). Was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006. - Umair HussainUmair HussainUmair Hussain is one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England....
, born 9 October 1981, (Walthamstow), brother of Mehran Hussain. A hospital administrator, recently visited Pakistan with his grandmother, friends say. He was arrested on 9 August and charged on 24 August 2006, under section 38b of the Terrorism Act 2000 with failing to disclose information about his brother Nabeel Hussain. He was released on 1 November when a District Judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to try him, although he remains on the financial sanctions list, unlike his brother who was never listed there. - Mohammed Yasar GulzarMohammed Yasar GulzarMohammed Yasar Gulzar is one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United KingdomAlong with two others, on August 30, 2006 was charged with conspiracy to murder and commit acts of terrorism....
was charged with conspiracy to murder and terrorism on 29 August 2006. - Assan Abdullah KhanAssan Abdullah KhanAssan Abdullah Khan is one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England....
, born 24 October 1984, (Walthamstow). Assan is studying at the University of HertfordshireUniversity of HertfordshireThe University of Hertfordshire is a new university based largely in Hatfield, in the county of Hertfordshire, England, from which the university takes its name. It has more than 27,500 students, over 2500 staff, with a turnover of over £181m...
. - Arafat Waheed Khan, born 18 May 1981, (Walthamstow) lived with his younger brother Assan at a semi-detached house The brothers were known locally as proficient amateur mechanics who helped to fix neighbours’ cars. Waheed is married with a baby. They prayed daily at a mosque close to their home. He was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006.
- Adam KhatibAdam KhatibAdam Khatib is one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England. He has three siblings...
, born 7 December 1986, (Walthamstow) was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006 - Abdul Muneem PatelAbdul Muneem PatelAbdul Muneem Patel is one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England...
, born 17 April 1989, (Clapton, London E5) - Mohammed Usman Saddique, born 23 April 1982, (Walthamstow) 24, worked at his brother’s pizza restaurant. Nicknamed Uzi, he is “highly educated” and a fitness fanatic, say friends, but had a rebellious streak. Police took videos and computer disks from his house.
- Ibrahim Savant (formerly Oliver Savant), born 19 December 1980, (Walthamstow) was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006.
- Amin Asmin Tariq, born 7 June 1983, (Walthamstow) He is an airline employee who has a 24-hour, all-areas pass at Heathrow airport. He had transferred to Jet AirwaysJet AirwaysJet Airways is a major Indian airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is India's largest airline and the market leader in the domestic sector. It operates over 400 flights daily to 76 destinations worldwide. Its main hub is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, with secondary hubs at Delhi,...
in March 2006 from G4S. Jet Airways has suspended him pending further investigation. - Shamin Mohammed UddinShamin Mohammed UddinShamin Mohammed Uddin of Stoke Newington, London, is one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England.According to the Sunday Mirror he had been...
, born 22 November 1970, (Stoke NewingtonStoke NewingtonStoke Newington is a district in the London Borough of Hackney. It is north-east of Charing Cross.-Boundaries:In modern terms, Stoke Newington can be roughly defined by the N16 postcode area . Its southern boundary with Dalston is quite ill-defined too...
, London). The former bodybuilder is understood to have suffered from mental illness after a violent assault which temporarily left him in a coma. He was charged on 29 August 2006 with conspiracy to commit murder and terrorism. - Waheed Zaman, born 27 May 1984, (Walthamstow) is a final year biomedical science student at London Metropolitan UniversityLondon Metropolitan UniversityLondon Metropolitan University , located in London, England, was formed on 1 August 2002 by the amalgamation of the University of North London and the London Guildhall University . The University has campuses in the City of London and in the London Borough of Islington.The University operates its...
. He is president of the college Islamic society and lives opposite the Queen’s Road mosque where at least eight of the suspects are believed to have worshipped. Friends say he was too busy revising for exams to be a bomb plotter. A Tabligh Jamaat follower, the group’s preachers regularly visited the mosque where most of those arrested in East London worshipped. He was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006.
High Wycombe
- Shazad Khuram AliShazad Khuram AliShazad Khuram Ali is one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England.-Timeline:...
, born 11 June 1979 Runs a car trading company which is believed to have employed fellow suspect Assad Sarwar. Accounts show that the company made an £11,000 loss last year. Neighbours have complained about the building of a makeshift mosque in his back garden. Recently visited Pakistan. - Umar Islam (formerly Brian Young), born 23 April 1978 was a ticket inspector on London buses during the 7 July 2005 London bombings7 July 2005 London bombingsThe 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
when he helped search for bombs on other buses and assisted victims of the Tavistock SquareTavistock SquareTavistock Square is a public square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden with a fine garden.-Public art:The centre-piece of the gardens is a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, which was installed in 1968....
bus bomb to safety.http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20140210-2703,00.html He was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006. - Waseem Kayani, born 28 April 1977 A taxi driver who lived with his parents and wore western clothes. Neighbours say he had a pronounced limp and had shaved his head while retaining his long beard. He recently returned from Pakistan with a new bride.
- Assad Sarwar, born 24 May 1980 is said by his family to have become a Tabligh follower after dropping out of university. His brother, Amjad, said: “He was at Tablighi JamaatTablighi JamaatTablighi Jamaat is a religious movement which was founded in 1926 by Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlawi in India. The movement primarily aims at Tablighi spiritual reformation by working at the grass roots level, reaching out to Muslims across all social and economic spectra to bring them closer to...
, which is a sect in Islam which encourages the youth to grow beards, pray five times a day and, how the Prophet lived on a daily basis, that’s how you should run your life. He got actively involved in that and thought that religion is more important than study.” He was charged with conspiracy to murder, contrary to Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977, and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006. Amjad Sarwar was falsely implicated in the plot by the GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, the ObserverThe ObserverThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, the News of the WorldNews of the WorldThe News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
, the Mirror, the Daily Mail, the Mail on SundayThe Mail on SundayThe Mail on Sunday is a British conservative newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it became Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper following the closing of The News of the World in July 2011...
, the Evening StandardEvening StandardThe Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
, the IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, the TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, the Daily Express and the Daily Star; the publishers of these newspapers apologised and paid him £170,000 compensation on 28 November 2006. - Abdul WaheedAbdul Waheed (suspected aircraft bomb plotter)Abdul Waheed or Wahid, formerly Donald Douglas Stewart-Whyte is one of the suspects arrested in the United Kingdom on August 10, 2006, in connection with the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot...
(formerly Don Stewart-Whyte) (not on the bank's list), born ca. 1986. Son of a former Tory agent, half brother of model Heather Stewart-WhyteHeather Stewart-WhyteHeather Stewart-Whyte is a British model.-Early life:Born in East Sussex, England, Stewart-Whyte found success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, garnering several runway shows for Versace, Armani, Saint-Laurent and Lagerfeld...
, a successful model who lives in North London. She has said that she has never met her half-brother.
Suspects arrested in Pakistan
- IslamabadIslamabadIslamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
- Rashid RaufRashid RaufRashid Rauf was an alleged Al-Qaeda operative. He was a dual citizen of Britain and Pakistan who was arrested in Bhawalpur, Pakistan in connection with the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot in August 2006, a day before some arrests were made in Britain...
, said to be an al Qaeda operative and ringleader of the plot. The terrorism charges against him were dropped in December. - A second un-named British national of Pakistani descent is also being held.
- Five Pakistani nationals were arrested and held at the same time.
Financial sanctions
The names of the 19 individuals to which financial sanctionsFinancial Sanctions Unit
The Financial Sanctions Unit of the Bank of England administers financial sanctions in the United Kingdom on behalf of HM Treasury. It has been in operation since before 1993 when it applied sanctions against the Government of Libya...
were to be applied was published on 11 August. The names of 18 are: Abdula Ahmed Ali, Shazad Khuram Ali, Cossor Ali, Nabeel Hussain, Tanvir Hussain, Umair Hussain, Umar Islam, Waseem Kayani, Assan Abdullah Khan, Waheed, Arafat Khan, Osman Adam Khatib, Tayib Rauf, Muhammed Usman Saddique, Assad Sarwar, Ibrahim Savant, Amin Asmin Tariq, Shamin Mohammed Uddin, Waheed Zaman. A 19th individual's name was redacted in a revision of the order on 24 August because he was under 18.