Latest July terror suspect to face charges

One of the suspects in the failed London bombings was charged last night with conspiracy to murder and possessing explosives.

Yassin Omar is accused of attempting to detonate a bomb on the Tube at Warren Street station on 21 July before escaping.

The 24-year-old Somalian was arrested in a dramatic raid in Birmingham on 27 July when police felled him using a Taser stun gun.

The charges against him accuse Omar of conspiring with others to "murder passengers on the Transport for London system" and that he "unlawfully or maliciously made or had in his possession or under his control an explosive substance with intent by means thereof to endanger life or cause serious injury to property".

He is due to appear at Bow Street Magistrates Court, London, tomorrow.

All four of the would-be suicide bomb suspects are held by police. Muktar Said-Ibrahim, 27, accused of the failed Hackney bus bombing, and Ramzi Mohammed, suspected of attempting the Oval Tube bombing, were captured in raids in west London on July 29.

Italian police arrested Hussain Osman, alleged to be the would-be bomber of a train at Shepherd's Bush, west London, in Rome. The police expect him to be extradited within days.

The charges followed the disclosure that three militant Islamists, including the founder of al-Muhajirioun, Omar Bakri Mohammed, face prosecution under existing laws for allegedly inciting attacks on Britain and on British troops in Iraq last week.

The Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, and Director of Public Prosecutions, Ken Macdonald, are scrutinising their remarks in television interviews. The law officers are considering common law offences of treason, incitement to treason and solicitation to murder, as well as offences of witholding information about terrorism and soliciting people to withhold information under the 2000 and 2001 Terrorism Acts.

Two of the men, Abu Izzaden and Abu Uzair, appeared on a BBC Newsnight programme.

Omar Bakri Mohammed, a Jordanian closely linked to several of Britain's most militant Islamist groups, suggested in one Channel Four interview that it was acceptable for Muslims to attack British and American troops in Iraq.

He also appeared to condone acts of terror in Britain by foreign Muslims on the grounds they believed they were under attack in their home countries.

Tony Blair has already disclosed that he is seeking sweeping new powers to crack down on Islamist hardliners and al-Qa'ida supporters in Britain. After the 7 July and 21 July bombings, he said, "the rules have changed".

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has confirmed the police expect to seize up to 20 alleged terror suspects, both foreign-born and British, if Tony Blair's proposed new powers come into force.

Three men appeared in court yesterday charged under the Terrorism Act 2000 with failing to disclose information about the botched London suicide bombings.

Shadi Sami Abdel Gadir, 22, and Omar Nagmeloin Almagboul, 20, both of Fairways Dyke Road, Brighton, and Mohamed Kabashi, 23, of no fixed abode, were arrested last Wednesday.

Eleven people remain in police custody as part of the investigation into the 21 July attacks, including three of the alleged bombers.

On Friday, Mr Osman's wife and sister-in-law were in court and denied allegations that they failed to disclose information about his activities.

With the Metropolitan Police suffering fatigue after four weeks of anti-terror operations, Sir Ian has said he wants to recruit up to 400 extra armed officers. These would be spread across the force's armed units. Scotland Yard is now preparing itself for a long anti-terrorist campaign.