London trial hits snag at end

The Baltimore Sun

LONDON -- At the end of a six-month trial, jurors were dismissed yesterday after failing to reach a verdict on the fates of two remaining defendants charged with attempting to blow up portions of London's public transit system in 2005.

On Monday, four plotters were found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. They will return to court today for sentencing. Their lawyers had contended that the devices they planted, which failed to explode, were meant to scare the public rather than cause physical damage.

The failure to convict Manfo Asiedu, 33, and Adel Yahya, 24, came after nine days of deliberations. Both men pleaded not guilty to charges that they also intended to kill hundreds of London commuters on July 21, 2005.

Prosecutors presented closed-circuit video of Asiedu and convicted ringleader Muktar Said Ibrahim, 29, buying massive amounts of hydrogen peroxide that authorities said was used to build the explosives.

Asiedu, who turned on the group and admitted to knowing that the bombs were not a hoax, insisted that Ibrahim bullied him into participating. The defense also argued that on the day of the failed attacks, Asiedu changed his mind and took his bomb to a north London park where he left it behind, fully intact.

Involvement denied

Yahya, an Ethiopian immigrant, denied any knowledge of the plot. Despite the prosecution's contention that he was involved, Yahya was visiting his native country when the attacks took place.

Authorities praised the convictions of Ibrahim, Ramzi Mohammed, 25, Yassin Omar, 26, and Hussain Osman, 28. However, some opponents of the government accused police and security forces of systematic failings over the attempted suicide bombings.

"When will the government answer our call to establish a dedicated U.K. border police force to secure our porous borders?" asked David Davis, the Conservative shadow home secretary.

During the trial, prosecutors revealed that Ibrahim, who previously had been charged with robbery and sexual assault, was allowed to leave the country despite being under police surveillance. After questioning at Heathrow Airport, Ibrahim flew to Pakistan, where he trained for three months and learned to build bombs similar to those used in a deadly series of London bombings on July 7, 2005, according to evidence presented at trial.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said Britain has increased the number of immigration officers and supplied them with such technology as biometric visas and electronic screening.

"The law is also being tightened to ensure that foreign national prisoners face automatic consideration of deportation if they have committed a serious offense," she added.

Suspect critical

In Scotland, another failed bomber remains in critical condition, according to a spokeswoman at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Kafeel Ahmed, 27, suffered third-degree burns after ramming a Jeep Cherokee into the Glasgow Airport on June 30, a day after police in London found two unexploded car bombs.

Alicia Lozano writes for the Los Angeles Times.

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