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| Britain |
| UK terrorists got cash from Saudi Arabia before 7/7 |
| 2005-08-08 |
| By Toby Harnden in Riyadh and Andrew Alderson Two senior al-Qaeda operatives in Saudi Arabia made money transfers and used coded text messages to communicate with suspected terrorists in Britain before last month's attacks in London, according to officials in the kingdom. The two men, of Moroccan descent, have since been shot dead. Younis Mohammed Ibrahim al-Hayari, allegedly al-Qaeda's leader in Saudi Arabia, was killed in Riyadh three weeks ago and Abdel Karim al-Mejati died in a shoot-out in the central al-Qassim region in April. Saudi security officials suspect both men of involvement in the attacks in London on July 7 and 21 and say that al-Qaeda is definitely operating in Britain. "It's beyond doubt they're active in your country," said one. Huge amounts of chemicals and other bomb-making materials were found at al-Hayari's hideout. Al-Mejati is said to have planned the train bombings in Madrid in March last year. The Sunday Telegraph revealed last week that Scotland Yard was investigating evidence that the two waves of terrorist attacks in London were also planned in Saudi Arabia. In an exclusive interview, Prince Turki al-Faisal, the Saudi ambassador to London, said this week that his country had warned Britain less than four months ago that such an attack was pending. Scotland Yard is investigating who received the coded messages and money - transferred from Saudi to Britain via businesses at both ends before July this year. A Saudi security adviser said: "We are trying to establish whether the money was directly linked to the individuals who carried out either the first or the second sets of bombings in London. "The messages and the money transfers were highly professional. They were using SIM cards for six hours and then throwing them away." Last week The Sunday Telegraph revealed that Hussain Osman, 27, the suspected failed Shepherd's Bush bomber, had called a mobile phone in Saudi Arabia shortly before his arrest. Saudi security officials said Osman was phoning his parents, of Ethiopian extraction, while travelling by Eurostar from London to Rome. They are believed to have been living in the Jeddah area, near the Red Sea, for several years. The call was monitored by a British intelligence agency as Osman spoke first to his mother and then to his father. His parents are not suspected of involvement in terrorism. Scotland Yard is to train up to 500 extra firearms officers because of the increased threat of attacks. Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, said: "It's not so much about how many we can put on the street tomorrow, but it is the issue of sustaining the [anti-terror] campaign." |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #8 get the hook lol |
| Posted by: Jan 2005-08-08 16:48 |
| #7 Two by two, hands of blue .... |
| Posted by: leader of the pack 2005-08-08 16:08 |
| #6 "Beware the man in blue! I can say no more!" **Lifts cloak to cover face, exits stage left** |
| Posted by: Fred 2005-08-08 16:05 |
| #5 I've no doubt the warning was of the useless, general type. Something along the lines of, "We're hearing increased chatter about something happening in England this summer. Look out for men wearing blue." Had the Saudis passed on actionable information, someone would have publically thanked them by now. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-08-08 15:07 |
| #4 my usual comment: get rid of one or two of their preachers as well as one or two of their bankers..........then pause and see.......... |
| Posted by: Omaling Sleter7907 2005-08-08 13:59 |
| #3 In an exclusive interview, Prince Turki al-Faisal, the Saudi ambassador to London, said this week that his country had warned Britain less than four months ago that such an attack was pending. What kind of protections are ambassadors afforded that Prince Turki al-Faisal can |
| Posted by: Jan 2005-08-08 13:30 |
| #2 You can get a very nice handmade knockoff in Quetta made by traditional tribal child labor. I wouldn't go local to pick it up in person though. They don't play well with others but they'd be happy to take your cash and whatever else they can get. |
| Posted by: MunkarKat 2005-08-08 11:07 |
| #1 Golly gee, I just broke my suprise meter. Anyone know where I can get a new one that pegs out at "Ho-Hum"! |
| Posted by: Joey B. Brown 2005-08-08 10:59 |