Al-Qaeda planned to bomb Ministry Of Sound
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 04,00.html
Gang 'planned to blow up Ministry of Sound nightclub'
By Times Online
A gang with alleged links to al-Qaeda selected the Ministry of Sound nightclub as a target for a terrorist attack, the Old Bailey heard today.
The plan to blow up London’s biggest and most famous nightclub was revealed in a secret tape recording made in the home of Jawad Akbar, who allegedly told his friends they would not be blamed for killing "those slags dancing around".
According to the tape, which was played to the court, the men discussed a series of options, including infiltrating utility companies, before deciding that a nightclub would be much softer target, with minimal security while offering maximum potential for damage.
::MPS::The group stands accused of planning an explosion that could have endangered lives as well as possession of products that could make an explosive device, including 600kg of ammonium nitrate fertiliser.
Mr Akbar is heard explaining on the tape: "What about easy stuff where you don’t need no experience and nothing and you could get a job, yeah, like for example the biggest nightclub in central London where no-one can even turn round and say ‘oh they were innocent’."
Asked by his friend what he planned to do, Mr Akbar replies: "Blow the whole thing up".
Another member of the group, Omar Khyam, was heard responding enthusiastically to the idea: "The explosion in the clubs, yeah, that’s fine, Bro, that’s not a problem. The training for that is available. To get them into the Ministry of Sound really isn’t difficult."
The Ministry of Sound was founded 15 years ago by Jamie Palumbo and was London’s first super-club, packing in up to 1,800 clubbers.
The recording was made at Mr Akbar’s previous home in Uxbridge, West London, on February 22 2004. Present at the meeting was Akbar, Khyam, Shujah Mahmood, Waheed Mahmood, Salahuddin Amin, Anthony Garcia and Nabeel Hussain. The men were from West London, Surrey and West Sussex.
The men denied conspiracy to cause an explosion that could endanger lives. Khyam, Garcia and Hussain also denied a charge under the Terrorism Act for possession of ammonium nitrate fertiliser for terrorist purposes. Khyam and Shujah Mahmood denied a third charge for possession of aluminium powder for terrorism purposes.
The men were arrested by police on March 30 2004 after the fertiliser was found in a storage depot in West London.