Al Qaida's plan to assasinate England and Australian Cricket Teams

Submitted by manmohan (India), Oct 8, 2006 at 15:21

7/7 bombers wanted to kill Eng, Oz cricketers 7/7 bombers wanted to kill Eng, Oz cricketers
Press Trust of India

Posted online: Sunday, October 08, 2006 at 1822 hours IST
Updated: Sunday, October 08, 2006 at 1830 hours IST London, October 8:
In a startling report, a leading newspaper has claimed that the London bombers were initially ordered by Al-Qaeda to assassinate the England and Australian cricket teams during the 2005 Ashes series.

Quoting a friend of one of the terrorists, The Sunday Times, said Mohammad Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer allegedly received the orders at a training camp near Kotli, in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, in December 2004.
The claims have been made by a family friend of Hasib Hussain, the bus bomber who killed 13 people. The friend, who is willing to pass his information to the police, uses a pseudonym, Ahmed Hafiz.
According to 32-year-old Hafiz, the bombers were instructed to get jobs as stewards at the Edgbaston cricket ground and spray sarin gas inside the changing rooms.
The second Test between England and Australia, whose governments have supported Washington in the war on terror, began on August 4, 2005.
Hafiz, whose family have known the Hussains for 25 years, said he had received details of the bombers' visit from members of his extended family, who are involved in running the camp in PoK.
He claimed 22-year-old Tanweer objected to the plot, possibly because he himself was a cricketer. He was told by a witness that Tanweer argued with Khan, 30, and a scuffle
between them had to be broken up by a minder.
Both the England and Australian teams are currently in India for the 10-nation Champions Trophy cricket tournament which began in Mohali, Punjab yesterday.
Hafiz also provided a picture of the minder, who was allegedly shot last August.
Later, Hafiz claims, the camp's commanders � militants affiliated to Al-Qaeda -- revealed the plot to bomb the London Underground to Khan and Tanweer.
"It was always there, as Plan B," said Hafiz.
Although it was known the two bombers visited Pakistan in November 2004, until now no details have emerged about which camp they attended.
However, last week, locals in Kotli said all training camps in the region had been suspended since autumn 2004, under pressure from the ISI, Pakistan's military intelligence agency. But there are still militant safe houses in the area, the report said.
According to Hafiz, the camp commanders put Khan and Tanweer in touch with a bomb-making expert, who was based in Birmingham

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We should never forgive and never forget Munich Massacre by Palestinian Islamic Jehadi Terrorists.

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