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7/7 accused denies bomb plotting 7/7 accused had Afghan training
(about 1 hour later)
A man accused of a reconnaissance trip for the 7 July suicide bombers has told a jury he had nothing to do with 2005's attacks on London's transport system. A man accused of a scouting trip for the 7/7 suicide bombers has admitted he went close to the Afghan frontline as part of training for jihad.
Michael Wolkind QC, for Waheed Ali, told the jury his client had wanted to train for violent jihad in Pakistan. Leeds man Waheed Ali said he trained with bomber Mohammad Siddique Khan - but was not part of the conspiracy.
But he said the Leeds man had not sought, desired or approved of a bombing campaign in the UK. The pair spent weeks in Kashmir and Afghanistan prior to the 9/11 attacks after concluding it was their duty to fight alongside oppressed Muslims.
Mr Ali and two others deny conspiring with their friends who led the attacks on London. Mr Ali and two others deny conspiring with friends who staged the attacks.
Taking to the witness box at Kingston Crown Court, Mr Ali told the jury that he had played no part in the plot to attack the London transport system. Appearing in the witness box at Kingston Crown Court, Mr Ali told his counsel Michael Wolkind QC that he was not part of the plans to attack the London transport system on 7 July 2005.
Sadeer Saleem and Mohammed Shakil also deny the charge
"Did you take part in any terrorist planning in London?" asked Mr Wolkind."Did you take part in any terrorist planning in London?" asked Mr Wolkind.
"No, I did not," replied Mr Ali. "No, I swear I did not," replied Mr Ali.
"Did you take part in any reconnaissance trip for this plan to bomb the Underground?""Did you take part in any reconnaissance trip for this plan to bomb the Underground?"
"No, I did not.""No, I did not."
Opening the defence, Mr Wolkind told the jury that Mr Ali had a "complete defence" to the prosecution's allegation. The 25-year-old told the court that he had become more religious in his late teens after a chance conversation with fellow defendant Sadeer Saleem, who helped out at a local Islamic bookshop.
"This is an outstandingly weak prosecution - the defence is full of difficulty that will demand all your care and effort to avoid the traps of prejudice," said Mr Wolkind. Mr Ali, Mr Saleem and Mohammed Shakil all deny assisting the bombers.
"Along the way you will have to deal with [evidence] that is alien and foreign and that is offensive by your standards." Inspirational videos
Mr Wolkind said the 25-year-old had come to religion in his teens and had decided in 2004 to travel to Pakistan. Mr Saleem supplied him with tapes detailing how Muslims were being oppressed - but how some were resisting in Chechnya, Bosnia and elsewhere.
But Mr Wolkind said this trip had had nothing to do with the plot to attack London on 7 July 2005. Sadeer Saleem and Mohammed Shakil also deny the charge
"He is going there to train, to learn to fight, because maybe he will fight," said Mr Wolkind. He and childhood friend Shehzad Tanweer, another of the suicide bombers, watched the videos and found the material "inspirational", said Mr Ali.
"Whether his fight is a good cause, such as jihad to defend his Muslim brothers, or whether it's a cause that you condemn, simply is not and cannot be the issue in this case. It's not a factor that makes your verdict." "That's what I saw as my goal in life, to help my Muslim brothers however I could do it," said Mr Ali.
Mr Ali told the jury he approached Mohammad Siddique Khan, who also lived nearby, for help in going to Kashmir.
The pair left for Pakistan in July 2001 after Khan arranged for them to join a Mujahideen training camp on the Kashmir border.
Mr Ali told the court the trip had been talked about openly. Local people would collect for the Kashmiri cause during local Friday prayers, he said.
"Islamically and morally it's 100% correct to help your Muslim brothers," said Mr Ali.
"I had told my friends about my plans, all these people knew about the trip."
Weapons training
The court heard that the pair travelled to a mountain training camp where they stayed with more than 100 other trainees. The camp was run by Harakat-ul-Mujahideen, a major guerrilla group.
Mr Ali said he learned to strip, clean and fire a Kalashnikov rifle and also studied rocket-propelled grenades. Invited to see Afghanistan, Khan and Mr Ali decided to "go with the flow".
The pair journeyed into the country in a taxi driven by a "crazy Afghan geezer with a death wish", said Mr Ali.
From there, they went to the Taleban's frontline outside Kabul to help deliver supplies.
Mr Ali said he was by now too ill from poor food to be of much military use, but the trip had nevertheless been worth it.
"I thought that I had accomplished something and that I had trained to help my Muslim brothers," he told the court.
"The ultimate aim of every Muslim was to have an Islamic state and I had seen it. I was really happy."
The pair returned to the UK a week before the 9/11 attacks on the US.
The case continues.The case continues.