Firearms officers from the British police detain a man, later named as Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali, on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament in central London, before being taken away by police. AFP / Niklas Hallen
Firearms officers from the British police detain a man, later named as Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali, on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament in central London, before being taken away by police. AFP / Niklas Hallen
Firearms officers from the British police detain a man, later named as Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali, on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament in central London, before being taken away by police. AFP / Niklas Hallen
Firearms officers from the British police detain a man, later named as Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali, on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament in central London, before being taken away by police. AFP /

Taliban trained British bomb maker found guilty of Westminster terror plot


  • English
  • Arabic

Khalid Ali, a British plumber from Edmonton in north London who had spent years making bombs for the Taliban in Afghanistan, was found guilty on Tuesday of planning a terror attack in Westminster.

The 28-year-old was caught carrying three knives near Westminster Palace in April 2017 and arrested. Ali denied terror offences and said he was carrying the knives in "self-defence".

A month earlier, a British-born convert to Islam had ploughed a car into pedestrians on nearby Westminster Bridge, killing four people, before stabbing a policeman to death in the grounds of parliament.

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Read more:

Mum and daughter jailed over London terror plot

UK teenager convicted of terrorist plot with her mother and sister

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In June 2011, he had told his family that he was moving to Birmingham for work but instead Ali had gone to Afghanistan to join the Taliban. His family would not hear from him for more than five years. There he went to a "Taliban training camp affiliated to Al Qaeda where, for several years, he helped terrorists make hundreds of bombs capable of mass murder," said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon.

In a televised interview Ali said he had detonated more than 300 bombs. During the trial, the court heard how his fingerprints had been found on component parts of explosive devices handed over to US forces in Afghanistan in 2012. During the interview Ali also said he wanted British leaders to leave "Muslim lands", destroy the state of Israel and release prisoners of war.

He was described by the Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon as an "incredibly dangerous individual". Adding that his arrest and sentencing show "how close the UK counter-terrorism network works with partners and allies to bring to justice those seeking to harm others across the world".

A British police forensics officer holds a knife as evidence is collected on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament in central London, at the scene where Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali was detained and taken away by police. AFP / Justin Tallis
A British police forensics officer holds a knife as evidence is collected on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament in central London, at the scene where Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali was detained and taken away by police. AFP / Justin Tallis

The jury convicted Ali of preparing an act of terrorism in the UK, and two counts of possessing an explosive substance with intent.

“I would consider myself as a mujahid [Islamic warrior],” said Ali. “Jihad is what we do…and I am here to let you know the reason why I have come with the message, for you to make the right decisions, if not…we have a lot of time. UK is next on the list".

Sue Hemming from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Khalid Ali planned to carry out a vicious knife attack in London that could have injured many and endangered life". He will be sentenced at a later date.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Structural%20weaknesses%20facing%20Israel%20economy
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Cheeseburger%20ingredients
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Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
  • 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
  • 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
  • 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele

Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.

  • It’s So Easy
  • Mr Brownstone
  • Chinese Democracy
  • Welcome to the Jungle
  • Double Talkin’ Jive
  • Better
  • Estranged
  • Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
  • Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
  • Rocket Queen
  • You Could Be Mine
  • Shadow of Your Love
  • Attitude (Misfits cover)
  • Civil War
  • Coma
  • Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
  • Sweet Child O’ Mine
  • Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
  • Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
  • November Rain
  • Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
  • Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
  • Nightrain

Encore:

  • Patience
  • Don’t Cry
  • The Seeker (The Who cover)
  • Paradise City
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PRO%20MAX
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While you're here

SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Suad%20Amiry%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Pantheon%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20304%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows
​​​​​​​Release Date: April 10

The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now