Keena Wilson
3 February 2011
Newcastle BA employee 'conspired to blow up plane'
Blog # 3
There have been many attempts, by terrorist, to blow up aircrafts in the last couple of years. From the Nigerian man back in 2009, who said he had links to al-Qaeda, was charged with trying to blow up a U.S. passenger plane with high explosives as it prepared to land in Detroit, U.S. Also in November of last year a terrorist printer cartridge bomb, that was timed to explode in mid-air over the eastern United States, was found on a cargo plane in Britain. It was thought to have been sent by Yemen-based al-Qaeda. In the world news today there was yet another headline about a man who was accused of plotting to blow up an aircraft.
Rajib Karim, 31-year-old Bangladeshi national, was arrested while working at a British Airways call centre in Newcastle. Mr Karim is accused of plotting to blow up a plane, sharing information of use to hate groups such as al-Qaeda, offering to help financial or disruptive attacks on BA, and gaining a UK job to exploit terrorist purposes. During the second day of his trial at Woolwich Crown Court, the messages that he exchanged with his brother Tehzeeb in Pakistan was the main focus. It is alleged that one of the messages from his brother read: "I hope you don't have any doubt that all the citizens around you are Muhaaribeen [fighters or combatants] and that our covenant [promise of non-aggression] with them is broken and invalid from numerous sides." Rajib Karim allegedly replied: "No, none whatsoever. The jury was also told that secret e-mails were found on Karim’s hard drive, as well as a voice file from radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who has never been caught and is believed to be hiding in the mountains of Yemen. It is claimed that these two discussed attacks that Karim could organize against British Airways; and an attack involving blowing up a US-bound jet was one of the attacks that were deliberated. Since that second day in court Karim has admitted his part in the production of a video for a terrorist group, fundraising, and encouraging others to volunteer for terrorism abroad but, he denies plotting to blow up a plane, sharing information of use to al-Qaeda, offering to help financial or disruptive attacks on BA, and gaining a UK job to exploit terrorist purposes. The trial still continues.
I’m not exactly sure how I feel about this case quite yet. Part of me believes he is guilty because the man has already pleaded guilty to three other terror charges, the court said that he was an extreme jihadist and that he believes terrorism, including the murder of civilians, is permissible to establish a true Islamic state. All of that sounds bad and that is why part of me feels that he is guilty. But, as I read the articles, I noticed that most of what the court said he did “allegedly” happened. Anything can be alleged, that’s just a presumption, so I took it as all the things that the court are saying about him could very much so be a lie. I don’t know I’m just a little confused on this one.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-12348883
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-12339197
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