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[Jackpot]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21534048

Irfan Naseer, 31, Irfan Khalid, 27, and Ashik Ali, 27, from Birmingham, were found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court of being "central figures" in the plot.

Jurors were told they planned to set off up to eight bombs in rucksacks and possibly detonate bombs on timers.

Police described the men as "committed, passionate extremists".

The trio were arrested in 2011 amid fears their plans were accelerating.

"The evidence we put to the court showed the defendants discussing with awe and admiration the attacks of 9/11 and 7/7. These terrorists wanted to do something bigger, speaking of how 7/7 had 'gone a bit wrong'."

Editorial

During the months of evidence at Woolwich Crown Court, the three men came across as utter incompetents. They even laughed among themselves about the grim satirical film, Four Lions, in which useless bombers are seeking martyrdom by blowing themselves up.

But although they did not have a clear target, their own words clearly convinced the jury that the three men were extremely dangerous: they knew what they were doing.

What was never clear in the trial was what had really made them want to be bombers. They exhibited all the same characteristics as many who have gone before them - including a vague hatred of "Western" society and a general social inadequacy with their place in Britain.

One of them even conceded to police that if his two fellow plotters managed to find women who would have them, their anger with the world may have eventually gone away.

Irfan Naseer wanted to be the next big thing.

For most of his adult life, he had struggled to find his place in the world, but by 2010, he had stopped struggling.

He didn't seem to care that his mates called him Big Irfan, Chubbs or Chubby.

Because in his own world, he had become a different kind of big man.

He was going to be a bomber.

And he was going to show the world a thing or two, even if pressing the trigger on a homemade detonator would be the last thing he would ever do.

He and Irfan Khalid, described in court as his right-hand man, left their Birmingham homes twice to join training camps linked to al-Qaeda deep within the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan - the second trip ending in the summer of 2011.

Their plan was simple. The men joined the camps to receive broad training in bomb-making, weapons and poisons from al-Qaeda contacts.

On their return, they began seeking recruits for a bombing campaign. They already had Ashik Ali in the team. Naseer organised a Pakistan training camp trip for four other men from Birmingham - and identified others he wanted to be part of his plan.

None of the men realised they were already being monitored by MI5 and the police. In fact, they were being watched so closely that investigators knew that the four recruits had been sent overseas.

Another conversation revolved around whether they could fit blades to a car and cut people down in the street.

They sought donations for a local madrassah project and a legitimate international development British charity, Muslim Aid.

But the real plan was to con ordinary people. They collected some £13,000 from Muslims who regard it as a religious and moral duty to give to charity during Ramadan.

Rahin Ahmed, another member of the cell, said he could make more money by investing it in online currency trading - he lost £9,000. Ahmed has separately pleaded guilty to fund-raising for terrorism.

He said that if they allowed doubts to enter their mind, then "you're not gonna do it, bro, you're not going to press the button".

Anas Zein Al-Abdeen was at school with Irfan Naseer. He told the BBC's Inside Out West Midlands programme that his former friend became increasingly extreme as he entered adulthood, holding views a world away from the man he had known as "Chubby", the school joker.

"The guys [at school] stuck around with him because he was funny, lively, always had a lot to say, quite outspoken.

"[But] he couldn't adapt to working life. This, I think, is the start of his downfall. He started looking at achieving something else apart from his career or his profession."

Naseer was angry about international politics, expressing frustrations about injustices in the Muslim world.

He added: "The way he used to dress up, a lot of people found him intimidating. I know for a fact when he used to go to the mosques that a lot of people used to look at him with disdain.

"He does have extreme views. I mean there's no doubt about this. You'd be excused if you thought the film Four Lions was based on this guy Chubby because his friends never really took what he said seriously."

"I believe him when he said he wanted to be the big man," he told the BBC. "He just couldn't comprehend everybody moving on and he was struggling to move on from school days. He wanted to prove something."

Right down to the sinister quality of how apparent the wanted to kill people but how flippantly the approached the whys and wherefores of it.

 

[piddledy]

I'm the Mujahideen and I'm making a scene / Now you's gonna feel what the boom-boom means / It's like Tupac said, "When I die, I'm not dead"/ We are the martyrs, you're just smashed tomatoes / Allahu Akbar!

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

IMO the scariest thing about terrorism is that it attracts people who just aren't very bright.

 

[Hot Coldman]

rubber dinghy rapids bro

 

[Kurtofan]

IMO the scariest thing about terrorism is that it attracts people who just aren't very bright.

Well it's better than attracting bright people.Dumb people are more likely to screw up.

 

[RustyNails]

This is like the best movie ever made. I'm not even kidding.

Barry: "You can't win an argument just by being right! "

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Well it's better than attracting bright people.Dumb people are more likely to screw up.

I think, from a philosphical viewpoint I'd rather be blown up by someone with an airtight ideology and a bulleted list of reasons than some fat loser who couldn't get a job and was mildly retarded. Adds insult to injury to know you've been ended by someone who couldn't get a job cleaning toilets.

 

[dave is ok]

Rubber Dinghy Rapids Bro. Fast Track.

EDIT: Fuck, I can't believe someone already posted that.

 

[SteveWD40]

"the dumb terrorists are all dead"

The said that in the 90's, seems they are making new ones all the time.

Really though, it's usually just disenfranchised people, if they won £100k on a scratch card would they still want to blow themselves up? or would they live it up on "western culture"?

 

[InaudibleWhispa]

Well Chris Morris said Four Lions is based on his years of research, including sitting in court cases where he heard ridiculous stories of stupidity and ineptitude.

 

[Meus Renaissance]

It's not always the socially and financially disenfranchised that are drawn to committing acts of violence like this though - you have the affluent who have done this in the past as well. The most notable example, of course, was Bin Laden who left a life of wealth behind him.

 

[SteveWD40]

The most notable example, of course, was Bin Laden who left a life of wealth behind him.

But was never a martyr. You have some rich terrorists in the mid east, usually funding other peoples operations, but rarley ever are they strapping on the C4 (nor would they).

UK based terrorists are normally recruited from Casino's / Brothels where they look for poor, disenfranchised and more importantly sinning / non practising Muslims who they can guilt trip into "redemption".