Trio Cleared Of 7/7 Bombings Involvement

Three British Muslims have been cleared of conspiring to plan terrorist attacks, in relation to the London July 7 bombings, which killed 52 people.

Waheed Ali, 25, Sadeer Saleem, 28, and Mohammed Shakil, 32, all from Leeds, were all cleared by a jury of carrying out a reconnaissance mission to help the London bombers at Kingston Crown Court.

However, Ali and Shakil were convicted of a second charge of conspiracy to attend a place used for terrorist training.

The three men were originally tried in 2008, but the first jury failed to reach verdicts against them. They were accused of scouting the capital for possible targets, by visiting the London Eye, the Natural History Museum and the London Aquarium seven months before the 2005 atrocity.

The three defendants admitted making the visit but claimed it was an entirely innocent social outing whose purpose was for Mr Ali to visit his sister.

As the verdicts were read out, all smiled broadly, Saleem wiped his eyes and Shakil placed one hand on the glass partition between the dock and the well of the court and mouthed "thank you" to the jury.

Outside the court, 28-year-old Saleem said he was "totally innocent" and been prosecuted on the "flimsiest of evidence".

Suicide bombers Mohammed Siddique Khan, Shezhad Tanweer, Hasib Hussain and Jermaine Lindsay detonated rucksack devices packed with explosives on three tube trains and a bus.

Up to 1,000 people were injured, and 52 were killed in the attacks which took place on July 7, 2005.

One senior officer said: "This is the largest investigation ever carried out by the Metropolitan Police. Every clue and lead was, and is still being, tracked down.

"I would not rule out other charges but whether they will be as significant as those faced by these men I cannot say.

"There were a large number of fingerprints at the bomb factories - the vast bulk belonged to the bombers but others are still unknown.

"The message should go out that we will go to the nth degree and pursue anyone who we think is involved in a plot against this country."

Meanwhile, almost four years after the attack, the victims and the families of those caught up in the 7/7 bombings have demanded justice.

Campaigners said the verdicts mean no one has been brought to justice, and have asked the Government to publish a new Intelligence and Security Committee report on the bombings.

(JM/BMcC)