London bombers targeted Ashes teams

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Just read this at CRICINFO. looks like a madeup story from back home but who knows

Terror plan included getting jobs at Edgbaston

London bombers targeted Ashes teams

Cricinfo staff

October 8, 2006

A leading British newspaper has claimed the London bombers were initially ordered by Al-Qaeda to target the England and Australian teams during the 2005 Ashes series.

Quoting a friend of one of the terrorists, The Sunday Times said Mohammad Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer allegedly received the orders at a training camp near Kotli, in Kashmir, during December 2004. The claims have been made by a family friend of Hasib Hussain, the bus bomber who killed 13 people. The friend, who is willing to pass his information to the police, uses the pseudonym Ahmed Hafiz.

According to Hafiz, 32, the bombers were instructed to get jobs as stewards at Edgbaston and spray sarin gas inside the changing rooms. The second Test between England and Australia began on August 4.

Hafiz, whose family have known the Hussains for 25 years, said he had received details of the bombers’ visit from members of his extended family, who were involved in running the camp. He claimed Tanweer, 22, objected to the plot, possibly because he himself was a cricketer. He was told by a witness Tanweer argued with Khan, 30, and a scuffle between them had to be broken up by a minder.

http://wwwc1.cricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/261863.html

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Re: London bombers targeted Ashes teams

Moreover, If there is any truth to it why did this story just make the news almost 1 1/2 years after london bombings . Public afwaah uraanay main expert hai

**Ponting confident of Ashes safety **

Ponting scored a century in the Edgbaston Test
Australia captain Ricky Ponting has backed the security behind the side after a report they were an al-Qaeda target during last year’s Ashes series.
“We are totally confident in the security precautions taken on our behalf,” Ponting said in a statement.

“We were very comfortable with the security arrangements that were in place during the recent Ashes tour.”

The Sunday Times carried claims an al-Qaeda cell was initially ordered to kill both teams at Edgbaston.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said on Monday: “At no stage then or since was there any specific issue relating to the Australian or England teams raised with us.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board had “absolutely no knowledge of the threat described in the Sunday Times”, a spokesman told BBC Sport.

The 7 July attacks on the London transport network, which killed 52 people, took place as the Ashes rivals prepared to begin a one-day game in Leeds.

As the first Test began at Lord’s in north London on 21 July, there was a second attempt to bomb Underground trains.

The second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham followed on 4 August.

The touring team met to discuss the threat to their safety and Ponting expressed concerns writing in his Ashes Tour Diary, published after the series finished.

Ponting wrote: "I know quite a few players feel there is an element of inconsistency about our decision to continue with the tour and I agree with that.

“If we were in, say, Pakistan or Sri Lanka and something like this had happened, I am sure we would have been on the first plane out.”

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Re: London bombers targeted Ashes teams


kisi ko paisay/naam kamanay ka shoq hay :p