Suspect’s Sydney links

Dr Mohamed Haneef and his wife in a picture taken at the Sydney Aquarium. Picture: News of the World

Fiona Hudson/Heraldsun  Hat tip: Rosie

THE doctor detained in Brisbane over alleged links to the botched car-bomb plots in London and Glasgow had also spent time in Sydney.

A photo of Dr Mohamed Haneef and his wife taken at Sydney Aquarium has emerged – a souvenir from one of a few trips the couple are believed to have made to NSW.

The joke image shows the terror suspect and his wife in a boat about to be attacked by a shark, with the Opera House and a ferry in the background.

The picture surfaced as chilling details of the car bombs plot continued to emerge.

Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism unit has uncovered evidence at least one of the suspects had been in recent contact with al-Qaida leaders in Iraq, London’s Sunday Times reported.

Britain’s Observer newspaper reported Indian doctor Kafeel Ahmed – the alleged driver of the Jeep that crashed into Glasgow airport – was a known associate of a senior al-Qaida figure caught plotting to blow up passenger jets.

Critically-ill Dr Ahmed, who suffered burns to 90 per cent of his body, was friends with convicted terrorist Abbas Boutrab, who was jailed for downloading information on how to blow up a plane, the paper claimed.

Dr Ahmed was reportedly so badly burnt in the flaming wreck, parts of his mobile phone melted into his body. The News of the World reported he was in such a rush to carry out the Glasgow attack, he didn’t have time to prepare a suicide video, though he did leave a “will of evil” bequeathing his savings to other Islamic fanatics.

The paper also said Dr Ahmed’s house was packed with bomb-making equipment including ammonia, wires, chemicals, soldering irons and triggers.

Dr Ahmed shared the house with Dr Bilal Abdulla, the alleged passenger in the Glasgow airport Jeep and the first man to be charged over the car bombs plot.

The former director of security service MI5, Dame Elizabeth Manningham-Buller, has written in a journal that more than 100 suspects are awaiting trial in Britain in 40 terrorist-related cases.

She warned of the possibility of an imminent chemical, biological or even nuclear attack.

About 1700 terrorists in 200 networks scattered across the UK were plotting an attack at any one time, she wrote in the academic journal article published last week.

She warned it was inevitable some terror attacks would slip under the radar of authorities.

Britain is expected this week to put Typhoon jet fighters on alert to intercept hijacked aircraft should the city come under a 9/11 style attack.

Police are hunting 12 more people who may be linked to the conspiracy in the southern Indian city of Bangalore – home to three suspects held in the British bomb plot.

Police studied the database at the transport office in the middle-class district of Jayanagar from where they had earlier discovered the driving licence details of Kafeel Ahmed.

The Sunday Times said the police were interested in a man it named as Saleem Ahmed, adding investigators were also probing the possibility that fake Bangalore driving licences were used in the bomb plot.

Australia: Downer sounds terrorism alert

‘Don’t go to Indonesia’

Ian McPhedran

AUSTRALIANS have been told to stay away from Indonesia because of an imminent terrorist attack against Western interests in Bali or Jakarta.

Security agencies detected a sudden rise in “chatter” between known terrorist groups late on Saturday night.

The chatter, picked up by Australian electronic intercepts, indicated an attack – linked to the recent arrest of Jemaah Islamiah leader Abu Dujana – was to take place.

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“These attacks could take place at any time and could be imminent,” the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade warned.

“Australians should consider this information carefully when considering travel to Indonesia.”