British Justice is an Oxymoron (III)

Despite the fact that British authorities estimate that more than 20 terrorists planned the suicide attacks on 7th July 2005 which killed 52 people, not a single one has ever been brought to justice.

This was highlighted last week, when three suspects on trial for helping to plan the bombings on London's transport network by going on a 'dummy run' and scoping out potential targets were dramatically cleared.

All three of the men admitted travelling to terrorist training camps in Afghanistan in 2005 - but it only became a criminal offence in 2006.


Two, Waheed Ali (above left) and Mohammed Shakil (above right), were found guilty of conspiring to return to Afghanistan in 2007 for further training, and it is believed they would have launched attacks on British and coalition forces.

They were jailed for seven years each - but due to time served on remand and the fact that most sentences are halved automatically on being passed, they may be out of prison very soon.

Here are the words of the presiding judge Mr Justice Gross:

Mr Justice Gross said the most important factor in his sentencing decision was to deter others attending such training camps.

The trial had heard about 1,000 young Muslims from the United Kingdom visited training camps in Pakistan between 1998 and 2003.

The judge said: 'It must be made entirely clear, if necessary through sentences of an appropriate length, that such conduct is unacceptable.'

He told Ali and Shakil they could not take the benefit of living in this country and then associate with those conspiring to kill British forces.

He added: 'There can be no "á la carte" citizenship.'

The court heard neither man was born in the United Kingdom but both moved to the country as small children.

The judge said there was 'overwhelming evidence' which led to the pair being convicted. They had bought kit for their trip, planned to use false names and concocted a cover story that they were simply going on holiday.

Such a story was 'fanciful', the judge added.

Referring to the acquittal of Ali, Shakil and Saleem on the separate charge of conspiracy to cause explosions, Mr Justice Gross said the jury's decision must be respected.

He said: 'Defendants must receive a fair trial and must not be convicted unless the jury has been made sure of their guilt.

'That is a strength of our system. By its verdict, the jury in this case indicated the Crown had not made it sure the defendants were party to the conspiracy to cause explosions that ended in the July 7 bombings.

'That verdict is to be respected.'

He said the verdict did not 'diminish the horror of July 7, the sympathy for the dead and their families, and the anger towards those who perpetrated the outrage'.

The judge added that the not guilty verdict did not reflect badly on the police investigation into the bombings, and said: 'No criticism has been made of that investigation.'

He comes awfully close to hitting the mark, but he does not quite make it. He's right, there can be no middle ground on citizenship and loyalty - and that is why their British citizenship should stripped from them and they should be deported to Pakistan upon completion of their sentence. That is also why who gets British citizensip in the first place should be considered very carefully indeed.

Will this happen?

Of course not. In New Britain, it seems both words and lives are cheap - but no one is prepared even to state the obvious to see justice served.