Ringleader on London bombings has history of terror

LONDON - The mastermind of the London bombings is a British-born man with previous involvement in terror attacks and links to al Qaeda, say security sources.

London's Times newspaper says the man is in his 30s and of Pakistani origin. He arrived at a British port last month and left the country the day before last Thursday's attacks.

According to the newspaper, security sources say they believe the mastermind was involved with previous terrorist operations and had links with followers of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda extremist group in the United States.

It was believed he had visited the bombers in their home city of Leeds, and also identified targets on the London Underground, where three of the four bombs exploded.

Security sources also said he was likely to have trained the recruits in how to trigger their bombs, three of which went off almost simultaneously at the peak of the morning rush-hour.

The four suspected suicide bombers were also Britons of Pakistani origin.

At least 52 people, including the bombers, died in the attacks on three Underground trains and one bus. A further 700 people were injured.

The four bombers reportedly wanted to scar the city in the shape of a "burning cross" - setting off blasts in its north, south, east and west, in the hope of being revered as martyrs by fellow extremists.

Police have reportedly switched their investigation towards seeking the controlling hand behind the attacks, since establishing that the four bombers died in the explosions.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke said yesterday that the aim was now "to attack the people who are driving, organising and manipulating" bombers.

Police are also seeking a possible fifth member of the bombers' terrorist cell, who was also seen at Luton station, north of London, from where the attackers travelled to the capital.

The man, believed to also be of Pakistani origin, could still be at large in London.

Police want to interview an Egyptian-born university lecturer who was teaching in Leeds until a few weeks ago.

The man's rented house was one of six addresses in and round the city raided by armed police on Tuesday morning, the Times said.

Investigations at a house in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, have continued after a raid on a house thought to be linked to the bombings. No arrests were made and no explosives were found there. Aylesbury is 35km from Luton.

Police secured an extension to question a 29-year-old man being held at Paddington Green police station in London on suspicion of the "commission, instigation or preparation of acts of terrorism".

It also emerged yesterday that two of the bombers were cautioned by police for minor offences last year and one of them had been looked at, but not arrested, in an anti-terrorist operation in 2004.

One security analyst said whoever planned the London operation had clearly calculated that the power of the blasts would be magnified in narrow tunnels where there was no outlet for the energy released.

Security experts agreed the suicide attacks showed a level of calculation and technical know-how that strongly suggested a mastermind and support network behind the four young bombers.

Janusian Security Risk Management, a consultancy group, said in a briefing to clients: "An operation with the high level of co-ordination of the 7/7 attacks was likely orchestrated by a central leader, probably an al Qaeda operative sent into the country to recruit locals to the cause."

Such an individual probably trained in a camp of bin Laden's network and would most likely have left Britain before the attacks took place, Janusian said.

Police have said the bombs were made with high explosives. A French official linked to the investigation said these were of military origin.

Millions of people across Europe joined a two-minute silence last night to mark a week after the bombings.

The Queen stood in silence at Buckingham Palace. In London's Trafalgar Square, a giant banner declared "One City, One World."

On Oxford St, the shopping heart of London normally buzzing with commerce, Herald reporter Julie Middleton joined hundreds of people on the street.

"Everyone starting coming out about 11.45am, a lot of them just chatting as per normal.

"There wasn't any signal, but then all the red London buses stopped, just pulled over and turned their engines off, and everybody fell silent," said Middleton.

The odd car whose driver had not realised the time slowed before coming to a halt.

"And then there was hardly any movement and no noise, the whole of London at a standstill."

The two-minute signal came from a nearby bus when it started its engine, Middleton said.

"And a couple seconds after, everyone erupted with applause for about 15 seconds, a few cheers and whistles as well."

In Italy, Government offices, railway stations and airports paused while television stations cut into normal broadcasting to honour the London dead.

Berlin's transport authority ordered buses, trams and underground trains to a halt.

In Paris, President Jacques Chirac's annual Bastille day television address was put back so the French could mark the moment.

In Bali, where 202 people died in bombings in October 2002, a candle-lit prayer ceremony was held.

The Prince of Wales has urged "every true Muslim" to root out extremist preachers in the wake of the attacks.

An "evil influence" appeared to have been brought to bear on the suspected bombers, whose "atrocities" must be condemned, Prince Charles told the Daily Mirror.

"Some may think this cause is Islam. It is anything but. It is a perversion of traditional Islam."

In London, the city prepared to hold ceremonies to remember those killed - 14 of whom have been formally identified, although police have yet to name three.

Mayor Ken Livingstone said: "London will remember all of those who died last Thursday and show its defiance of those who try to change the character of our city through terror."