The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Special to the Tribune
couple’s conviction on terror charges
Home-made bomb was in the works
Shyam Bhatia in London

Thirty eight-year-old Shasta Khan and her husband Mohammed, who have been jailed for eight years on terrorism charges in UK, were in the process of making a pipe bomb at home.

What Mohammed, 33, and hair dresser Shasta had in mind was a home-made terrorist bomb that they were planning to use against Jewish targets in the UK. They were both convicted yesterday on terrorism charges, with husband Mohammed, a car cleaner, given an indeterminate sentence, which means he will have to serve a minimum of eight and a half years in jail before being considered for parole.

Khan’s deadly plans were intercepted after a domestic disturbance let to police being called to their family home in Oldham, Greater Manchester. When police arrived, one of Shasta’s brothers said of his brother-in-law, “We have something that I think might be interesting to you. I think he’s a home-grown terrorist.”

During their trial prosecution, lawyers explained how the couple — he was a car cleaner and she, a hair dresser — may have been only days away from making a pipe bomb. The Khans obtained their bomb-making instructions from an English terrorist magazine of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Aimed mainly at young British and American readers, the magazine is thought to be the work of Yemen-based Al-Qaeda leader Anwar Al Awlaki, who published messages from Osama bin Laden and called for attacks on all those who “slandered” Prophet Mohammed.

An issue of the magazine explained how to make a pipe bomb. Another issue encouraged readers to use their cars to “mow down” people in crowded places and yet another one discussed how to blow up buildings.

Although terrorism experts say they cannot be 100 per cent certain about the Khans’ intended targets, evidence suggests they were planning attacks against Jews in the Manchester area. One of Shasta’s shopping lists had addresses of members of the Jewish community in Manchester. She also told police during interrogation how she and her husband had repeatedly driven past local synagogues and how, on one occasion, they sat in a synagogue car park while Mohammed talked about a Koranic-inspired verse that referred to Jews as “dirty”.

Among British Jews, there is no doubt at all about what the Khans had in mind and where they obtained their inspiration. Shortly after they were convicted, a spokesman for the Jewish Defence League commented, “British Jews must realise the danger they face in 21st century Britain. We must be fully aware, spread awareness and face the current threat in order to protect the Jewish community from violent attacks committed by Muslims or otherwise. We at the Jewish Defence League UK ask everyone to remain vigilant and alert at all times, and to please report any suspicious behaviour in these areas to us, so that we can ensure safety in the area. You should also report it to the police.”

US theatre shooting: Police plans to enter suspect’s home

Washington, July 21
US police, which is struggling to establish motive behind the deadly shooting spree at a cinema hall, today explored ways to enter the suspect's booby-trapped apartment, as President Barack Obama vowed to bring to justice whoever was behind the "evil" act.

A day after the shooting, which claimed 12 lives and left 58 people injured, it remained unclear what was the motive of the gunman, identified as 24-year-old James Holmes, to fire indiscriminately at the moviegoers during the premiere of the latest Batman film 'The Dark Knight Rises' in Aurora, a suburb of Denver, Colorado.

As police began the process of notifying the families of those killed, authorities grappled with how to collect possible evidence from Holmes' apartment that was allegedly booby-trapped by him before leaving for the theatre.

Police evacuated hundreds of residents from five apartment buildings, including the one where Holmes lived, after he told them he had rigged his one-bedroom apartment with explosives.

"It is a very vexing problem how to enter that apartment safely. I personally have never seen anything like what the pictures show us is in there," city police chief Dan Oates was quoted by CNN as saying.

Technicians made a first attempt yesterday to disarm the traps, believed to include explosives, but withdrew when it became clear the property was too dangerous to enter. Federal government experts are due to arrive today for a second attempt.

"Investigators will use a robot to disarm trip wires linked to explosives, and then use that same robot to remotely remove the improvised explosive devices," a law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the operation told CNN.

Firefighters were monitoring the block of flats for gases in an effort to identify what chemicals might have been used in the booby-traps. — PTI

killer identifies himself as ‘joker’

The gunman, who killed 12 people at the midnight premiere of the "The Dark Knight Rises" in a US cinema hall, had coloured his hair red and identified himself as "the Joker", the iconic Batman comics villain

Obama, romney suspend campaign

US President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney temporarily suspended their presidential campaigns in view of the tragic killing of 12 people in a movie theatre shootout which also left 59 others injured

Violence rages across Syria as UN clock ticks

Damascus, July 21
Heavy clashes raged between Syrian troops and rebels today, with at least 24 people killed nationwide, as the clock ticked down on a 30-day “final” extension of a troubled UN observer mission.

Activists reported fierce fighting in the country's second city Aleppo, with regime forces shelling several neighbourhoods, as at least seven people were reported dead in the capital, most killed by snipers.

The violence came a day after the Security Council voted unanimously to grant a "final" 30-day extension to the UN Supervision Mission for Syria charged with overseeing a tattered peace plan.

Speaking in Croatia today, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply distressed by the rising death toll," warning that the limited extension of the UN mission showed "the onus is above all on the parties, with the Syrian government in the first place who must stop the killings." And French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in Paris that it was time "for the opposition to get going and take over the reins of the country." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported fighting in several districts of Aleppo, including in the central Salaheddin district. — AP

Pak asks India to participate in its oil firm’s tenders
Afzal Khan in Islamabad

Pakistan has asked India to compete in tenders floated by Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for oil supply through land route.

According to media reports, India has shown interest in entering into an arrangement with Pakistan on lines of the long-term agreement it has with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC). Media reports said Pakistan asked Indian authorities in recent talks in New Delhi to participate in PSO tenders for oil supply through land route of Wagah, which is currently not allowed.

Sources said the petroleum ministry had asked the commerce ministry to allow import of petroleum products via land route. “India has agreed to participate in oil import tenders,” a source said.

Pakistan is interested in importing petrol, diesel and furnace oil. However, it will meet only additional oil requirements from India and will continue to import from the Gulf countries, including Kuwait. A government official said imports from India would not be more than 20% to 25% because of security considerations.

Attack on Turkey-Iraq pipeline knocks out oil flows

Diyarbakir, Turkey, July 21
Firefighters in southeast Turkey on Saturday put out a fire on a pipeline carrying about a quarter of Iraq's oil exports, but it was unclear when oil would resume flowing, security sources said.

They blamed sabotage by Kurdish separatists for the explosion on the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline. The fire broke out at 11 pm (9 pm GMT) on Friday near the town of Midyat in Mardin province, near the Syrian border. Officials blamed the attack on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a Kurdish separatist group that has claimed responsibility for past attacks on the 960-km (600-mile) pipeline. Firat News, a website with ties to the PKK, also said the outlawed group was behind the attack. Insurgents in Iraq have in the past disrupted the transport of oil on the pipeline, the country's largest, and technical faults on the 35-year-old link, which consists of two pipes, have also cut flows.

The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the US and the European Union, took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984, and more than 40,000 people, mainly Kurds, have died in the conflict. — Reuters

Woman’s death by stoning
Pak SC summons Punjab police chief

Islamabad, July 21
Taking suo motu notice of reports that a woman was stoned to death on the orders of a panchayat in Punjab, Pakistan's Supreme Court has summoned the provincial police chief to give an explanation on July 23 for his "inaction".

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry yesterday expressed "surprise and disbelief" at the reports that 25-year-old Maryam Bibi, a mother of five, was stoned to death on the orders of a panchayat (council of elders) for cutting grass at the farm of a landlord.

The bench summoned the Punjab Police chief to appear before it on July 23 to explain his "inaction" on the incident that occurred at Khanewal three days ago.

It noted that no action had been taken against police officials in the area and said the police chief should have "taken personal interest to bring the culprits to book".

The bench directed Punjab Advocate General Ashtar Ausaf to bring the incident to the notice of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

During the proceedings, Ausaf informed the bench that Muhammad Sarfraz, the husband of the woman, had been abducted. — PTI

Six kids among 26 killed in Pak

Islamabad, July 21
At least 26 people, including six children and a polio eradication worker with World Health Organisation, were killed in attacks launched by militants across Pakistan.

Nine people, including five children, died when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a house used as headquarters by a militant outfit in the northwest tribal region.

The attack took place around 1 pm at the headquarters of the group led by Maulana Nabi Hanfi in Speen Tall area of Kurram region. — IANS

7 killed, 2 hurt in Balochistan
Afzal Khan in Islamabad

At least seven securitymen were killed and two were hurt in an attack on the paramilitary coast guard’s checkpost on Saturday in Gwadar in Balochistan province.

Twelve more were killed in two bombings in the Orakzai tribal area and Dir. Sources in Gawadar said the officials were on routine duty at the checkpost when unknown gunmen opened fire. The attackers who were riding motorbikes and a pick-up truck fired rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles.