A Muslim man was convicted Wednesday of conspiracy to murder for his role in a plan to blow up trans-Atlantic passenger jets using liquid explosives, a plot that sparked sweeping restrictions for passengers carrying on liquids and gels.
Adam Khatib, 22, was convicted of plotting with Abdulla Ahmed Ali, who in September was sentenced to 40 years in prison for leading a team that planned to down at least seven trans-Atlantic flights in simultaneous attacks officials say would have killed thousands.
Also found guilty Wednesday of lesser charges in the plot were two co-defendants, Mohammed Shamin Uddin, 39, who was found guilty of possessing materials that could be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism, and Nabeel Hussain, 25, who was found guilty of preparing for terrorism and for possessing several items that could be used for terrorism.
Khatib and Hussain were convicted by a majority of 11 jurors to one following the eight-week trial. Uddin was convicted unanimously.
Prosecutors have said that all three defendants had been prepared to help Ali, but they also acknowledged they may not have known all the details of the plan.
'Unimaginable scale'
Authorities broke up the terrorist ring in August of 2006. It caused caused massive disruptions at London's Heathrow Airport and brought new restrictions, including limits on the amount of liquids and gels passengers can take on board. The restrictions remain in place to this day.
The plot was described by former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte as "on a par, or something similar to 9/11." Britain's then-Home Secretary Alan Johnson said that, if successful, the attacks would have wrought "murder and mayhem on an unimaginable scale."
Three other men — Assad Sarwar, Tanvir Hussain and Umar Islam — were also convicted of playing key roles in preparing for the attacks along with Ali in September.