London bomber found guilty of attempted murder
March 16, 2018An Iraqi teenager was found guilty of attempted murder on Friday for planting a bomb on a London underground train. The September 15 blast in Parsons Green subway station wounded 30 people after the home-made bomb partially exploded.
Although nobody died in the attack, prosecutors said there would have been more injuries and probable fatalities if the device had operated properly.
The device — which had been packed with nails and explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and placed in a plastic bucket inside a grocery bag — partially detonated during a peak morning travel period.
Eighteen-year-old Ahmed Hassan reportedly showed no emotion when the verdict was read out at the British capital's Central Criminal Court.
What is known about Ahmed Hassan:
- Hassan arrived in Britain in 2015 after traveling through the Channel Tunnel on a truck.
- He had claimed asylum and was living with a foster family before the attack.
- During an immigration interview, Hassan said he had been recruited by Islamic State militants in Iraq and forced to train with them.
- British authorities have come under fire for failing to anticipate Hassan may have acted violently.
Read more: UK raises terror threat to critical after London terrorist bomb attack
What Hassan told the court: The teen admitted building the bomb, but had not intended for it to explode. He told the court he only wanted to cause a fire because "he was bored and stressed" and fantasized about becoming a fugitive.
Signs of radicalization before the attack: Hassan told a teacher at a college he attended he had a "duty to hate Britain." He blamed the country for a bomb that killed his father in Iraq more than a decade ago. The teacher informed authorities who enrolled him in a de-radicalization program.
Counterterrorism experts on Hassan's case: Counterterrorism police said Hassan appeared to engage with the program, but "kept secret what he was planning and plotting."
The sentencing: Hassan is due to be sentenced next week and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
kw/kms (AP, Reuters)