Islamist Preacher Plotted to Set Up Taliban HQ at London Mosque

Daily Mail
May 20, 2014

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A court sketch shows Abu Hamsa with his legal team in Manhattan federal court in New York last month, where the letter written by Hamza’s aide about the UK al-Qaeda base was revealed.

Hate preacher Abu Hamza plotted to set up a headquarters for the Taliban at Finsbury Park Mosque, a court was told.

The hook-handed cleric wanted to use it as a London base for an operation to send up to 3,000 supporters to Afghanistan.

The plan was revealed in a letter to a leader of the extremist group written by a key Hamza aide just three days after the 9/11 attacks.

In the memo, US-born convert James Ujaama, who was sent by Hamza from London to Afghanistan, offers the assistance of ‘devout Muslims’ in Britain.

He told Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil, the then Taliban foreign minister, that they wanted to pledge their allegiance in person to Mullah Omar, the one-eyed Taliban leader.

The letter was presented among prosecution exhibits at a courthouse in New York where Hamza is on trial for terrorism-related offences.

The jury is expected to deliver its verdicts as early as today. If found guilty, Abu Hamza faces life behind bars at a maximum security American prison.

The plan to open a Taliban office in London is outlined in a letter offering assistance, dated September 14, 2001.

Ujaama wrote: ‘We are not a very large organisation … however, we have supporters all around the world who are devout Muslims and have given their bayat [oath of allegiance] to Amir al-Mumineen [Mullah Omar], the Islamic Emirate and to Taliban.

‘In fact, 3,000 Supporters of Shariah members are waiting for us to respond on how they can travel to personally give bayat.

‘We have even made provisions for Taliban to have an office in our London masjid [mosque] and give advice to those who want to make hijrah [travel to Afghanistan]; give their zakat [charity] and do work to help the emirate.

‘Sheikh Abu Hamza has personally given me the authority to offer whatever you want from us in assistance in helping the emirate.’

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On trial: If found guilty, Abu Hamz, pictured in 2003, faces life behind bars at a maximum security American prison.

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