'Terror hoard' on dad's computer

Manchester Evening News

TERROR manuals and graphic images of executions were stashed on a computer by a father-of-three at his Greater Manchester home, a court was told. The jury was told Omar Altimimi has links with convicted terrorists overseas and was discovered with false identity cards hidden in the sole of his shoe when he was arrested.

Manchester Crown Court was told there was a “considerable amount of serious terrorist related material” on two computers found at Altimimi’s Bolton home and another address in the town used by him. The computers included bomb instructions and details of how to run terror cells as well as video footage of terrorists and of  executions in Iraq.

 The 36-year-old faces a series of charges under the Terrorism Act, including possession of instructions on how to make a detonator and explosive device and instructions on the use of chemicals and bombing strategies. He denies the charges.

Prosecuting Tim Barnes QC  said: “There was a large number of files which were concerned with a variety of terrorist activities and which also included graphic and appalling video footage of the execution of those who had been taken hostage or were considered enemies by insurgent factions in Iraq.”  He added: “The terrorist content of this computer-held material becomes still more significant when we consider associations which the Crown can prove this defendant had with other terrorists convicted in Holland and France.

“He is associated through an address in Rotterdam with Arab terrorists in Europe. The Crown can also prove that he sent a money order to Thailand to a man who was subsequently convicted in his absence of terrorist offences in France.”

The court heard sections from a chart found on one of the computers talked about the organisational structure of a terror cell with information on explosives, chemicals, kidnapping and assassination, the monitoring of presidents, police, diplomats, the media and other organisations.

 One section, it was alleged, referred to Jihad and the holy war against democracy and communism. It was said to talk of, killing soldiers and police officers, assassinating the head of the country, demolishing electricity stations and petrol stations, demolishing “infidel universities”, mixed schools and pubs and killing embassy diplomats.

Foreign travel

Describing “intelligence” it talks of following the movements of the president and military including foreign travel and where they spend their leisure time. It said the information should be passed to the operational arm for use in planning assassination.

Mr Barnes said terrorism expert Prof Clarke from Kings College London had described the chart as being “derived from many years of experience of the Mujahideen, probably in Afghanistan,” during the era of Soviet occupation between 1978 and 1988 with similarities to an “encyclopaedia of Jihad” circulated among extremist groups.

But he said the chart - which looked at organisational structure and guerrilla warfare - appeared to have been adapted to apply to the United Kingdom.

Mr Barnes said further investigation revealed Altimimi was a failed asylum seeker who claimed to be an Iraqi fleeing persecution. His claim failed because the authorities did not believe his story. He said Altimimi’s nationality was not known.

The court heard police found a number of job descriptions and applications including one for a cleaning supervisor for Greater Manchester Police and another for a job as a trainee teacher at Bolton College.

Defendant

Mr Barnes said: “Clearly you may think that this defendant was seeking – at least on the surface – to blend into the local community…”

He added: “The Crown say that the contents of his computer give the lie to the suggestion the he was a law-abiding citizen anxious to take up a responsible teaching position in the community.”

The jury was told police initially began investigating Altimimi and two other men after being called in to look at a fraudulent bank transfer of $54,610 from the Yemeni Tourist Board to the Nationwide Building Society in Bolton.

Mr Barnes said the fraud investigation widened when Altimimi was searched at Astley Bridge Police Station after his arrest and found to have the documents in his right shoe.

They included an Immigration and Nationality Directorate card issued by the Home Office in the name of Iraqi, Abdullah Mahr Abou Hawas, a Halifax debit card in the name of AHM Abdullah and a Co-op bank card in the name of Abou Hawas.

The find sparked the search of a series of addresses, which the prosecution say revealed further documents relating to the different names used by Altimimi and the computers containing the terrorist related files which were at his Lansdowne Road home and at another address used by him in Eastbank Street, Bolton.

Altimimi also charged with the acquisition of criminal property, namely £3,000. He denies the charge.

The jury was told co-accused Yusuf Abdullah, 29, also known as Nashwan Gassar, of no fixed address was charged with acquiring criminal property, namely $54,610. He pleaded guilty to the charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act on Monday. Another defendant by the name of Bakhtiyar Berwiss wanted in connection with the bank transfers absconded while on bail.


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