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Extremist Facing Life For Terror Attack Plot On Forces In Britain
A British Islamic extremist is facing a life sentence after being found guilty of planning a terror attack on American military personnel in the UK.
Delivery driver Junead Khan, 25, used his job with a pharmaceutical firm as cover to scout United States Air Force (USAF) bases in East Anglia, his trial heard.
Khan was found guilty of preparing for an act of terrorism in the UK between May and July 2015 after a trial at Kingston Crown Court in London.
He was also convicted alongside his uncle, Shazib Khan, 23, of preparing to go to Syria to join Daesh.
Sue Hemming, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's counter-terrorism division, said:
"Junead Khan was planning an attack in the UK and both of these men intended to travel to Syria and support terrorism."
"Even though they did not leave the country, they had spent a significant amount of time planning their journey.
"Through early detection and prosecution of these individuals, more serious crimes have been avoided which could have had devastating consequences in the UK or Syria."
Detectives found he had been exchanging chilling online messages with a Daesh fighter in Syria calling himself Abu Hussain, including describing attacking military personnel after faking a road accident.
Prosecutors claimed Hussain was in fact British-born fanatic Junaid Hussain, who was killed in a US drone strike in the Daesh stronghold of Raqqa just weeks after his link with the planned UK attack was discovered.
After Khan was arrested in July, police found pictures on his phone of him posing in his bedroom with a Daesh-style black flag which they later found in the attic.
His computer was also found to contain an al Qaida bomb manual and Amazon searches for a large combat knife.
Junead and Shaib Khan had both denied engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts between August 1 2014 and July 15 2015.
Neither showed any emotion as the jury returned its verdicts.
The jury spent 24 hours deliberating at the end of the six-and-a-half-week trial at Kingston Crown Court
Judge Mr Justice Edis remanded the men in custody ahead of sentencing on May 13.
Junead Khan's work as an agency driver for pharmaceutical firm Alliance Healthcare legitimately took him to East Anglia in May and June 2015, the court heard.
During these trips he drove close to bases operated by USAF - RAF Mildenhall (which the MoD announced in January is to be sold) and RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, RAF Feltwell in Norfolk, and RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire.
He was arrested on July 14 at Alliance's depot in Letchworth, Herts.
The trial heard that in one of their July 5 conversations on the encrypted SureSpot app, Junead Khan talked to Hussain about faking a road accident before getting out to attack people directly, and carrying a bomb.
Hussain said: "I can get you addresses but of British soldiers" to which Khan replied "that could also be possible".
Hussain added: "Most soldiers live in bases which are protected. I suppose on the road is the best idea. Or if you want akhi [slang for 'brother'] I can tell u how to make a bomb."
Khan then told Hussain: "When I saw these us [sic] soldiers on road it looked simple but I had nothing on me or wouldve [sic] got into an accident with them and made them get out the car." Hussain replied: "That's what the brother done with Lee Rigby."
He went on to say he would send Junead Khan a manual for making a "pressure cooker bomb", adding: "It's best to have at least pipe bombs or pressure cooker bomb in a backpack in case something happens - so you can do isthishadi [suicide] bomb in case they try arrest you."
Cover photo: Crown Prosecution Service handout photo of a knife similar to one that was viewed by Junead Khan on Amazon.
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