Spies ‘hid’ bomber tape from MPs
Bugging revealed earlier plot
By David Leppard and Richard Woods
05/15/06 "The
Times" -- -- MI5 is being accused of a cover-up
for failing to disclose to a parliamentary watchdog that it
bugged the leader of the July 7 suicide bombers discussing the
building of a bomb months before the London attacks.
MI5 had secret tape recordings of Mohammad Sidique Khan, the
gang leader, talking about how to build the device and then
leave the country because there would be a lot of police
activity.
However, despite the recordings, MI5 allowed him to escape the
net. Transcripts of the tapes were never shown to the
parliamentary intelligence and security committee (ISC), which
investigated the attacks.
The disclosures prompted allegations of a “whitewash” from
politicians and victims of the attacks this weekend.
Last week the committee, whose members are appointed by Tony
Blair and report to him, cleared MI5 of blame after it failed to
thwart the attacks, which killed 52 innocent people and injured
more than 700. It concluded that MI5 had no reason to suspect
Khan of plotting attacks in Britain. He was regarded as
“peripheral” to higher priorities.
The new evidence shows MI5 monitored Khan when he met suspects
allegedly planning another, separate attack; that he had
knowledge of the “late-stage discussions” of this plot; and that
he was recorded having discussions with them about making a bomb
and leaving the country. He was also recorded talking about his
plans to wage jihad — holy war — and go to Al-Qaeda terrorist
camps abroad.
Yesterday David Davis, the shadow home secretary, said: “If this
is true, it completely undermines the basis on which the ISC did
its report.”
Patrick Mercer, the Tory spokesman on homeland security, said:
“Unless there is a proper independent inquiry, there is a danger
of the committee’s report being interpreted as a whitewash.”
A committee member, who asked not to be named, admitted that it
had not seen transcripts of MI5’s recordings of Khan. Instead,
it had taken evidence from senior security officials and
accepted their judgment that there was no reason to regard Khan
as a serious threat.
The MP said that if the transcripts showed Khan had been
involved in discussions about bomb-making and another possible
attack, the committee had been seriously misled. “If that is the
case, it amounts to a scandal,” said the source. “I would be
outraged.”
Rachel North, a survivor of the bomb at King’s Cross, was
shocked by the disclosure: “I am shaking with anger.
In the absence of an independent inquiry answering the public’s
questions, I had hoped that those who heard the evidence behind
closed doors on our behalf would find out the answers for us.
“They did not find out nor tell us the whole truth, and I feel
badly, desperately let down.”
The disclosures will increase pressure for a public inquiry into
the atrocity, with greater powers to demand evidence and
interrogate witnesses.
The government also failed to address concerns about what MI5
knew when they were raised in unreported exchanges in the
Commons last week. Davis referred to the existence of the tape
recordings when he addressed John Reid, the home secretary.
“It seems that MI5 taped Mohammad Sidique Khan talking about his
wish to fight in the jihad and saying his goodbyes to his family
— a clear indication that he was intending a suicide mission . .
. he was known to have attended late-stage discussions on
planning another major terror attack. Again, I ask the home
secretary whether that is true.”
Reid said the questions were “legitimate” but failed to answer
them.
Copyright 2006 Times Newspapers Ltd.
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