Four members of an al-Qaeda cell that plotted bomb attacks in London in 2005 were each jailed today for at least 40 years.
The four failed suicide bombers were seduced into a "fanatical, jihadist and extremely violent way of thinking" before planning the attacks over a period of months, Woolwich Crown Court in south east London heard today.
The intention, exactly two weeks after the July 7th attacks in London that killed 52 people, was to instill fear across the capital. The link between the July 7 thbombings and the botched July 21st plot was described as of "considerable relevance" by the presiding judge.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Fulford said all four men should receive the same punishment.
Muktar Said Ibrahim, Yassin Omar, Ramzi Mohammed and Hussain Osman gave little reaction as the sentences were handed out.
The judge said none of the men could be considered for release before the 40-year tariff was served.
As they were led out of the dock, Ibrahim (29), shook his head slightly, Omar, (26) stared at the judge, Osman (28), clutched his Koran, while Mohammed (25), was the only one who struggled to compose himself.
Describing the horror that the suicide bombs would have caused, had they worked, Judge Fulford said: "It is clear that at least 50 people would have died, hundreds of people would have been wounded, thousands would have had their lives permanently damaged, disfigured or otherwise, whether they were Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, agnostic or atheist.
"The family and friends of the dead and the injured, the hundreds, indeed thousands, captured underground in terrifying circumstances — the smoke, the screams of the wounded and the dying — this each defendant knew.
"They planned this, they prepared for it. They had spent many hours making viable bombs. After 7/7 each defendant knew exactly what the result would be."
The judge said the scientific evidence made it clear that the bombs were "very close to succeeding", had the detonators been more powerful and the hydrogen peroxide explosive stronger.
Just before the six-month terror trial was brought to a close, a retrial was ordered for the two remaining defendants in the case. The jury was dismissed yesterday after it was deadlocked over Manfo Kwaku Asiedu and Adel Yahya, who both deny conspiracy to murder.