BBC: (UK airline) 'Bomb plot' terror charge dropped

Last Updated: Wednesday, 13 December 2006, 10:20 GMT

'Bomb plot' terror charge dropped

A Pakistani judge has ruled there is not enough evidence to try a key suspect
in an alleged airline bomb plot on terrorism charges.

He has moved the case of Rashid Rauf from an anti-terrorism court to a regular
court, where he faces lesser charges such as forgery.

Pakistan has presented Mr Rauf as one of the ringleaders behind a plan to blow up
flights out of London.

The British authorities say they foiled it with Pakistan's help in August.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-12-13T090440Z_01_ISL50848_RTRUKOC_0_UK-PAKISTAN-PLOT-COURT.xml

Pakistan court drops charge in London plot case

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A Pakistani court dropped terrorism charges on Wednesday against a Pakistani-British dual national who was suspected of being a key figure in a plot to blow up airliners over the Atlantic Ocean, his lawyer said.

British police said in August they had foiled a plot to carry out suicide bombings on flights from London to the United States.

Days later, Pakistan announced it had arrested a "key person" in the plot, Rashid Rauf, who a Pakistani official said had been in contact with an al Qaeda operative in Afghanistan.

Rauf's lawyer, Hashmat Habib, said an anti-terrorism court had found no evidence of terrorism against the suspect.

...

Rauf still faced other charges, including impersonation, forging documents and possessing explosives, which a civil court would deal with, he said.