Bookseller's terror charges dropped

The Old Bailey heard Al-Siri was used as a 'fall guy'

A man accused of plotting to kill one of the Afghan Northern Alliance commanders, has had four of the five charges against him dropped.

London bookseller Yasser Al-Siri had been accused of plotting to kill General Massoud, who was assassinated on 9 September last year.

The Egyptian-born publisher was freed on bail by the Old Bailey on Thursday after four charges - including conspiracy to murder - were dismissed.

However, Al-Siri was immediately re-arrested on an extradition warrant from America after being taken to the cells of the Old Bailey, according to legal sources.

'Fall guy'

He is due to appear before Bow Street Magistrates Court later on Thursday in answer to the warrant.

He is also due back before the Old Bailey at a later date where his lawyers will apply for the remaining of the original charges against him to be dropped.

That charge alleges that he published a book which incited racial hatred.

Ban

The court had heard on Thursday, allegations that Al-Siri had received emails from a man claiming to be from the Arab Emirates, but timings and data proved they had in fact come from America.

Richard Whittam, prosecuting, said the letter had been changed to alter the date to allow for a false trail laid by the Arab assassins Karim Touzani and Kacem Bekkali.

Bombers

Ben Emmerson QC, defending, said there was no evidence to show Al-Siri knew about their plot.

He said his client had merely agreed to provide accreditation for a film to be made in Afghanistan on a profit-sharing basis.

The Common Serjeant of London Judge Peter Beaumont said he was satisfied there was sufficient evidence to show that letters of accreditation written by Al-Siri had been used by two suicide bombers posing as television journalists.

But there was not enough evidence to prove that he knew what the men had intended to do or that he was involved in the murder plot.

Under suspicion

Judge Beaumont said that because Al-Siri was a highly visible figure in the Muslim world, running the Islamic Observation Centre (IOC) in Paddington, west London, the trail would easily lead back to him.

But he had not destroyed documents despite being arrested on 23 October after the assassination and newspaper reports that he was under suspicion.

The Judge added Al-Siri had been used as "an innocent fall guy" by the assassins.

Al-Siri, who runs his IOC book shop and publication business from Bell Street, Paddington, west London, and lives with his family in nearby Maida Vale, has been in England for eight years.

General Ahmed Shah Massoud, was commander of the Northern Alliance troops when he was killed just before the 11 September terrorist attacks on America.