5 held in UK raid charged with plotting to kill soldier

Sue Hemming, head of the Crown Prosecution Service8217;s counter terrorism division, said he faced a charge of 8220;engaging in conduct to give effect to his intention to kidnap and kill a member of the armed forces8221;.

A defence source told Reuters last week that the intended target was a Muslim soldier. Media reports have said the plan was to copy tactics used by militants in Iraq by videoing the killing and posting it on the Internet.

Khan was also charged with intending to supply equipment to others for use in acts of terrorism and with entering into a funding arrangement which could be used for terrorism.

Four other men8212;named by media as Mohammed Irfan, 30, Zahoor Iqbal, 29, Hamid Elasmar, 43, and Amjad Mahmood, 318212;were charged with those two offences. One was further accused of failing to disclose information that could prevent an act of terrorism.

Three of the nine men in the raids have been released without charge while the ninth is still being questioned.

David Shaw, Assistant Chief Constable of West Midlands Police told reporters officers had seized 4,500 exhibits, including computers and documents from homes and businesses in Birmingham. The arrests aroused skepticism in the local Islamic community and elsewhere among the country8217;s 1.8 million Muslims because of previous blunders in high-profile security operations.

8211;Michael Holden