An Iraqi doctor has been found guilty of trying to murder hundreds of people in failed car bombings in London and Glasgow, attacks only foiled by a combination of luck and personal bravery.British-born Bilal Abdulla, 29, was also found guilty, on Tuesday, of conspiracy to cause explosions and faces a life sentence. His co-defendant Mohammed Asha, a 28-year-old Jordanian neurologist, was cleared on both counts.Abdulla had admitted to Woolwich Crown Court in southeast London that he was a "terrorist," but accused the British government of terrorism too for invading Iraq – and maintained he was not trying to kill or injure anyone.Lawyers for Asha, meanwhile, had said that he would not have fitted in with the alleged attackers because he was too intelligent, arguing that Abdulla and another man looked down on him because of his concentration on his work.After 24 hours and 15 minutes of deliberations, the jury of seven women and five men rejected Abdulla's defence, but found Asha to have known nothing of his friend's plans."Bilal Abdulla planned to murder many innocent people when he set out to attack central London," said Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner John McDowall, the head of the force's Counter-Terrorism Command."It was more luck than judgment that their repeated attempts to detonate the two car bombs by mobile phone failed."Abdulla, who was born in Britain but grew up in Iraq, will be sentenced on Wednesday at 1000 GMT (1530 IST).He showed no reaction as the verdicts were read out.
