Plot to attack civilians

Chilling revelations of how convicted British terrorist Kazi Rahman began planning to kill civilians in the UK more than six years ago have emerged today.

Rahman, 29, from east London, was jailed for nine years in May 2006, after being convicted of trying to buy three Uzi submachine guns during a police "sting" in 2005.

It was said at his trial that he had also tried to buy an anti-aircraft missile and rocket-propelled grenades and that he had close links to the gang convicted of plotting to blow up the Bluewater shopping centre and London nightclubs.

In today's interview, Abu Omar describes how he first met Rahman outside Kabul in late 2001. They clashed when Rahman revealed how he was already aiming to attack civilian targets in Britain.

"He told me he wanted to do an attack and I told him I didn't think that it was permitted in Islam to kill innocent people," said Omar. "It got a bit heated and he was trying to justify it but I didn't think it was justifiable. We didn't really ever get on."

Omar said that when he read of Rahman's conviction for terrorist related offences "it didn't surprise me that he was in court. It just surprised me that he didn't manage to do something".