A lawsuit is being filed against the Government by the family of a British al-Qaeda warlord who was killed in a CIA airstrike in Pakistan, claiming conspiracy to commit murder.
Rashid Rauf, who was raised in Birmingham, was the mastermind behind the 7/7 bomb attacks in London in 2005 and devised a plan to detonate explosives on airliners crossing the Atlantic.
He lost his life in 2008 when a US Predator drone launched a missile at a hideout, where Rauf was evading capture by law enforcement at that moment.
However, his family alleges that British intelligence personnel who assisted the Americans in locating him are complicit in war crimes. John Taylor, whose daughter Carrie was killed in the London bombings, asserted: “The world is better off without people like Rauf.
“He bragged about planning to murder thousands of innocent people and volunteered as a suicide bomber. Engaging in dialogue with individuals like that is futile.
“His relatives are ridiculing his victims. They justify mass murder for ideological motives — yet play the human rights angle when one of their own passes away.
“The Americans acted appropriately. If we contributed in any way, we also did the right thing.” He further remarked: “I hope David Cameron and his Government possess the courage to confront those attempting to deceive our nation.”
At 27, Rauf was featured on a CIA “High Value Target” list because of his significant role in planning al-Qaeda attacks against the West.
This year, al-Qaeda files discovered hidden in a pornographic film disclosed that he was involved in the failed 2006 plot to bomb planes using drinks bottles from Heathrow to the US. He orchestrated the London attacks and was also linked to a scheme to commandeer a cruise ship and film the executions of passengers.
Rauf’s family contends that he had no affiliations with al-Qaeda. A friend mentioned: “They seek justice. Their son was killed under obscure circumstances that amount to cold-blooded murder. Rashid never had an opportunity to defend himself.”
In a separate matter, Pakistani Noor Khan, 27, whose father perished in a drone strike, is pursuing a judicial review to make the sharing of information regarding target locations unlawful.
by Sasha Dubronitz
