Accused admits 21/7 idea 'stupid' Last Updated: Friday, 18 May 2007, 17:34 GMT 18:34 UK http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6670943.stm Ramzi Mohammed Ramzi Mohammed and five other men deny the charges A man accused of plotting to set off a device on the Tube two weeks after the 7 July attacks has admitted it was a "stupid idea". Ramzi Mohammed, 25, denies setting out to kill and has claimed the plan was to set off a harmless hoax device to highlight the "illegal" Iraq war. He told Woolwich Crown Court it had made matters worse for British Muslims. Six men deny conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions on London's public transport network. Asked by his counsel Steven Williamson QC about his role in the events on 21 July 2005, Mr Mohammed admitted setting off a device on a Tube train near Oval station. The defendant, smartly dressed in a dark suit and patterned tie, told the court he had expected only to hear a "popping noise" when the "rucksack bomb" went off. He said he had not intended to kill or injure other people or himself. 'I regret it' Mr Williamson asked him if he thought what had happened on 21 July was a good idea. "At the time, yes," Mr Mohammed replied. "What do you think now?" Mr Williamson asked. "It was a stupid idea. I regret it," Mr Mohammed said. "How has it affected Muslims in this country? "It didn't help. It made it worse, I regret it." Mr Mohammed told the court he was born in Somalia in 1981 but was sent to the UK via Kenya in the early 1990s after civil war broke out in his homeland. He said and he and his friend, co-accused Hussain Osman, would often go out clubbing, drinking and chasing girls, and it was only later that he found religion and gave up alcohol. Mr Mohammed denied he was an extremist in any way. He said the word jihad did not justify killing but referred instead to the day-to-day struggle against temptation. 'I didn't lie' Earlier on Friday, another of the accused, Yassin Omar, was described as an "absolute liar" during heated exchanges in court. Mr Omar, who set off a device on a Tube train at Warren Street on 21 July, has claimed it was a hoax aimed at highlighting grievances about Iraq. The court heard that between March and July 2005, Mr Omar and Muktar Said Ibrahim had planned to make real explosives which would be left unattended somewhere in London as part of a protest, but would not detonate. They say they came up with a second plan after the London bombings on 7 July 2005, which was to set off a hoax device made primarily from hydrogen peroxide. Nigel Sweeney QC, prosecuting, asked Mr Omar why he had not mentioned "plan one or plan two" in his defence outline statement. Mr Omar replied: "I didn't think you had to put every single thing in it." Mr Sweeney said: "Yours is an absolutely lying defence which you have tried to hide for as long as you can." Mr Omar replied: "No, it's true. I'm a person who is disorganised... I didn't lie. I tried to give as much as possible and that is what I did." In the dock are Mr Mohammed, of North Kensington, west London and Mr Osman, 28, of no fixed address, Mr Omar, 26, from New Southgate, north London, and Mr Ibrahim, 29, from Stoke Newington, north London, Adel Yahya, 24, of High Road, Tottenham, north London, and Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, 34, of no fixed address. The trial was adjourned until Monday. July 21 accused says plan was 'stupid' Fred Attewill and agencies Friday May 18, 2007 Guardian Unlimited http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,2083160,00.html One of the alleged July 21 bomb plotters today said the plan to detonate rucksack explosives on London's transport network was a "stupid idea" that he regretted. Ramzi Mohammed - who was seen on CCTV sprinting from a tube train after his rucksack bomb failed to explode properly - said he thought his actions had fuelled negative attitudes towards Muslims in the UK. The 25-year-old has admitted setting off the device near Oval station, in south London, but insists it was only supposed to make a popping noise and was a protest against the war in Iraq. However, when it caused chaos and led to his arrest, he realised it had been foolish, he told Woolwich crown court today. "It was a stupid idea - I regretted it," he said. "It did not help [attitudes towards Muslims], it made it worse." The jury was told that Mohammed, who came to the UK from his native Somalia in 1998, believed Islam forbidade killing and rejected the concept of suicide bombing. Jurors were told Arabic script reading: "Al-Qaida is a book that guides and a sword which gives victory" had been found carved into his cell wall. But Mohammed insisted he struggled with Arabic and could not read the writing. Asked what he thought of al-Qaida, he replied: "They are a group of terrorists who live in the mountains." Mohammed, of north Kensington, west London, is among six men accused of taking part in a plot to carry out a series of suicide bombings. The others are Yassin Omar, of New Southgate, north London; Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, 34, of no fixed address; Muktar Said Ibrahim, 29, of Stoke Newington, north London; 28-year-old Hussain Osman, of no fixed address, and Adel Yahya, 24, of High Road, Tottenham, north London. They all deny conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? 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