Qaeda terrorist of Indian origin jailed for life

LONDON: Dhiren Barot, an India-born Hindu who converted to Islam, has become the first Islamist terrorist to be sentenced to life in prison in the United Kingdom.

Barot, 34, admitted to conspiracy to murder after a two-year trial. He was sentenced on Tuesday at the Woolwich crown court and told that he must serve a minimum of 40 years in jail.

Judge Neil Butterfield called Barot a “determined and dedicated terrorist”. “There is no doubt that you have spent much of your adult life in bringing death and destruction to the Western world,” he said.

Barot, al-Qaeda’s mastermind in Britain, planned to kill thousands in the UK and the US by blowing up public buildings, five-star hotels, and railway stations. He was arrested in August 2004.

“Your intention was not simply to cause damage, panic, or fear,” the judge told Barot. “Your intention was to murder, but it went further. It was designed to strike at the very heart of democracy and the security of the state.”