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Rome suspect says had role in UK bombs-law source

Posted on: Sunday, 31 July 2005, 09:34 CDT

By Phil Stewart

ROME (Reuters) - One of the prime suspects in the second series of this month's London bombings has told Italian investigators he took part in July 21 attacks on London's transport network, a judicial source in Italy said.

The source, who has had direct contact with the suspect but asked not to be named, confirmed Italian media reports that Osman Hussain had said shortly after his arrest that he participated in the attacks.

"Yes, yes. I can confirm that," the source told Reuters. He gave no further details.

Hussain, who police said on Sunday was also known as Hamdi Adus Issac, was arrested on Friday in Rome. His court-appointed lawyer has suggested that he may try to resist extradition requested by British authorities.

British police suspect Hussain attempted to bomb a train at Shepherd's Bush underground station in west London on July 21 as part of a series of botched bombing attempts on three underground trains and a bus. Those attacks were exactly two weeks after suicide bombers killed 52 people and themselves in similar attacks in London.

Italian authorities said Hussain is an Ethiopian-born British citizen, who speaks Italian and lived in Italy during the 1990s. Police said he has relatives in Italy -- including two brothers who have also been arrested.

Italian police said last week that Hussain traveled by train from London to Paris to Milan, and then to Rome where he was arrested on Friday afternoon at a relative's apartment outside the historic center.

BROTHERS ARRESTED

Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu announced over the weekend that police were staging at least 15 raids in Italy related to Hussain's contacts.

The latest high-profile arrest stemming from the raids was a man named as Fati Issac, who police said was Hussain's brother. A police source told Reuters he is accused of "hiding or destroying" documents. Another brother was arrested in Rome on Friday for possession of false documents.

Unconfirmed Italian media reports have quoted Hussain as saying that his group did not intend to kill anyone and that the blasts were planned as a show of force. In the reported comments, Hussain also denied any connection to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda militant network.

"We wanted revenge, to make them pay for what they were doing to Muslims after July 7, for the treatment the English dished out to our people," Sunday's edition of La Stampa newspaper quoted Hussain as saying. "We did not want to kill. It was only a demonstrative action."

Hussain's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment on Sunday. She told reporters on Saturday that she did not believe Hussain wanted to go to London to face trial.

"I want to stay in Italy," Sunday's edition of Il Giornale newspaper quoted Hussain as saying.

Italian media also quoted Hussain as saying that he knew of no plans to launch an attack in Italy, where he had simply sought shelter after fleeing Britain.

"I don't know anything about plans to attack Italy," Il Giornale quoted him as saying.

Source: REUTERS

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