A 30-year-old London man was today jailed for four-and-a-half years after becoming the first person to be convicted under the law covering those caught preparing for terrorism.
Sohail Qureshi pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to planning to fly to Pakistan with the intention of committing acts of terrorism.
Qureshi, a qualified dentist from Forest Gate, east London, was arrested at Heathrow airport in October 2006. He was carrying £9,000 in cash plus equipment and computer material for terrorist purposes.
The prosecutor, Jonathan Sharp, said Qureshi had planned to fly to Islamabad for a "two- to three-week operation" either in Pakistan, Afghanistan or Waziristan, a tribal region of Pakistan. "Sohail Qureshi is a dedicated supporter of Islamist extremism," he said.
The court heard that police found a message on an extremist website in which Qureshi wrote: "Pray that I kill many, brother. Revenge, revenge, revenge."
Qureshi was also in email contact with Samina Malik, the so-called "lyrical terrorist".
Malik, who wrote poems about martyrdom and beheading unbelievers, was given a suspended jail sentence last year after she was found guilty of storing a library of material for terrorism.
As Qureshi prepared to fly out to Islamabad, he sought information about security arrangements from Malik, a WHSmith employee who worked airside at Heathrow airport.
"Sis, I hope you get this email before anyone else. What is the system like at work? Is the checking still very harsh or have things calmed down a bit?" he asked.
Sharp said the email was part of the preparation he was making for his trip to Pakistan. He also posted a "farewell" letter, which he anonymously uploaded to an Islamist website, and attempted to wipe his computer contents, indicating, said Sharp, "uncertainty as to whether he would ever return".
Qureshi was arrested as he prepared to board a plane to Pakistan. He had a return ticket and had told friends he planned to be away for a few weeks visiting his family, who lived there. "His true purpose in making the trip, however, was to commit acts of terrorism or to assist others to do so," said Sharp.
He was arrested with £1,150 cash in his wallet together with £7,590 in six envelopes around his body.
He also had US Marine and Canadian forces manuals, a chapter from a book he had written called My Father the Bombmaker and a picture of himself holding an M16 rifle, stored on a CD.
There was also a night sight, two metal batons, two sleeping bags, two rucksacks, medical supplies and a computer hard drive.
The court heard that Qureshi was born in Pakistan and grew up in Saudi Arabia. He also lived in Russia for seven years and arrived in Britain in 2004 with no previous convictions.
In web messages, he indicated that he had been sent to Britain by al-Qaida for terrorist fundraising.
Qureshi pleaded guilty to preparing for terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006, the first time anyone has been convicted under this law. He also pleaded guilty to possessing an article for a terrorist purpose and possessing a record likely to be useful in terrorism.