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Eleven of 19 hijackers had British connection: Report

H S Rao in London

Eleven of the 19 hijackers involved in the September 11 attacks in the US stayed in Britain this year before embarking on their suicide mission, reports said on Wednesday.

Five left London in June to fly to America after what intelligence chiefs believe was a vital planning meeting.

The FBI has asked Scotland Yard to find out who was sheltering and funding the team in the hope of uncovering a cell of Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda organisation suspected of masterminding the US attacks, The Times daily reported.

The FBI has sent details to Scotland Yard of bank accounts, telephone numbers and forged credit cards believed to have been used by the 11 during their time in Britain.

Another report in the same daily said the two suicide bombers who assassinated Ahmed Shah Masood, the Northern Alliance's commander two days before the attack on the US, had also lived in the UK, using it as a secure base in which to research and prepare for their final operation.

Britain has long been seen as a conduit for large sums of money to fund Islamist terrorists abroad, it said.

Investigators believe that the 11 collected funds while in Britain but British police have decided not to release names and pictures of the men even as they are investigating suspect addresses.

Officials hope the inquiries in Britain will disclose the true identities of the suicide team. Some, according to the report, are known to have arrived in Britain using false passports and identities.

PTI

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