British police: 6 charged in terror plot

LONDON Six men have been charged with involvement in a terror-bomb plot, police announced on Sunday.The arrests last Monday of the six Birmingham-area men were part of a "major operation" by the West Midlands counterterrorism unit, the West Midlands police department said.Police said Tuesday they had been given until midnight Sunday to charge the men, release them or apply for a further extension.Four were charged with preparing for an act of terrorism, and two more with failing to disclose information, the police said. One of those two was also charged with terrorist fundraising.

All six, who are aged between 25 and 32, will appear at West London Magistrates Court on Monday.The police said Irfan Nasser, 30, Irfan Khalid, 26, Ashik Ali, 26, and Rahin Ahmed, 25, were charged with plotting terrorist acts.

They were involved in planning between Dec. 25, 2010 and Sept. 19 of this year to prepare or help others prepare to commit acts of terrorism, the department said.Nasser and Ali are alleged to have planned a bombing campaign; stated an intention to be a suicide bomber; collected money for terrorism; made or helped others make a bomb; and recruited others for terrorism, police said.

Nasser and Khalid are also accused of traveling to Pakistan for terrorism training including bomb-making, weapons and poison-making, as well as making a martyrdom film, police said.Ahmed is accused of helping others travel to Pakistan for terrorism training, collecting money for terrorism and investing and managing terrorist funds, police said.Ashik Ali's brother Bahader Ali, 28, and Mohammed Rizwan, 32, are both charged with failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism, police said. Bahader Ali is also charged with terrorist fundraising.