A Syrian living in Britain has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for attempting to make bombs for terrorist attacks

Police found liquid chemicals and notes written in Arabic at the Birmingham home of Syria-born Hassan Tabbakh, 38, following his arrest in December 2007. The jury also heard that speeches by al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden were found on the defendant's MP3 player. Tabbakh denied the charge at Birmingham Crown Court, saying he was making fireworks for a religious festival. He faced a single charge of obtaining chemicals and compiling and retaining a document with instructions for making an explosive device. Tabbakh, of Small Heath, claimed he was considering starting up a fireworks business, although he said that he did not have a licence. The court also heard that a USB memory stick and the defendant's home PC contained links to computer sites showing terrorist attacks on coalition vehicle convoys in either Afghanistan or Iraq.