London bomb suspect charged with murder attempt

A man extradited from Italy was charged yesterday with possessing explosives and attempted murder as part of the botched attacks by four would-be bombers on the London transport system on July 21.

Ethiopian-born Briton Hussein Osman, also known as Hamdi Issac, was flown back from Italy with British police officers to a Royal Air Force base at Northolt in west London after failing to have his extradition blocked.

London's Metropolitan Police said he had been charged with conspiracy to murder and attempted murder as well as conspiracy to cause an explosion and possession of explosives.

"He will appear at Bow Street Magistrates Court sitting at Belmarsh" today, police said in a statement.

The July 21 attacks killed no one but brought chaos to the capital, mimicking attacks exactly two weeks earlier by four British Muslim suicide bombers who killed 52 people on three underground trains and a bus.

British police accuse Osman and three others - Ibrahim Muktar Said, Ramzi Mohammed and Yassin Hassan Omar - of trying to set off bombs on three underground trains and a bus, saying the devices failed to detonate.

Mr Osman was captured in Rome a week after the failed attacks and is accused of trying to blow up a train at Shepherd's Bush in west London.