Ricin! The Inside Story of the Terror Plot That Never Was

by Archer, Lawrence; Bawdon, Fiona; Mansfield, Michael , QC

• ISBN13: 9780745329284
• ISBN10: 0745329284
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-10-15
• Publisher: Pluto Press

Summary

In January 2003, the British media splashed the news that anti-terror police had disrupted an Al-Qaeda cell, poised to unleash the deadly poison ricin on the capital. Police had reportedly found traces of ricin, as well as a panoply of bomb and poison-making equipment in the cell's "factory of death" -- a shabby flat in north London. "This danger is present and real, and with us now," announced prime minister Tony Blair. But, when the "ricin plot" came to trial at the Old Bailey, a very different story emerged: there was no ricin and no sophisticated plot. Rarely has a legal case been so shamelessly distorted by government, media and security forces to push their own tough on terror agendas. In this meticulously researched and compellingly written book, Lawrence Archer (the jury foreman at the trial) and journalist Fiona Bawdon give the definitive true story of the ricin plot trial and its aftermath.

Author Biography

Lawrence Archer was foreman of the jury at the Ricin trial. Following the trial, Lawrence has conducted lengthy interviews with the major players and attended many of their appeal cases.
Fiona Bawdon has written about legal affairs for the national and specialist press since 1988. In 2002, she launched Independent Lawyer, a magazine which specializes in legal aid and civil liberties issues.
Michael Mansfield QC is an English barrister specializing in criminal defense work. He has often worked to overturn miscarriages of justice, including the wrongful imprisonment of both the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six. He represented the defendants in the Ricin trial.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Michael Mansfield QC
Dramatis Personae
Timeline
Significant Addresses
Introduction
1: The Trial
2: The Road from Algeria to the UK
3: Everything Changes on 9/11
4: Mohammed Meguerba
5: Arrests
6: Kamel Bourgass
7: What Ricin?
8: Backlash
9: Legacy
References
Index