I did not know whether to laugh or cry as I read this;
ROME (Reuters) - One of the prime suspects in the failed July 21 bombings in London told British and Italian investigators on Tuesday that a bag containing explosives and nails had been meant to scare, not to kill, his lawyer said.
Hamdi Issac was seized in Rome on July 29 after fleeing London following the botched strike on the city's transport system in which no one was hurt. Britain charged three fellow suspects in the attacks with attempted murder on Monday.
Issac, also known as Osman Hussein, was questioned in a Rome jail for three hours in the presence of British investigators.
"He knew there were explosives, but it was just to make noise, not to kill," Issac's lawyer, Antonietta Sonnessa, told reporters after the questioning. "It was just for show and was not intended to hurt anybody."
Issac acknowledged that along with the explosives, the rucksack he was carrying on the day of the attacks also contained nails, she said, adding that the bag "certainly wasn't prepared by him."
Last week, Sonnessa said Isaac had told her the bag was full of flour fixed to a detonator. On Tuesday she said she was awaiting the results of the forensic analysis of the bag's contents.
The July 21 attack came exactly two weeks after four young British Muslim men killed themselves and 52 other people with bombs on three underground trains and a bus in London.
When asked by reporters if Isaac had said there were five people involved in the July 21 strike, Sonnessa said: "Yes, he confirmed what he has always said."
Along with the three men charged in Britain on Monday, another man was remanded in custody until November charged with conspiracy to murder and explosives offences.
A police source said he was the man dubbed the "Fifth Bomber" by the British media after a bag of explosives was found in a London park a few days after the July 21 attacks.
The questioning was presided over by Rome magistrate Domenico Miceli, who is due to hold an extradition hearing on Aug. 17. Sonnessa said five British officials were also present, including representatives of Scotland Yard.
Sonnessa has said Issac may be able to avoid extradition due to proceedings against him in Italy, where he is being investigated for terrorism and carrying false documents.
Italian police have said Issac is an Ethiopian national who lived in Italy from 1991 to 1996 before moving to Britain. They do not believe he is part of a broad Islamic militant network.
