Disguised British spies testify at US terror trial

Disguised British spies have testified against a Pakistani al-Qaeda suspect on trial in New York for allegedly conspiring to blow up a UK shopping center.

Four spies working for the UK’s MI-5 intelligence agency, wearing wigs and makeup to mask their identities, told the court on Tuesday how they tracked Abid Naseer in March and April 2009 in the UK cities of Manchester and Liverpool.

The agents all identified Naseer as the man they knew by the name of "small panel" as part of Operation Pathway that lead to his initial arrest.

The defendant was first arrested in 2009 in the UK along with 11 other suspects, all of whom were released without charges.

On US prosecutors' request he was arrested again in July 2010 over accusations of participation in a 2009 New York subway attack.

According to US government prosecutors, Naseer helped al-Qaeda plan an attack on the mall, which was part of a coordinated attack that targeted the New York subway and a Danish newspaper.

Naseer has pleaded not guiltily and has denied any kind of involvement with violent extremism.

If convicted, he will face life in prison.

Court artists were also banned by District Judge Raymond Dearie from depicting the features of the disguised witnesses, only permitting them draw blank faces and generic haircuts.

SRK/MHB/AS

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