Airliner bomb plot trial to begin

LONDON (Reuters) - The trial of eight Britons accused of plotting to blow up transatlantic airliners bound for north America began on Wednesday with jury selection.

A police spokesman said it would be the world's biggest counter-terrorism trial. It could last up to eight months.

The Britons are accused of plotting to use liquid explosives to bring down several planes simultaneously mid-flight.

The suspects were arrested in raids in London and Birmingham in August 2006 and the arrests led to a sharp increase in security at airports.

On Wednesday the judge, Justice David Calvert-Smith, began selecting a jury of 12 to hear the case at the maximum security Woolwich Crown Court in east London.

"This concerns an allegation that in 2006 a number of men planned to create bombs which some of their number would take on board passenger aircraft flying from London Heathrow to various destinations in Canada and the USA," Calvert-Smith told the potential jurors.

"It is further alleged that the bombs were planned to be set off when the aircraft were airborne and the bombers and all in the aircraft would be killed."

Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Assad Sarwar, Tanvir Hussain, Mohammed Gulzar, Ibrahim Savant, Arafat Waheed Khan, Waheed Zaman and Umar Islam are charged with conspiracy to murder.

They are also accused of plotting "to commit an act of violence likely to endanger the safety of an aircraft", namely an explosion on board a plane.

"It is the biggest counter-terrorism trial in the world that's ever been seen, I would suggest," a police spokeswoman said.

Britain has tried dozens of Islamist militants for plotting terrorism attacks since the September 11, 2001, attacks on Washington and New York.

Most have been accused of having links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda organisation whose members crashed airliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the 2001 attacks.

In July 2005, four young Britons carried out bombings on London's transport network, killing 52 commuters in the first suicide attacks in western Europe.

The alleged 2006 conspiracy caused more than 1,000 flights to be cancelled and the government imposed restrictions on carry-on baggage for several days.

Passengers were limited to carrying just one bag on board, a measure that was only lifted last month.

Liquid containers bigger than 100 ml are still banned and have to be held in a clear, re-sealable plastic bag.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration also has strict limits. Travellers are allowed to carry liquids and gels, such as toothpaste and shampoo, in carry-on bags providing they are three ounces or smaller.

(Editing by Robert Woodward)