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Hamza: I had military academy plan
RELATEDYOUR E-MAIL ALERTSLONDON, England -- Preacher Abu Hamza al-Masri has told jurors in his race hate trial he kept plans of the royal military academy Sandhurst that he admitted would be "very crucial to any terrorist." Hamza's trial was told he was employed at Sandhurst after gaining an engineering degree in 1989, and took on responsibility for maintaining the fence and some buildings on the perimeter at the academy south of London, which is attended by Princes William and Harry. Giving evidence at the start of his defense case Thursday, the former imam said he had kept drawings of the academy after leaving the job two years later. "It would be very crucial to any terrorist," he told jurors at the Old Bailey court in central London. The cleric said police had not confiscated the diagrams despite finding them in his house during raids in 1999 and 2004. He also said police and military intelligence officers had played down the danger he posed at several meetings. He said he asked Special Branch officers if his preaching was breaking the law. "They said 'You have freedom of speech. We don't have to worry as long as we don't see blood on the streets." The cleric was questioned in detail by his defense lawyer Edward Fitzgerald QC on his attitude to people from different racial and religious backgrounds. Hamza said: "As individuals I've never been abusive to any person, unless he has been abusive first and unjustified." He told the court he communicated with members of the Jewish community in his local area, and he had once signed a petition supporting a synagogue that had been attacked. "Whoever comes towards me I take them with open arms," he said. Earlier, Hamza denied encouraging his followers to murder as he began giving evidence in his trial on race hate charges. Hamza was asked by Fitzgerald if he had incited his listeners to murder in a series of sermons between 1997 and 2000. Hamza replied, "no" in a loud voice. Fitzgerald asked: "Was it your intention to persuade those listening to you to kill anyone in England?" Hamza replied: "No." Fitzgerald asked: "Did you intend to urge those listening to you to kill anyone abroad?" Hamza replied: "The concept of murder, no. The concept of fighting, yes." Fitzgerald asked whether he had incited anyone to take any specific action abroad at all. Hamza replied: "No." Fitzgerald asked: "You are accused of incitement to racial hatred. Did you intend to incite racial hatred in any of these sermons?" Hamza replied: "No." Egyptian-born Hamza, former head preacher at the Finsbury Park Mosque in north London, faces life in prison if convicted of inciting murder and stirring racial hatred in speeches recorded on nine video and audio tapes made for supporters. He denies all the charges. Previously during the trial, jurors have listened to recordings of Hamza's sermons, in which prosecutors say Hamza encouraged followers to kill Jews and other non-Muslims. He also allegedly told followers that Jews "control the West and must be removed from the Earth." Hamza also referred to Jews as "blasphemous, traitors and dirty" and said their behavior was "why Hitler was sent into the world," prosecutors said. Hamza, 47, from west London, faces nine charges under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 alleging he solicited others at public meetings to murder Jews and other non-Muslims. He also faces four charges under the Public Order Act of 1986 of "using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior with the intention of stirring up racial hatred." Hamza also faces one charge of possessing threatening, abusive or insulting sound recordings, and another charge under anti-terrorism laws. The trial continues. 
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