Waris Ali, 18, from Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, took the stand at Leeds Crown court facing charges of possessing digital copies of The Anarchists Cookbook and of buying a stash of chemicals which could be used to make a bomb.

Wearing a suit and tie, bespectacled Ali was asked his views on the July 7 terror attacks. He told the court: "That was just mass murder".
He added: "They went on trains where they knew there were children, old women and young, they were just killing innocent people for no reason at all."

The court heard Ali had a difficult home life which included caring for his severely disabled father.

Last week, the trial heard that Ali had been involved in a number of incidents at Westborough High School where he attended that included writing "die Bush die" on a piece of artwork and "all Americans must die" on a classroom whiteboard. But when asked about his views on Afghanistan and Iraq, Ali branded Bin Laden "the craziest man in the world".

He said of the Taliban: "the way in which they rule the whole country, they killed and tortured you, I didn't agree with that and I am happy they were gotten rid of."

Asked about the 9/11 terror attacks Ali said: "That was killing anyone no matter who it was, but at the same time George W Bush went on the rampage and started invading countries and saying 'you killed our people so we will kill you.' "

Ali told the court that in his teenage years he had a big interest in the occult and would visit websites featuring spells and voodoo.
Ali of Dearnley Street, Ravensthorpe, denies three counts of possessing an article with the purposes of terrorism.

His co-accused and childhood friend Dabeer Hussain, also 18, from Clarkson Street, Ravensthorpe denies one similar charge.
The jury heard last week that in 2007 Ali had bought several kilos of potassium nitrate and calcium chloride from ebay and had internet chats with Hussain about blowing up members of the BNP.

Proceeding