It’s a way to oppress women, an in-your-face political statement to the infidels, and a disguise for fleeing terrorists!

One of the alleged July 21 bombers fled London after the attempted attacks disguised as a woman wearing a burka, their trial heard.

Yassin Omar was captured on CCTV at Golders Green coach station in north London and at Birmingham coach station disguised in the traditional Muslim women’s dress. He was picked up on the CCTV just a day after the attempted attacks, Woolwich Crown Court was told.

Prosecuting counsel Nigel Sweeney said: “CCTV shows him and his fiancee at Golders Green coach station and him at Birmingham coach station that evening disguised in the burka.” He was eventually arrested at a house in Birmingham by armed police on Wednesday July 27.

Two of the other defendants, Muktar Ibrahim and Ramzi Mohammed, were arrested at a flat in Delgarno Gardens, west London, two days later. A fourth, Hussain Osman, who had travelled to Brighton in the wake of the attempted attacks, returned to London and caught a train from Waterloo to Paris, the court was told. He then travelled to Rome, where he was arrested on July 29.

The prosecution alleged that Manfo Asiedu was supposed to be the fifth bomber but he “lost his nerve at the last moment”. Instead he dumped his bomb in a wooded area in Little Wormwood Scrubs, where it was found two days later, the jury was told. Afterwards, he tried to convey the impression of a man “carrying on his life as normal”, Mr Sweeney said. On July 26 he went to the police but “not to tell the truth”, he alleged.

Instead, during the course of interviews lasting a number of days, he “lied on an epic scale” to keep up the pretence that he only happened to know two of the defendants, Mr Sweeney told the jury. Eventually, the true scale of his involvement was revealed by the “weight of evidence” against him, he said.

UPDATE at 1/17/07 5:35:21 pm:

Also makes a great disguise for robbing jewelry stores!