heavy casualties upon an unwitting civilian population all in the name of Islam , '' he said . `` These men were indifferent to the carnage that was likely to ensue if their plans were successful . To them the identities of their victims was an irrelevance by race , color , religion or creed . `` What these men intended to bring about together and with others was a violent and deadly statement of intent that would have a truly global impact . '' Wright said the bombs were to be carried onto flights to the United States by suicide bombers as part of a plot hatched in Britain and Pakistan , according to PA. . He said a computer memory stick seized at the time of the defendants ' arrests listed details of flights operated by three carriers -- American Airlines , United Airlines and Air Canada -- between August and October 2006 . `` If each of these flights were successfully blown up the potential for loss of life was considerable , '' Wright said . Ali , Sarwar and six others including Tanvir Hussain , 27 , Ibrahim Savant , 28 , Arafat Waheed Khan ,
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Eight men plotted to use bombs disguised in drinks containers to blow up planes heading towards the United States in mid-flight in the name of Islam , a British court heard Tuesday . The eight men deny conspiracy to murder by plotting to blow up transatlantic aircraft . Prosecutors told London 's Woolwich Crown Court the men planned to make the explosives from household objects to resemble drinks bottles , batteries and other items to be carried onto aircraft in hand luggage , the UK 's Press Association reported . The foiling of the alleged plot in August 2006 triggered the imposition of strict new security measures at international airports around the world , restricting the quantity of liquids passengers can carry on to aircraft . The measures , which led to massive delays and scores of canceled flights when they were imposed overnight , remain in place at many airports . Prosecutor Peter Wright described two of the men , Abdulla Ahmed Ali , 28 , and Assad Sarwar , 28 , as ringleaders of an Islamic fundamentalist conspiracy , according to PA. . `` It was an interest that involved inflicting