Another Suspect Charged in London

Another man has been charged under anti-terrorism laws in the July 21 bombing attempts on London’s transit system, police said.

Abdul Sharif, 28, of South London was charged with withholding information that could have helped police apprehend suspect Hussain Osman. Sharif has been in custody since his arrest Aug. 1.

Osman, also known as Hamdi Isaac, fled Britain after the failed bombings and is being held in Rome on international terrorism charges. Britain wants to extradite him.

Three weeks after the botched attacks, and five weeks after four bombers killed 52 people and themselves on subway trains and a bus, London remains worried that there will be another attack.

James Hart, police chief for London’s financial district, warned Wednesday that terrorists had surveyed targets there.

There was no specific intelligence about a forthcoming attack, Hart said, but he insisted the district was at risk.

“We are vulnerable, there are people out there who wish us harm, and we should be aware of that,” he said.

Hart said that “most successful terrorist operatives pre-survey their targets.” Asked if that had happened in the district, he answered, “It has already occurred.” He also said officers had disrupted “hostile surveillance.”

He refused to say whether officers had arrested anyone as a result of the operations, and he would not give more details.

London’s business quarter, known as the City, houses hundreds of banks, insurance companies, law firms and other institutions, including the London Stock Exchange and the Bank of England.

It is a leading international center for trading in metals, oil and other commodities.