Terror suspects "planned to attack UK troops abroad"

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) The three terror suspects on control orders who absconded this week were suspected of planning attacks on British troops abroad.

Lord Carlile, the independent reviewer of anti-terrorism laws, told the BBC the security services believe the men wanted to target British troops in Iraq or elsewhere.

''These three men were the subject of solid intelligence that they intended, not to cause damage in the UK, but that they intended to damage our national security by going as insurgents to kill British and other allied troops abroad,'' he said.

Home Secretary John Reid will issue a statement later today.

Scotland Yard said it was hunting the missing men, named as Lamine Adam, 26, Ibrahim Adam, 20, and Cerie Bullivant, 24, after they failed to contact a monitoring company or report to a local police station.

The Adam brothers, who were both born in Algeria and were described as of North African origin, are brothers of Anthony Garcia, jailed last month for plotting al Qaeda-inspired bomb attacks across Britain using fertiliser-based explosives.

Bullivant, born in Britain, was said to be a known associate of the men.

Suspects under control orders are usually entitled to anonymity because they have not been convicted of a crime.

The announcement, following the disappearances of at least two other suspects last year, was another embarrassing blow for the Home Office.

It means that more than a quarter of those subject to the orders -- imposed on suspects who are not charged with a crime -- are now missing.

The orders, under which suspects are electronically tagged and subjected to a range of restrictions, were brought in after courts threw out Prime Minister Tony Blair's measures to jail suspects indefinitely without charge.

''This is yet another hammer blow for the increasingly discredited system of control orders,'' said Nick Clegg, home affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats.

The Conservatives, who support the orders, said the government was nonetheless failing to keep the public safe.

Terrorism suspects can no longer be jailed without charge but, under the orders, can be subjected to a range of measures ranging up to virtual house arrest.

Suspects are frequently confined to their homes for much of the day, required to wear electronic tags, obliged to check in with police, forbidden to use computers or telephones and banned from meeting people without permission.

The orders must be imposed by a special court, but the suspects are not permitted to see evidence against them and the authorities do not have to prove they are guilty of a crime.

Two other suspects on control orders who disappeared last year have not been found. According to the Home Office, 17 people are being monitored under the programme, including the three who absconded this week but not the two who fled last year.

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