posted on August 10, 2006 07:42:33 AM new
Aug 10, 9:58 AM EDT
Airline Plot Involved Liquid Explosives
By DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press Writer LONDON (AP)
-- British authorities said Thursday they had thwarted a terrorist plot to simultaneously blow up several aircraft heading to the United States using explosives smuggled in carry-on luggage.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the terrorists planned to use liquid explosives disguised as beverages and other common products and detonators disguised as electronic devices.
Officials raised security to its highest level in Britain and banned carry-on luggage on all trans-Atlantic flights. Huge crowds formed at security barriers at London's Heathrow airport as officials searching for explosives barred nearly every form of liquid outside of baby formula.
The extreme measures at a major international aviation hub sent ripples throughout the world. Heathrow was closed to most flights from Europe, and British Airways canceled all its flights between the airport and points in Britain, Europe and Libya. Numerous flights from U.S. cities to Britain were canceled.
Washington raised its threat alert to its highest level for commercial flights from Britain to the United States amid fears the plot had not been completely crushed. The alert for all flights coming or going from the United States was also raised slightly.
Two U.S. counterterrorism officials said the terrorists had targeted United Airlines, American Airlines and Continental Airlines. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.
A U.S. intelligence official said the plotters had hoped to target flights to major airports in New York, Washington and California.
British Home Secretary John Reid said 21 people had been arrested in London, its suburbs and Birmingham following a lengthy investigation, including the alleged "main players" in the plot. Searches continued in a number of locations.
The suspects were "homegrown," though it was not immediately clear if they were all British citizens, said a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. Police were working closely with the South Asian community, the official said.
The official said the plotters intended to simultaneously target multiple planes bound for the United States.
"We think this was an extraordinarily serious plot and we are confident that we've prevented an attempt to commit mass murder on an unimaginable scale," Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson said.
Prime Minister Tony Blair, vacationing in the Caribbean, briefed President Bush on the situation overnight.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush also had been briefed by his aides while at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he has been on vacation. "We do believe the plot involved flights from the U.K. to the U.S. and was a direct threat to the United States," Snow said.
Chertoff, the homeland security chief, said the plot had the hallmarks of an operation planned by al-Qaida, the terrorist group behind the Sept. 11 attack on the United States.
"It was sophisticated, it had a lot of members and it was international in scope. It was in some respects suggestive of an al-Qaida plot," Chertoff said, but he cautioned it was too early in the investigation to reach any conclusions.
It is the first time the red alert level in the Homeland Security warning system has been invoked, although there have been brief periods in the past when the orange level was applied. Homeland Security defines the red alert as designating a "severe risk of terrorist attacks."
"We believe that these arrests (in London) have significantly disrupted the threat, but we cannot be sure that the threat has been entirely eliminated or the plot completely thwarted," Chertoff said.
He added, however, there was no indication of current plots within the United States.
Chertoff said the plotters were in the final stages of planning. "We were really getting quite close to the execution phase," he said, adding that it was unclear if the plot was linked to the upcoming fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
A senior U.S. counterterrorism official said authorities believe dozens of people - possibly as many as 50 - were involved in the plot. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
The plan involved airline passengers hiding masked explosives in carry-on luggage, the official said. "They were not yet sitting on an airplane," but were very close to traveling, the official said, calling the plot "the real deal."
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The rest of the article can be found on the Washington Times - today.
posted on August 10, 2006 08:14:24 AM new
I can see it now. Endless rants by the lefties for questioning sweaty guys with Arabic features trying to board planes, while the Swedish bikini team waltzes right on through.
posted on August 10, 2006 09:01:06 AM new
bigcreepa,
You have to be the dumbest person I have ever seen. First you complain the republicans can do nothing right. Then when they foil an attack, you complain as well. Time for you to crawl into a hole. I will be by to cover it up.
posted on August 10, 2006 10:08:39 AM new
What is it that fuels this arrogance that makes people think that the world revolves around the US?
Hey Bar - the republicans did not foil an attack. The arrests were in the UNITED KINDOM not the United States and the bust was made by BRITISH authorities.
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People put their hand on the bible, and swear to uphold the constitution. They do not put their hand on the constitution, and swear to uphold the bible.
posted on August 10, 2006 12:27:29 PM new
Good question to ask of the dems/liberals...since THEY are always the ones so overly concerned about what other Nations THINK of us.
posted on August 10, 2006 01:19:37 PM new
barparts AND LIAR_K LIKE THE IDEA OF RULE BY FEAR.
You must be talking about that very tough bunch of "terrorist" the "republicans" arrested in Atlanta a few weeks ago. You remember don't you the ones that wanted to blow up the Sears building in Chicago. LOL
ITS TIME WE PUT NEW PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT TO START CLEANING UP THE MESS FROM REPUBLICANS.
BUSH/CHENEY AND THEIR LOCK STEPPING LAWMAKERS ARE THE WORST EVER.
