News & Politics - British police thwart aircraft bomb plot

Lexis · 08-10-2006, 01:55 AM

Quote:

British authorities thwarted a terrorist plot to blow up several aircraft mid-flight between the United States and Britain using explosives smuggled in hand luggage, officials said Thursday.

Britain's Home Secretary John Reid said the alleged plot was "significant" and that terrorists aimed to "bring down a number of aircraft through mid-flight explosions, causing a considerable loss of life."

Police arrested a number of people overnight in London after a major covert counterterrorism operation that had lasted several months, but did not immediately say how many.

The U.S. government responded by raising its threat assessment to the highest level for commercial flights from Britain to the United States early Thursday.

"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," said U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

Chertoff added in the statement there was no indication of current plots within the U.S.

Britain's national threat level was also raised to critical — a warning level that indicates the likelihood of an imminent terrorist attack. The threat rating was posted on the Web site of Britain's MI5 — the British domestic spy agency.

London's Heathrow airport was closed to most European flights Thursday morning following a heightened terrorist alert, officials said.

The closure on incoming traffic applied to flights of three hours or less, affecting most of the incoming flights from Europe, an airport spokesman said on condition of anonymity in line with airport policy.

Prime Minister Tony Blair, vacationing in the Caribbean, had briefed President Bush on the situation overnight, Blair's office said.

The British Department of Transport advised all passengers that they would not be permitted to carry any hand baggage on board any aircraft departing from any airport in the country. Passengers faced delays as tighter security was hastily enforced at the country's airports and additional measures were put in place for all flights.

British police thwart aircraft bomb plot - Yahoo! News

I feel like swearing right now. This is a big deal - it seems these frickin evil morons were planning on blowing up planes from the UK to the US halfway across the Atlantic.

So angry right now - it seems 18 of those arrested are BRITISH muslims. I know they are a minority but still it makes my blood boil. How could you want to do this to any human being for starters but furthermore, how could you do it to your own people?

I guess that's the thing, they don't see us their people. Well screw em, they aren't gonna scare us.

ALittaM · 08-10-2006, 02:39 AM

I agree with you. And I feel bads about those persons travelling today to and from London - they're sure to have a lot of trouble.

What with these new security rules? People can only bring non-electronic stuff and they can only carry them in trasparent plastic bags. It seems a little too much even for me, and it's bound to cause a lot of discomfort.

Lexis · 08-10-2006, 02:52 AM

I don't think its too much. You can carry medical supplies, your essential documents, baby food (as long as you taste it at security), glasses/contact lenses. Its tough but if that's what they need to do, I'm all for it. I'm flying to the US in a few weeks and if this is what I need to do, it's fine. Rather be bored without my book than get blown up across the Atlantic.

I hope I don't sound snippy - I'm just so mad and the news specials running on the BBC are just getting me amped up.

welshgirlyUK · 08-10-2006, 03:28 AM

I completly agree with you Lexis, whatever they have to do to keep the people in this country safe then do it. I certainly wouldn't complain if i was flying, ok it'll probably be a little boring on the flight without your ipod but i'd rather by bored than scared everytime someone around me touched electrical equipment. In fact i think security are doing a pretty good job right now

silver lining · 08-10-2006, 04:06 AM

It's so scary. We're on "critical" alert

It's going to casue chaos at airports but I hope people understand why it's being done. I know it must be frustrating but hearing people complain about it on the news...they're just trying to help keep you safe! Argh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexis

So angry right now - it seems 18 of those arrested are BRITISH muslims. I know they are a minority but still it makes my blood boil. How could you want to do this to any human being for starters but furthermore, how could you do it to your own people?

I know what you mean. As you say, they are a minority, but it's so frightening. If they hate British culture so much, hate our government and what we stand for...why are they here in the first place? And then the police and MI5 get accused of racism! You really can't win.

Lexis · 08-10-2006, 06:10 AM

The tapes the 7/7 bombers made basically said "we're doing this because you're occupying and killing innocents in Iraq and Afghanistan." They are clearly crazy because if the deaths of innocents are wrong in Iraq, they are wrong anywhere.

Furthermore, the majority of the British public is anti the Iraq war. Blowing planes up - like attacking our subway system - will just make us angry and all the more ready to support the police and security forces as they find these monsters.

It infuriates me. It seems they were planning to do 3 planes, wait awhile and do 3 more, then 3 more after that. They were trying to create maximum terror and fear. Well, we're not afraid on the Tube and we will not be afraid on planes. As always, they can attack our physical body but they cannot touch the important things about our identity.

**Avatar** · 08-10-2006, 06:16 AM

I am not at all downplaying the threat, but this is the same British Intelligence that thought Sadaam Hussein had WMDs, Jean Charles de Menendez was a suicide bomber, and the Forrest Gate brothers were dangerous terrorists, right?

indium · 08-10-2006, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avatar

I am not at all downplaying the threat, but this is the same British Intelligence that thought Sadaam Hussein had WMDs, Jean Charles de Menendez was a suicide bomber, and the Forrest Gate brothers were dangerous terrorists, right?

lol. yes that british intellegence.

Just as well we have such startlingly incompetent terrrists in the UK. I can think of several ways to take down a plane and i'm jsut one person with no resources. you'd think any serious terrorist could do better, and yet they always seem to go for such horrendously complicated plots. bizzare

welshgirlyUK · 08-10-2006, 07:19 AM

Lexi, its pathetic isn't it? Especially since 9/11 occured before this whole Iraq and Afghanistan debate. They occured as a result of there terrorist attacks. And countries have also been targeted that haven't played a vital role in the war in Iraq. Its just a poor excuse on their part in my opinion. War or no war these attacks and threats would still happen.

Its also the same british intelligence that have prevented numerous terrorist attacks being carried out on this country on several occasions, and there just the ones we know about. MI5 are the best in the world and there doing this to protect mass murders of people in this country on a horrific scale in the most brutal ways. I for one applaud them for the job they do in protecting us.

Lexis · 08-10-2006, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avatar

I am not at all downplaying the threat, but this is the same British Intelligence that thought Sadaam Hussein had WMDs, Jean Charles de Menendez was a suicide bomber, and the Forrest Gate brothers were dangerous terrorists, right?

Yep. They screwed up in those instances. But as welshgirlyUK pointed out, they foiled some attacks against London.

I'm inclined to trust them on this - and comply with the measures being put in place - until we know otherwise.

**SuperGirl** · 08-10-2006, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by welshgirlyUK

I completly agree with you Lexis, whatever they have to do to keep the people in this country safe then do it. I certainly wouldn't complain if i was flying, ok it'll probably be a little boring on the flight without your ipod but i'd rather by bored than scared everytime someone around me touched electrical equipment. In fact i think security are doing a pretty good job right now

Well, you are one out of many, many people who seem to appreciate security right now.

I work at Seattle's international airport, and it's insane. It sounds ridiculous to take items away like hairspray, lotion, even chapstick...I'm just surprised that the terrorists haven't thought about liquid before. Because there's no way security can screen or even know or detect anything that's made of liquid. Supposedly, we're still looking for a few more people that may be involved, so security is going to be like this all weekend. And possibly even longer.

Star21 · 08-10-2006, 10:20 AM

I was actually in Gatwick when the bombs went off last summer. My phone was off and I had no idea what was going on, but I soon found out once I landed in the North-East and all my family had left messages, panicing, to make sure I was ok.
I'll be honest, I'm not always proud to be British, but the way everyone dropped everything to help each other during that time made me extremely proud. I hope we never have to show our resiliance again, but it is an empty hope because I feel it is inevitable.

**SuperGirl** · 08-10-2006, 10:53 AM

More coverage from CNN.com:

Quote:

A senior congressional source said it is believed the plotters, operating in teams, were to mix a "British version of Gatorade" with a gel-like substance. The source said they may have planned to use an MP3 player or a cell phone to trigger the explosives.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the plans were "suggestive of an al Qaeda plot," and President Bush said the arrests are a "stark reminder" that the U.S. is "at war with Islamic fascists."

***Raonaild*** · 08-10-2006, 10:59 AM

I've travelled between Canada and Europe a lot for work, both before and after 9/11, usually going through Heathrow. That airport is already a nightmare, I can just imagine how insane it is now.

Over the years at various airports I've gone through all sorts of security inconveniences - showing my passport over and over, having my bags checked by sniffer dogs, taking out every electronic device and turning it on to prove that it worked, having to walk across chemically treated carpets (foot and mouth outbreak), having to take off my shoes (after the shoe bomber), seeing them change from metal cutlery to plastic cutlery, new restrictions on carry-on baggage, etc. etc. Not being able to take carry-on? It's a helluva long flight from Vancouver to London, and often a long stopover waiting for a connecting flight, I can't imagine doing it without at least a book or two (and my laptop, considering I travel for business). My checked bags have also missed my connecting flight 2 or 3 times going through Heathrow, without carry-on I'd be stranded with nothing for a day once I got to my destination.

I know these inconveniences are trivial compared to potential death and destruction, but I hate how the actions of so few can have such a dramatic effect on the rest of us. I'm not looking forward to the next trip where I have to connect through Heathrow if these restrictions are still in place, maybe I'll be able to switch to a different route. Provided other airports don't start implementing the same restrictions, which is entirely possible.

**SuperGirl** · 08-10-2006, 11:09 AM

Restrictions regarding...what? As far as carry-ons? A lot of restrictions that are going on now are because all international airports are still on alert, so it's all not permanent. Although, there will definitely be some changes to what you're limited to bring on the plane now.

I know the Heathrow airport is different, but if you want to take anything onto the plane, it can't contain liquid, and it can't be electronic. Anything else, like credit cards, IDs and passports, medication...necessary items, we're providing plastic bags for our passengers to put them in. The airlines wont even let you take on a purse, you must put them in the clear bag.


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