http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329549547-111274,00.html 'Mass murder terror plot' uncovered . Threat level raised to critical . Plot 'to blow up US-bound flights' . '10 planes targeted' Mark Oliver and agencies Thursday August 10, 2006 Guardian Unlimited A terror plot to kill thousands of people by detonating explosives on up to 10 transatlantic flights from the UK was disrupted by police and the security services overnight, it emerged today. If successful, the alleged plot would have caused "mass murder on an unimaginable scale", Paul Stephenson, the Metropolitan police deputy commissioner, said. The alleged plan was to cause near simultaneous blasts on multiple flights - with planes travelling to the US a particular target - using explosives smuggled into passenger cabins inside hand luggage. Mr Stephenson said 21 people were in custody today following raids overnight. He said he believed the threat had been thwarted, but US officials voiced fears that individuals linked to the plot could still be at large. At 2am, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre raised the UK terror alert from severe to critical - its highest level - for the first time. The Home Office website defines critical as meaning an attack is expected imminently. The US government responded by raising its threat assessment to red, again the highest level, for commercial flights from Britain. There was serious disruption to flights, with emergency restrictions barring passengers from taking any hand luggage, apart from travel documents and essential prescriptions, onto planes. All incoming flights to Heathrow not already in the air have been cancelled. Airlines and airport officials asked passengers to rearrange flights unless their journeys were "absolutely necessary". Reports suggested the plot revolved around liquid-based explosives, and all passengers from the UK and the US were told they could not carry liquid or lotions onto flights. Officials at Heathrow airport said all milk for babies would have to be tasted by an "accompanying passenger". There was no official confirmation of how many flights had been intended targets in the alleged plot, but officials said it could have been as many as nine or ten. US counter-terrorism officials told the Associated Press that three major US airlines - United, American Airlines and Continental - had been targeted. Some experts said it appeared to be the most ambitious plan since the September 11 2001 attacks on New York and Washington killed around 3,000 people. US officials were taking the developments extremely seriously. "We believe that these arrests have significantly disrupted the threat, but we cannot be sure that the threat has been entirely eliminated or the plot completely thwarted," Michael Chertoff, the US homeland security secretary, said. There was no indication that security services had expected an attack to be carried out today, but it had been decided to move against the terror suspects overnight. Mr Stephenson said a number of addresses were being searched. It was believed some explosives had been found, although this was not confirmed. Most of the people detained were arrested in London, while other arrests were made in the Thames Valley and Birmingham. Sources said those arrested were British-born and had been detained as part of an operation that has been ongoing covertly for several months. The home secretary, John Reid, said anti-terror officers had carried out a "major counter-terrorism operation to disrupt what we believe to be a major threat to the UK". "We are doing everything possible to disrupt any further terrorist activity," he added. Downing Street said Tony Blair, who is on holiday in the Caribbean, was being kept constantly informed of developments and had briefed the US president, George Bush, overnight. The anti-terror operations were carried out with Mr Blair's "full support", No 10 said. The security restrictions were causing delays of up to five hours on some flights, and acute disruption at UK airports. The problems were expected to last several days, and the Home Office was keeping the security measures under review. British Airways said some flights were being cancelled as airports struggled to process passengers through security. All passengers must be hand searched, and their footwear and all items they are carrying x-ray screened. Laptop computers, mobile phones and iPods are among the items banned from being carried on board. At Heathrow terminal one and Manchester airport, queues stretched the length of the departure lounge. Passengers were frustrated by the disruption, but reporters at the airports said most were waiting calmly. However, Sarah Challiner, a 20-year-old waiting at Manchester, told the Press Association she was "terrified ... really scared" but had been reassured by friends who were aircraft cabin crew. Many passengers were stoical but worried about becoming bored. "Eight hours without an iPod - that's the most inconvenient thing," Hannah Pillinger, a 24-year-old at Manchester, said. News of the terror plot unsettled the City and caused airline shares to fall, with BA shares down 4.5%. Yesterday, Mr Reid said Britain faced its most sustained period of serious threat since the end of the second world war, telling critics of the government's controversial anti-terror tactics that they "just don't get it". In recent months, officials have said several plots had been foiled since the July 7 London bombings, in which 52 people died.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
