News... Airline Terror Plot ( UK)

'Airlines terror plot' disrupted

All airports have been put under the restrictions



A plot to blow up planes in flight from the UK to the US and commit "mass murder on an unimaginable scale" has been disrupted, Scotland Yard has said.
It is thought the plan was to detonate explosive devices smuggled in hand luggage on to as many as 10 aircraft.

Police were searching premises with 21 people in custody after arrests in the London area and West Midlands.

High security is causing delays at all UK airports. The threat level to the UK has been raised by MI5 to critical.

According to MI5's website, critical threat level - the highest - means "an attack is expected imminently and indicates an extremely high level of threat to the UK".

Heathrow Airport has been closed to all incoming flights that are not already in the air, while several outbound services have been cancelled.

The airport is crammed with thousands of passengers, while at Stansted more than 2,000 people are queuing to pass through customs.

'Operation ongoing'

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Paul Stephenson said the alleged plotters had intended "mass murder on an unimaginable scale".


Passengers have to put any carry-on luggage in plastic bags

"We are confident that we have disrupted a plan by terrorists to cause untold death and destruction and to commit, quite frankly, mass murder," he said.

"We believe that the terrorists' aim was to smuggle explosives on to aeroplanes in hand luggage and to detonate these in flight. We also believe that the intended targets were flights from the United Kingdom to the United States of America.

"I can confirm that a significant number of people are currently in custody and the operation is ongoing."

The majority of the arrests were in London with some in the Thames Valley and Birmingham, he said.

Police had spoken to a "good number of community leaders to make them aware that a major operation was under way," he added.



According to BBC sources the "principal characters" suspected of being involved in the plot were British-born. Arrests were made in High Wycombe, London and Birmingham.

BBC home affairs correspondent Andy Tighe said police sources had told him they had found "interesting items" which were being examined.

In other major developments:



The US Department of Homeland Security increased the threat level applied to US-bound commercial flights originating in the UK

The Home Office confirmed there had been three meetings overnight and on Thursday morning of the Cabinet's emergency committee, Cobra, chaired by Home Secretary John Reid, to discuss the terror alert

A spokesman for Number 10 said Tony Blair had briefed US President George Bush on the situation during the night

All passengers were banned from taking hand luggage onto flights, while the government warned of delays.

BBC home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford said he did not think the police believed an attack was imminent now there had been arrests.

I was handed a piece of paper saying that pretty much nothing could be taken on board the plane

Joe Lynam
BBC journalist at Gatwick


Flights disruption across UK
At-a-glance: UK airports

"The reason for raising the threat level is in case there is some other sub-plot, back-up plot around this that the police aren't aware of," he said.

BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera said given that most liquids were being banned from flights it suggested the suspected plot involved "some kind of liquid explosive".

He also said the plot had an "international dimension", while the investigation had involved the CIA.

"The Americans have definitely been involved for quite some time," he said.

Prime Minister Tony Blair is on holiday in the Caribbean, but Downing Street said the police operation was undertaken with his full support and he had been "in constant touch".


Transparent bags

The Department for Transport set out the details of the security measures at UK airports.

THREAT LEVEL
The current threat level is assessed as critical as of 10th August 2006 - this means that an attack is expected imminently and indicates an extremely high level of threat to the UK

MI5 statement


Reid's terror plea
Ministers' statements in full

Passengers are not allowed to take any hand luggage on to any flights in the UK, the department said.

Only the barest essentials - including passports and wallets - will be allowed to be carried on board in transparent plastic bags.

"We hope that these measures, which are being kept under review by the government, will need to be in place for a limited period only," the statement said.
BBC uk

yep My son was due to fly to udon tomorrow , now dont know what is going to happen but flight seems unlikley so he is told. What is being given out in the Uk is that they think the current plot has indead been finished but not sure what else might have been planned to go with it . Having rung the airline involved my son has been told to ring back at four this afternoon uk time and by then they hope to have some idea if a flight is even likely. At the moment I am quite happy to have him on the ground even though he is not here on the ground. British police say it has been a three month covert operation which means they most likely do have everyone invollved, they arrested 42 in the morning and have so far held 21.

they also did a covert operation on the brazilian bloke who was shot dead in error and at forest gate which was also an error. are the old bill over reacting ?

after 3 months of covert operations, i hope they have got it right this time,and all involved get a the punishment that they deserve.

This is part of a article from the Bangkok Post:

Thais advised to avoid Britain

Airports in Thailand stepped up security measures on Friday following a reportedly foiled terrorist plot Thursday to blow up planes flying from the United Kingom to the United States, while government officials assured people that terrorist attack would not spread to Thailand.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised Thai nationals against unnecessary travel to Britain.

Security should be increased at airports and other public places in Thailand as well to prevent any possible attack in the kingdom, Thai Armed Forces Supreme Commander Ruengroj Mahasaranond said Friday, according to the official Thai News Agency.

He was responding to possible threats by Pattani United Liberation Organization (PULO), a militant group active in the three southern border provinces, to attack Bangkok and Phuket as reported Thursday by UK-based BBC.

Airports of Thailand (AoT), the supervising institution of airports in Thailand, has imposed stricter security measures at airports to prevent untoward incidents, he said, which may cause inconvenience to passengers.

AoT managing director Chotesak Artpawiriya said hand scanners were being used in addition to regular measures. At Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok, military dogs were posted at entrances to search for explosives.

No flights from Thailand to London have been canceled, Somchai Sawasdeepon, a senior official from AoT was quoted by media as saying.

Meanwhile, caretaker Interior Minister Kongsak Wanthana said he believed that no terrorist plot would target either Asian countries or spread into Thailand`s insurgency-plagued deep South.

Kongsak said he was confident that "copycat attempts" would not be made in Thailand in particular, given that the kingdom is not a target of terrorism and it is a country that has helped many different groups of people and strongly uphold the equality of all religions.

"I believe they understand that the unrest in the Thai deep South is our internal problem and won`t try to link it to any terrorist network," Kongsak said.

my son flew from london Gatwick yesterday and arrived in Bangkok AT SEVEN THIS MORNING . ON TIME AND NO DELAYS . wAS A LONG DAY DUE TO FACT THAT HE HAD TO BOOK INTO AIRPORT 6 HOURS EARLIER THAN USUAL BUT OTHER THAN THAT HE RANG TODAY AND SAID NO PROBLEMS .

aj, That's good that he arrived Ok. I am sure you are relieved.

I guess the worst part now for most people must be the long delays at the departure airports. I read stories of people having to wait for hours in temporary marquees and someone missing their flight because they waited until the flight was called before proceeding through the extensive security checks.

yES iM PLEASED HE IS DOWN OK . i THINK THE STRANGE THING IS THAT HE HAD TO CHANGE FLIGHTS AT dAKA (NOT SURE ABOUT THE SPELLING ) BUT HAD ONLY 20 MINS TO DO SO . THERE WAS NO WAY WE THOUGHT HIS PLANE WOULD LEAVE THERE ON TIME EVEN IF HE CAUGHT IT. WELL HE CAUGHT IT AND IT LEFT ON TIME SO HE TELLS ME ????

aj, Can I ask what airline he flew with then, to be flying from Gatwick and was the changeover in Dakka(?) part of the normal flight schedule?

some hand luggage is allowed to be taken on board as from today, laptops,small bags etc.

The terror threat to the UK has been downgraded from critical to severe.

Home Secretary John Reid said the change was made because an attack was "highly likely" but not "imminent".

The change in the threat level means the ban on taking hand luggage on to flights from the UK has been lifted, although some restrictions remain.

Meanwhile, a British Airways flight from Heathrow to New York has been turned back because a mobile phone - banned at the time - was on board.

The change in the terror threat level was made by the Joint Terrorism and Analysis Centre based on latest intelligence.

In response, the US Department of Homeland Security has downgraded the threat level for flights from the UK from "code red" to "code orange".


I want to stress that the change in the threat level does not mean that the threat has gone away
John Reid

Bag advice for UK passengers

The UK has been at the highest level of terror threat since police made arrests last Thursday in connection with the alleged plot to use liquid explosives on planes from the UK to the US.

But airport operator BAA has urged passengers using Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted not to bring hand baggage as it gradually phases in the latest changes.

It said it will not be implementing the new rules on hand luggage at its seven airports until Tuesday morning.

The company says it will need to brief its thousands of security staff, who will not be aware of the change because it was announced overnight.

Home Secretary John Reid said although police believe the main suspects in the alleged plot to blow up transatlantic airliners had been arrested there was still the threat of a terror attack.

Serious threat

He said: "The public needs to know that there may be other people out there who may be planning an attack against the UK. That is why there are a number of other security service operations under way.

"I want to stress, therefore, that the change in the threat level does not mean that the threat has gone away.

"There is still a very serious threat of an attack. The threat level is at severe indicating the high likelihood of an attempted terrorist attack at some stage, and I urge the public to remain vigilant."

Mr Reid and Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander will make a joint statement at 0730 BST on Monday.

The Department for Transport said passengers would now be allowed to carry one item of hand luggage on to flights, although there would still be some restrictions in place.

The department hoped the change would help ease congestion at airports.

Precautionary measure

The British Airways flight was turned back after a mobile phone was heard ringing at the back of the plane.

No one admitted owning the phone so flight BA179 with 217 passengers on board returned to Heathrow as a precautionary measure.

A businessman who was among the passengers told BBC News 24: "When the plane took off a mobile phone started ringing.

"One and a half hours later the captain made the decision, having spoken to his company, that we need to come back. He dumped fuel and we're now back at Heathrow."

BA apologise for the inconvenience but said "safety is our number one priority and we will always err on the side of caution".

Before the restrictions were changed, travellers had been told to expect more cancellations and delays at UK airports.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott visited Stansted airport to see how the security measures were being put into practice. Officers are continuing to question 23 people in the inquiry.

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