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UK police say terror plot thwarted

Thursday, August 10, 2006; Posted: 1:32 a.m. EDT (05:32 GMT)

LONDON (CNN) -- British police have disrupted what they believe was a major terrorist plot to blow up aircraft in flight, likely between the United Kingdom and the United States, a statement from Scotland Yard said Thursday.

"It is believed that the aim was to detonate explosive devices smuggled on board the aircraft in hand luggage. It is believed that the attacks would have been particularly targeted at flights from the UK to the USA," the statement said.

Arrests were made overnight in London by the Metropolitan Police Department's anit-terrorist branch and security service.

"Today's arrests are the culmination of a major covert counter-terrorist operation lasting several months," Scotland Yard said.

"We would like to reassure the public that this operation was carried out with public safety uppermost in our minds," the statement said.

"This is a major operation which inevitably will be lengthy and complex. We will provide further information as soon as possible."

UK police say terror plot thwarted (http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/08/10/uk.terror/index.html)

Thinking about this, Nuzzernut made threats against America.  I'm now wondering if this could have been apart of Nuzzernuts threats.

From what I'm hearing, they were wanting to blow up the planes over the US. All of the planes they were going to be on were coming here to the US.  20 have been arrested now, and up to 20 aircraft involved. 

Fox is saying that they were planning on using handbags to carry the bombs, and that it might've been "bigger than 9/11," including 20 planes en route from the UK to the US.

The UK has raised the security level to critical, highest it will go.  The United States has also raised the security level from yellow, to orange.  And  for commerical flights, the threat is red.  Thats the highest it can go.  Foxnews is reporting that the threat level, for the uniited States may also go to red.

Now I'm wondering about some of those missing Egyptians....... :-\

Edited to add, and strike out;  Foxnews just reported that they misquoted the it is only for commerical flights, the level is orange. (high)

I wondered about them to begin with, especially since the FBI put out the warning not to approach them.

Fox just said that flight from the UK to US are on condition Red and it is condition Orange for other commercial flights.

'Airlines terror plot' disrupted
   
Stansted Airport
All airports have been put under the restrictions

Reid statement
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 are searching premises with 21 people in custody after arrests in London, High Wycombe and Birmingham.

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".

Three US airlines are believed to have been targeted.

According to BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera new intelligence was received in the last five days which led to the decision for police to act as soon as possible.

The plot is thought to have involved a series of "waves" of simultaneous attacks, targeting three planes each time.

He also said the plan "revolved around liquids of some kind".

"Officials say the explosives would have been sophisticated and extremely effective," our correspondent said.

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

Gatwick Airport has suspended all flights.

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

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

"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."

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

Head of the Met's anti-terrorist branch Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke said the investigation had had "global dimensions" and had seen an "unprecedented level" of surveillance.

The decision to take action had been taken on Wednesday night, he added.

According to BBC sources the "principal characters" suspected of being involved in the plot were British-born. There are also understood to be links to Pakistan.

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 to "red" - the first time it has done this for flights coming in from another country

    * The Home Office confirmed there had been 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

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

 "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.

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".

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

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.

'Airlines terror plot' disrupted (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4778575.stm)

Statement by Homeland Security 
Chertoff announces change to nation's threat level

Press Releases

Statement by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff Announcing a Change to the Nation’s Threat Level for the Aviation Sector

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary


The Department of Homeland Security is taking immediate steps to increase security measures in the aviation sector in coordination with heightened security precautions in the United Kingdom. Over the last few hours, British authorities have arrested a significant number of extremists engaged in a substantial plot to destroy multiple passenger aircraft flying from the United Kingdom to the United States. Currently, there is no indication, however, of plotting within the United States. 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.

For that reason, the United States Government has raised the nation’s threat level to Severe, or Red, for commercial flights originating in the United Kingdom bound for the United States. This adjustment reflects the Critical, or highest, alert level that has been implemented in the United Kingdom. To defend further against any remaining threat from this plot, we will also raise the threat level to High, or Orange, for all commercial aviation operating in or destined for the United States. Consistent with these higher threat levels, the Transportation Security Administration is coordinating with federal partners, airport authorities and commercial airlines on expanding the intensity of existing security requirements. Due to the nature of the threat revealed by this investigation, we are prohibiting any liquids, including beverages, hair gels, and lotions from being carried on the airplane. This determination will be constantly evaluated and updated when circumstances warrant. These changes will take effect at 4:00 AM local time across the country. Travelers should also anticipate additional security measures within the airport and at screening checkpoints.

These measures will continue to assure that our aviation system remains safe and secure. Travelers should go about their plans confidently, while maintaining vigilance in their surroundings and exercising patience with screening and security officials.

The United States and the United Kingdom are fully united and resolute in this effort and in our ongoing efforts to secure our respective homelands.

US raises air security alert to red for first time

The U.S. government raised the security alert on passenger planes to its highest level for the first time on Thursday after Britain said it had foiled a plot to blow up flights to the United States.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it was taking an unprecedented step by raising the threat level for commercial flights originating in the United Kingdom to "severe," or red.

The threat level for all other commercial aircraft operating in or destined for the United States would be raised to "high," or orange, from "elevated," or yellow, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement.

The threat level for the country as a whole remained at yellow, according to the department's Web site.

Homeland Security took immediate steps that included barring passengers from carrying liquids, including beverages, hair gels and lotions, on planes. It said travelers in both countries should expect long delays.

A British police source said the plot was believed to involve a "liquid chemical" device.

"Over the last few hours, British authorities have arrested a significant number of extremists engaged in a substantial plot to destroy multiple passenger aircraft flying from the United Kingdom to the United States," the statement released by the DHS press office said.

TRANSATLANTIC THREAT

British police said they had thwarted a plot to blow up aircraft in mid-flight between Britain and the United States and were holding 21 people in connection with the plot. The arrests were made in the London and Birmingham areas.

In response, Britain's security services raised its threat level to "critical" from "severe," the highest of its five ratings, suggesting "an attack is expected imminently."

"Currently, there is no indication ... of plotting within the United States," Chertoff said. "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."

"Consistent with these higher threat levels, the Transportation Security Administration is coordinating with federal partners, airport authorities and commercial airlines on expanding the intensity of existing security requirements.

"Due to the nature of the threat revealed by this investigation, we are prohibiting any liquids, including beverages, hair gels, and lotions from being carried on the airplane. This determination will be constantly evaluated and updated when circumstances warrant," the statement said.

"Travelers should also anticipate additional security measures within the airport and at screening checkpoints," it said, and travelers in both countries were told to expect long delays. The changes took effect at 4 a.m. EDT.

Chertoff, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and FBI Director Robert Mueller were to hold a news conference in Washington on the security situation from 8 a.m. EDT.

Stock markets in Europe were lower in response to the security scare, led by European airline shares. British Airways shares were down 3.5 percent in morning trading.

Chertoff: Plot 'suggestive' of al-Qaida 
Officials cannot assume that operation in Britain completely thwarted

The terror scheme disrupted in London is "suggestive of an al-Qaida plot," the Bush administration said Thursday as it issued its highest terrorism alert ever for commercial flights from Britain to the United States and raised the threat level for all domestic and international flights.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said there was no indication of plotting in the United States but said officials cannot assume that the terror operation in Britain had been completely thwarted.

The administration raised the threat level for flights from Britain to "red," designating a severe risk of terrorist attacks. All other flights, including all domestic flights in the United States, were put under an "orange," alert - one step below the highest level.

The U.S. government banned all liquids and gels from flights, including toothpaste, makeup, suntan lotion. Baby formula and medicines were exempted.

Chertoff said the alleged plot appeared to be engineered by al-Qaida, the terrorist group that carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, attack against the United States.

"It was sophisticated, it had a lot of members and it was international in scope," said Chertoff. "It was in some respects suggestive of an al-Qaida plot."

He added, however, that "because the investigation is still underway we cannot yet form a definitive conclusion."

Chertoff said the plotters were in the final stages of planning before execution. "We were really getting quite close to the execution phase," he said. He said it was unclear whether the alleged plot was linked to the upcoming fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 strikes.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said the operation could "potentially kill hundreds of innocent people." Britain said 21 people had been arrested, including the alleged "main players" in the plot.

FBI Director Robert Mueller also pointed at al-Qaida. "This had the earmarks of an al-Qaida plot," he said.

Chertoff said it envisioned multiple explosions in multiple aircraft.

The new security measures caused long backups and delays at airport security checkpoints throughout the United States and around the world. "We are taking some very serious and inconvenient measures," Chertoff said. He said it was advisable to have more protection and scale it back.

The alleged plot was "as sophisticated as any we have seen in recent years as far as terrorism is concerned," Chertoff said.

Chertoff said there was no indication of any plotting in the United States but the United States was taking step to protect against unseen threats or copycat attacks. "We cannot assume that this threat has been completely thwarted," the secretary said.

"There's sufficient uncertainty as to whether the British have scooped up everybody," Chertoff said.

British authorities said the plan envisioned bringing down a number of aircraft with midflight explosions. Chertoff said the terrorists planned to bring various bomb components in a benign state aboard the planes and combine them once the planes were aloft to create and detonate explosive devices.

Terrorists specifically had targeted United, American and Continental airlines, two U.S. counterterrorism officials said. One said the terrorists had hoped to target flights to major airports in New York, Washington and California, all major summer tourist destinations.

American and United flights were turned into terrorist weapons on Sept. 11, 2001, when they were hijacked and crashed.

Hastily printed signs were posted at major airports warning passengers in red capital letters, "No liquid or gels permitted beyond security."

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."

Officials said the government has been aware of the nature of the threat for several days, and President Bush was fully briefed.

Initial word of the increased U.S. threat level came in an overnight written statement issued by Chertoff.

The plot was not believed to be connected to the Egyptian students who disappeared in the United States more than a week ago before reaching a college they were supposed to attend in Montana. Three of the 11 have since been found and the FBI has said neither they nor the still-missing eight are believed to be a threat.

As part of the foiled Bojinka Plot to blow up 12 Western airliners simultaneously over the Pacific Ocean in the mid-1990s, terrorist mastermind Ramzi Youssef planned to put together an improvised bomb using liquid in a contact lens solution container.

The metal detector and X-ray machines at airport security checkpoints cannot detect such explosives. At many, but not all airport checkpoints, the TSA has deployed walkthrough "sniffer" or "puffer" machines that can detect explosives residue.

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

The Homeland Security Department devised the alert system after the Sept. 11 attacks. The last time the U.S. government raised the terrorist risk here to orange, or high, was in July 2005 after the subway bombings in London. It was lowered to yellow a month later, the elevated risk status that has been the norm since the system was created.

Man tries to force way into Qatari Airways cockpit
associated press, THE JERUSALEM POST    Aug. 10, 2006

An Eritrean man carrying a canister of liquid tried to force his way into the cockpit of a Qatari Airways flight Thursday, screaming at flight attendants before he was restrained, airport officials said.

The plane, en route to Doha, Qatar, from Amman, returned safely to the Jordanian capital. It was not immediately known what liquid was in the canister, security officials at Amman airport said.

The man was detained once the plane landed in the Jordanian capital, and security officials were investigating whether the man had any associates with him on the flight, the officials said.

The incident came hours after Great Britain announced it had foiled a major terror plot to blow up airplanes headed to the United States from London's Heathrow Airport. US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the terrorists planned to use liquid explosives disguised as beverages and other common products and set them off with detonators disguised as electronic devices.

Man tries to force way into Qatari Airways cockpit (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154525848442&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter)

Main suspects in massive plane-bombing plot arrested

British authorities said Thursday they thwarted a terrorist plot to simultaneously blow up several aircraft heading to the U.S. using explosives smuggled in hand luggage, averting what police described as ''mass murder on an
unimaginable scale.''

Police arrested 21 people, saying they were confident they captured the main suspects in what U.S. officials said had the earmarks of an al-Qaida plot.
Officials raised security to its highest level in Britain — suggesting a terrorist attack might be imminent — and banned carry-on luggage on all flights. Huge crowds backed up at security barriers at London’s Heathrow airport as officials searching for explosives barred nearly every form of liquid outside of baby formula.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the terrorists planned to use liquid explosives disguised as beverages and other common products and set them off with detonators disguised as electronic devices.

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 the 21 people were 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 British Broadcasting Corp. said police were evacuating homes in High Wycombe, a town 30 miles northwest of London, near one of the houses being searched. Police refused to confirm the report or to discuss any details of the searches.

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. Blair issued a statement praising the cooperation between the two countries, saying it “underlines the threat we face and our determination to counter it.”

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.
While Snow called the plot a serious threat, he assured Americans that “it is safe to travel.”

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.”

Passengers in Britain faced delays as tighter security was hastily enforced at the country’s airports and additional measures were put in place for all flights. Laptop computers, mobile phones, iPods, and remote controls were among the items banned from being carried on board.
Liquids, such as hair care products, were also barred on flights in both Britain and the U.S.

In the mid-1990s, officials foiled a plan by terrorist mastermind Ramzi Youssef to blow up 12 Western jetliners simultaneously over the Pacific. The alleged plot involved improvised bombs using liquid hidden in contact lens solution containers.
Huge lines formed at ticket counters and behind security barriers at Heathrow and other airports in Britain.

Ed Lappen, 55, a businessman from Boston, who was traveling with his wife and daughter to Russia, found himself unable to travel further. “We’re safe, we’re OK,” he said at Heathrow. “Now my daughter is going to get a shopping trip in London.”

Hannah Pillinger, 24, seemed less concerned by the announcement. “Eight hours without an iPod, that’s the most inconvenient thing,” she said, waiting at the Manchester airport.

Most European carriers canceled flights to Heathrow because of the massive delays created after authorities enforced strict new regulations banning most hand baggage.

Tony Douglas, Heathrow’s managing director, said the airport hoped to resume normal operations Friday, but passengers would still face delays and a ban on cabin baggage “for the foreseeable future.”

“At this point in time it is unclear how long these restrictions will remain in place,” he said.

Security also was stepped up at train stations serving airports across Britain, said British Transport Police spokeswoman Jan O’Neill. At London’s Victoria Station, police patrolled platforms with bomb-sniffing dogs as passengers boarded trains carrying clear plastic bags.

Margaret Gavin, 67, waiting to board a train, said she wasn’t scared. “Why should I change my life because some idiots want to blow something up?” she said.

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

Officials at Frankfurt’s airport, Europe’s second-busiest, Schiphol in Amsterdam and Charles De Gaulle in Paris said Heathrow-bound planes could instead land at their airports if they needed to.

London’s Heathrow airport was the departure point for a devastating terrorist attack on a Pan Am airplane on Dec. 21, 1988. The blast over Lockerbie, Scotland, killed all 259 people aboard Pan Am Flight 103 and 11 people on the ground.
The explosive was hidden in a portable radio secreted in checked baggage.

Bush Says U.S. Still at Risk of Attack

  President Bush said Thursday that a plot to blow up multiple flights between Britain and the United States shows "this nation is at war with Islamic fascists."

"This country is safer than it was prior to 9-11," Bush said from the airport tarmac here where he was appearing at events focused on the economy. "We've taken a lot of measures to protect the American people but obviously we're not completely safe. ... It is a mistake to believe there is no threat to the United States of America."

 The president laid the blame for the foiled attack squarely on al- Qaida-type terrorism.

"This nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation," he said, his remarks carried live on television.

The president urged Americans to be patient with the many inconveniences that will result from the increased threat level that the plot prompted him to approve.

While on vacation at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Bush has been fully informed of the investigations that led to the arrest of 21 people in Britain who are accused of being involved in the plan, which officials said involved explosives smuggled on board flights in hand luggage.

White House press secretary Tony Snow said Bush on Wednesday approved raising threat level for all flights from Britain to red, designating a severe risk of terrorist attacks. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and the Homeland Security Council also recommended that all other flights be put under an orange alert, one step below the highest level, and the president approved that as well.

"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.

The increased security as a result of the new threat level is a necessary inconvenience, he said.

"You can't go overboard when you're trying to save lives," Snow said, speaking to reporters traveling with Bush on Air Force One en route to Wisconsin.

Still, despite what he called the serious nature of the threat, Snow said: "It is safe to travel."

Because Bush had been getting regular briefings on the developments for days, Snow said the president was not awakened overnight as action by British authorities was made public.

He and British Prime Minister Tony Blair held a lengthy teleconference on the matter Sunday and spoke again Wednesday by phone, Snow said.

"There were some signs," Snow said. "They thought it was time to move," he said of British authorities.

After the remarks on the plot, Bush was keeping to his plans to highlight the economy and attend a Republican fundraiser.

"This is an ongoing investigation that will play out over several days and weeks," Snow said. "We will constantly evaluate the nature of the threat and adjust our measures."

New US flight security targets soda, hair gel

Tossing out cans of soda and discarding mascara and hair gel, passengers at U.S. airports on Thursday dealt with tight new security measures prompted by news of a foiled plot to bomb flights to the United States.

The U.S. government raised the security alert on passenger planes to its highest level for the first time, invoking a red or "severe" threat level for commercial flights from Britain.

"I don't like flying on the best of days," said Sophie Bartholomew, 30, traveling with her 9-week-old daughter, Chloe, and her husband, Jason. She was allowed to take baby formula on board but was told by officials at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport that one of the parents might have to taste it.

More police were visible patrolling JFK than usual, some carrying rifles or leading sniffer dogs.

The U.S. Homeland Security Department barred passengers from carrying liquids, including drinks, hair gels and lotions, on planes after officials said the foiled plot involved a liquid chemical device.

"My initial reaction was kind of uncertainty but I figure today was the safest time to fly," said Shannon Miller, a 29-year-old teacher from Boston who was flying to London.

Abraham Levin, 18, also flying to London, discarded a can of Red Bull from his carry-on luggage. "I trust this because it is American security. There are thousands of planes that fly every day so I'm not worried," he said.

Kip Hawley, assistant secretary of Transportation Security Administration, said it normally takes around four weeks to roll out changes to security procedures.

"This one came about in a little bit more than four hours in the middle of last night and so this was a surprise to many of us and as such is difficult to implement," he said.

At Boston's Logan Airport, Stephanie Diaz, 16, of Providence, Rhode Island, said: "I didn't know about all this until I got here. Now I have to throw out all my hair gel."

Cathy White was waiting with her dachshund Ginger to check in to a flight to Colorado: "My granddaughter was desperate to see the dog, so we called last night and they told us it would be OK to take her on the plane. I hope it still is," she said.

At JFK's Delta Air Lines terminal, hundreds of people stood in line at the domestic departure gate. "Now I'll have to buy all new make-up," one woman complained.

Washington's Dulles International Airport was crowded and hectic. "It would have been nice if somebody had told us before we got here," said one male traveler.

At Chicago's O'Hare International Airport trash cans quickly filled with toothpaste, shampoo and lotions. Inspectors hand searched each bag, tossing aside items such as mascara and lip gloss. Screeners made exceptions for baby formula and prescription medications bearing the name of the passenger.

Some passengers expressed resignation.

"At my age you don't worry about much," said Ruth Dewey, 83, from Sleepy Hollow, New York, flying to San Francisco. "I just took out my shampoo and put it with my checked luggage."

U.S. Says Terrorists Planned Dry Run

The terrorist attack foiled by British authorities on Thursday was aimed at blowing up as many as 10 airplanes on trans-Atlantic flights, and plotters had hoped to stage a dry run within two days, U.S. intelligence officials said.

The actual attack would have followed within days.

One official said the suicide attackers planned to use a peroxide-based solution that could ignite when sparked by a camera flash or another electronic device.

The test run was designed to see whether the plotters would be able to smuggle the needed materials aboard the planes, these officials said. They spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject matter.

The details of the alleged plot surfaced as the administration posted a maximum code-red alert for passenger flights from England to the United States and banned liquids from all carry-on bags.

The security upgrade triggered long lines at airports across the country, and governors in at least two states activated National Guard troops to help provide protection.

"This was a well-advanced plan," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told reporters as British authorities announced the arrests of 24 alleged plotters. "In some respects suggestive of an al-Qaida plot."

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said as many as 10 flights had been targeted.

Other officials said they were United, American and Continental Airlines routes from Britain to the major U.S. summer tourist destinations of New York, California and Washington, D.C. These officials declined to provide details on when the plotters intended to strike.

Virginia's deputy homeland security director, Steven Mondul, said that in a morning conference call, federal officials pointed to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport, Los Angeles International and Dulles Airport outside Washington as "major destinations for flights originating from the United Kingdom." No specific warnings were issued for these facilities, he added.

The red alert for flights from Britain was the first since the color-coded warning system was developed in the wake of the 2001 terror attacks. The decision to ban nearly all liquids from passenger cabins was reminiscent of the stringent rules imposed when planes were allowed back in the skies for the first time afterward the Sept. 11 attacks.

"No liquids or gels will be allowed in carry-on baggage," Chertoff said. "There will be exceptions for baby formula and medicines, but travelers must be prepared to present these items for inspection at the checkpoint, and that will allow us to take a look at them and make sure that they're safe to fly."

That meant water containers, soft drinks, coffee cups and more had to be shed by passengers waiting to board their flights.

Women travelers surrendered bottles and jars of creams and lotions from their make-up kits.

At Dulles, one passenger fished a bottle of Tequila from a carry-on bag. It joined the rest of the newly classified contraband in a trash container.

The decision to raise the terror level for flights from Britain to "red" indicated a severe risk of terror attacks. The change requires airlines to provide the government with an advance list of passengers aboard affected flights. Previously, passengers names had to be provided within 15 minutes after take-off.

All other flights to and within the United States were put under an "orange" alert, one step below red, but an escalation from the "yellow" status that had been in effect.

Administration officials sought to reassure the traveling public at the same time they imposed heightened security restrictions.

"Today, air traffic is safe, and air traffic will remain safe precisely because of the measures we are adopting today," Chertoff said.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said President Bush had been briefed in advance of the events, and had approved raising the alert to red on flights from England.

In brief remarks from Green Bay, Wis., the president said the events showed the nation "is at war with Islamic fascists."

Senior lawmakers also received advance word. Several said they had been briefed by Homeland Security or CIA officials as early as Monday.

Word of the plot quickly became grist for the midterm election campaign, with less than 100 days to run.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said events reinforced the need to implement the recommendations of an independent 9/11 commission, a reminder of one of her party's main campaign promises.

In Ohio, Republican chairman Bob Bennett accused the Democrats' senatorial challenger of voting against funds "for the very types of programs that helped the British thwart these vicious attacks."

UK plot resembles
1995 al-Qaida plan
Liquid explosives, timers part of 'Bojinka,'
attempt to bomb 12 airliners over Pacific

The foiled terrorist plot to blow up as many as 10 U.S. airplanes departing the UK using liquid explosives bears striking resemblance to "Operation Bojinka," the failed al-Qaida-financed attack on airliners in 1995 that became a precursor to 9-11, counterterrorism analysts say.

Operation Bojinka – a plot to bomb more than a dozen airliners over the Pacific Ocean simultaneously – was developed in Manila by Ramzi Yousef, a planner of the 1993 World Trade Center attack, and 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, according to Philippines authorities.

The key to the Bojinka plot was the use of liquid chemical bombs and wristwatch timers that could elude airport security.

In the foiled UK scheme, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said today the terrorists planned to use liquid explosives disguised as beverages and other common products and set them off with detonators disguised as electronic devices.

Security has been raised to the highest level in Britain and the United States in the wake of the UK's announcement it had thwarted a plot that, according to U.S. counterterrorism officials, targeted United, American and Continental airlines. British police arrested 21 people, saying they were confident they captured the main suspects.

Counterterrorism analyst Evan Kohlmann, writing in the Counterterrorism Blog, notes one of the detained men in the Bojinka plot, trained commercial pilot Abdel Hakim Murad, described Yousef's plans in detail: "The purpose was to train those Muslim brothers thereat, on using a Casio watch as a timing device, chemical mixtures to compound bombs, and to share his expertise in eluding detection on an airport's x-ray machine, and eventually smuggling [onboard] this liquid chemical bombs."

Murad said "these Egyptians and Algerians ha[ve] no experience on making these bombs and [do] not know the basics of smuggling liquid bombs through the airport."

Eleven years later, Kohlman comments, "we once again return to the same threat to commercial aviation posed by liquid explosives."

"Only now, it would appear that the fabrication of such high-tech terrorist weapons by al-Qaida operatives inside Western Europe is no longer an insurmountable challenge."

National Review writer Andy McCarthy, writing in The Corner weblog, also sees the striking similarities between Bojinka and the newly revealed plot, pointing out that in its final report, the 9-11 Commission said Yousef and Mohammed in 1994 "acquired chemicals and other materials necessary to construct bombs and timers."

The report said the two terrorists also "cased target flights to Hong Kong and Seoul that would have onward legs to the United States."

During the fall of 1994, the 9-11 report said, "Yousef returned to Manila and successfully tested the digital watch timer he had invented, bombing a movie theater and a Philippine Airlines flight en route to Tokyo."

"The plot unraveled after the Philippine authorities discovered Yousef's bomb-making operation in Manila; but by that time, [Mohammed] was safely back at his government job in Qatar. Yousef attempted to follow through on the cargo carriers plan, but he was arrested in Islamabad by Pakistani authorities on February 7, 1995, after an accomplice turned him in."

Tamar Tesler, another analyst for Counterterrorism Blog, recalled being on a flight from Bangkok in 1995 that was turned back to the terminal as a result of the Bojinka plot. The procedures used by authorities at that time resemble the precautions employed today which are contributing to massive delays at airports worldwide.

In the 1995 incident, Tesler said, the security personnel "took us into a room where they told us to empty our carry-ons and confiscated all liquids. Growing mountains of contact lens solution, shaving cream, hand lotion, perfume, toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant filled the room. Some passengers were strip searched behind screens and individuals traveling with babies were made to taste the baby formula before letting them move on."

Huge backups at airports are being reported today as officials searching for explosives prohibit nearly every form of liquid, with the exception of baby formula.

ISLAMICS' AIM: DEMOLISH LONDON
By J. Grant Swank, Jr.
MichNews.com
Aug 10, 2006

Former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu bluntly informed Britain that London is next on the Islamic bomber hit list, per Stan Goodenough of Jerusalem Newswire.

At Sky News TV, Netanyahu set forth that Israel is combating Muslim murderers to save not only Israel but Britain from Islamic fire. Therefore, he reasoned that if Britain were smart, it would not find fault with Israel in the present conflict. Instead, it would bolster Israel against Hezbollah.

"’The big problem, the mother of all problems is Iran [and] the fact that if it arms itself with nuclear weapons it already has the missiles to reach London and soon it will have the missiles to reach the United States.

"’They’re developing those missiles, not because they want to target Israel, they already can, but because they want to target you,’" he explained.

He said that Shiites and Sunnis are killing one another as a prelude to bloodletting throughout the free world for Islam world rule. Israel is the start of the conquest of the rest of the world. Having done in Israel, Islamic killers international will "’turn greedily their eyes toward Europe.’"

He went on: "So unless the West wakes up and realizes that there is a new fascism here, a new Islamic-Hitlerism that threatens the West, it will not wake up in time."

Why then, Netanyahu asked, was Britain displaying condemnation of Israel defending itself? The former Israeli PM could not understand Britain, he said. Seventy-seven percent of Britons polled believe Israel is acting disproportionately in its fight against the Hezbollah.

"’What would you be saying today, what would you ask Tony Blair, the prime minister of Britain, to do today if London was being hit by hundreds and indeed thousands of rockets?

"’You would be screaming your head off, saying, "Get rid of the source of that fire!"’"

He went on to praise Prime Minister Winston Churchill in defending Britain by bombing German cities such as Dresden. "Dresden was wiped out completely," he pointed out.

"Jerusalem Newswire believes that the stubborn and pride-driven insistence of politically-correct, and in many cases anti-Semitic, British journalists and politicians to criticize and condemn Israel for trying to crush Hizb’allah will ultimately help pave the way for a devastating rocket strike on the UK."

ISLAMICS' AIM: DEMOLISH LONDON (http://www.michnews.com/artman/publish/article_13723.shtml)

Muslims sceptical about UK's latest terror alert
London, Aug 11, IRNA

UK Muslims-Terror Alert
The latest alleged terrorist plot in the UK to simultaneously carry out up to 10 simultaneous mid-air explosions on flights to the US has caused both concern and scepticism among the country's Muslim communities.

Muslims, who are already critical of the government's strategy, refer to previous false scares and misinformation, exampled by the supposed ricin poison plot, the mistaken police killing of a Brazilian and the blundered raid in Forest Gate, east London.

Fahad Ansari, of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said that cynicism was caused by many high-profile raids plastered over the press in recent years.

"We have seen it time and time again. It has been hit and miss on too many occasions. It is causing a lot of mass hysteria," Ansari was quoted saying by the Guardian newspaper Friday.

He suggested that the raids could even have been timed to distract attention from criticisms of the government's stance in refusing to call for an immediate ceasefire to the Israeli bloodbath in Lebanon.

"There has been so much pressure on the government, it could be a way of diverting attention away from its policy on the Middle East," Ansari said.

Many Muslim figures have also been critical of the government's response to treat the threat of terrorism as merely a security issue rather than the underlying political causes seen mainly as unjust and unbalanced foreign policies.

Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra of the Muslim Council of Britain also spoke of the scepticism being expressed by the unprecedented security precautions taken at all of the UK's airports after the country was put on its maximum terror alert for the first time on Thursday.

"One youngster said to me this morning, 'look, Tony Blair goes on holiday and the next thing you know they close all the airports'," said Mogra, who is an imam from Leicester, central England.

He suggested the new ban on allowing liquids being taken by passengers on board planes was "making a mockery of the seriousness of the situation."
"The youngsters are trying to laugh it off. Another said that we all know the human body is 75 per cent liquid," the sheikh said.

"People are cynical about the timing and critical about the way this is being done," he said.

Doubts were also raised by Dan Plesch, a research associate at London's Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, who said the "government's response to the real threat of terrorism has only made things worse."
"We need to believe we are being told the truth and that our government is acting in good faith. Unfortunately there is now sufficient reason to be sceptical about who we should entrust our security to," Plesch said in an article for the Guardian Friday.

Former secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, expressed concern that the government and the press was provoking a further backlash again the Muslim community.

"We applaud the action of the police in taking appropriate action to avert a tragedy but what is really required now is to be aware of the appropriate facts on which their action was taken. There is a danger of stigmatising a whole community," Sacranie warned.

"We should not allow certain sections of the media and politicians to use the opportunity to carry out a diatribe against us. We need to know the facts," he said.

But Khurshid Ahmed, a member of the Commission for Racial Equality in Birmingham where some of arrests took place, expressed relief that an attack had been foiled.

"The response here is one of shock that we still find young people actively involved in activities which we would condemn as a society and also a sense of relief that a possible attack has been thwarted," Ahmed said.

Muslim Labour MP Khalid Mahmood, a loyalist to the government, also appealed to local communities to help provide as much extra information as possible to help the police thwart the terrorists.

Muslims sceptical about UK's latest terror alert (http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0608112606191827.htm)

Al-Qaida link to airline bomb plot uncovered

By Jim Caldwell

BRITISH and Pakistani officials yesterday said they had uncovered evidence of an al-Qaida connection to the alleged plot to blow up transatlantic flights.

British officials identified 19 of the suspects accused of planning to blow up US-bound aircraft in what was apparently the biggest terrorist plot to be uncovered since 9/11.

British police have arrested 24 people suspected of involvement in the plot. Three were reportedly converts to Islam. One of the suspects apparently worked at Heathrow Airport.

The identities of 19 were disclosed by the Bank of England as it announced it had frozen their accounts.

Travellers saw shorter lines at airports as flight schedules slowly returned to normal, one day after the disclosure of the alleged conspiracy severely disrupted British air traffic.

However, Tony Douglas, chief executive of the airport operator BAA, said restrictions on hand luggage would remain in force for “some time”.

In Pakistan, officials said they had detained a “key person” in the case, adding they had arrested five Pakistanis and two Britons in the case, including British national Rashid Rauf. He was arrested about a week ago and described as a “key person” with ties to al-Qaida.

“We arrested him in the (Afghanistan-Pakistan) border area and on his disclosure, we shared the information with British authorities, which led to further arrests in Britain,” Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said.

The Guardian newspaper, citing unidentified British government sources, said after the first two arrests were made in Pakistan, a message was sent to Britain telling the plotters: “Do your attacks now.”

Later, a Pakistani intelligence official said 10 Pakistanis had been arrested yesterday in the eastern district of Bhawalpur, 300 miles southwest of Islamabad, in connection with the alleged plot.

Police in Italy arrested 40 people in a security crackdown after the thwarting of the airline plot, the Interior Ministry said, but it did not link them directly to the London case.

British and US investigators said the plotters sought to detonate liquid explosives to bring down as many as 10 planes. The bombs were to be assembled aboard the aircraft, apparently with peroxide-based solution and everyday carry-on items such as a disposable camera or a music player, US law enforcement officials said.

A federal law enforcement official in Washington said at least one martyrdom tape was found during raids across England on Thursday.

According to a senior US official, British Airways was also among the airlines set to be targeted, Time magazine reported, as well as United, Continental and American.

Al-Qaida link to airline bomb plot uncovered (http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=world-qqqm=world-qqqa=world-qqqid=10682-qqqx=1.asp)

Day of terror strikes was planned for August 16
15:03pm 11th August 2006

Terrorists were planning to unleash a series of deadly mid-air explosions on flights between London and America on August 16, it has been revealed today.

Members of the terror group, who were arrested in a series of raids by anti-terror police yesterday, were due to mount a dry run today to check if they could smuggle components for liquid explosives through Britain's airports.

United Airline tickets dated next Wednesday were found by police at the home of one of the raided addresses.

One US intelligence official told today's Evening Standard: "The bombers were a couple of days from a test, and a few days from doing it."

The airlines targeted were United, American and Continental, which fly to New York, Washington and California.

Today the Bank of England named and froze the assets of 19 of the 24 air terror suspects arrested. The bank was acting under the instruction of Chancellor Gordon Brown and on the advice of the police and security services.

It acted under powers granted by the United Nations to tackle the financing of terrorism in the wake of the September 11 2001 attacks. Its action means it is a crime to make their money available without a licence from the Treasury.

The oldest of the named suspects is 35 and the youngest 17. Thirteen of them are from east London - nine from Walthamstow, one from Chingford, one from Leyton, one from the Limehouse and Poplar area and one from Clapton.

Four are from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and the other two are from Birmingham and Stoke Newington, north London.

The imam of Walthamstow mosque, where many of the suspects live, urged the Muslim community to remain calm and assist the police in their inquries. The unnamed imam added: "We'd like to remind people that the suspects are innocent until proven guilty."

Meanwhile, a senior Pakistani government official said today that two British nationals arrested in Pakistan provided information about the alleged UK air terror plot.

The UK remains on a "critical" level of alert against terrorism and air passengers at UK airports are expected to face widespread disruption again today following the introduction of new anti-terrorism measures yesterday including a ban on hand luggage.

The plot, which was described as an attempt to commit "mass murder on an unimaginable scale" by blowing up passenger jet, may have been thwarted just days before it was due to be carried out.

Day of terror strikes was planned for August 16 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=400114&in_page_id=1770&ct=5)

Martyrdom video discovered at residence of one of the suspects

London, Aug. 11 (PTI): A 'martyrdom video' apparently recorded by a would be suicide bomber was found at one of the raided addresses in the UK as police continued to question 24 terrorist suspects linked to the plot to blow up US-bound flights from London. The two dozen people taken into custody are being questioned at Paddington Green high security police station in West London, police said today.

The majority are understood to be young British Asian men of Pakistani descent, many holding dual nationality. But residents in areas where the arrests took place identified at least one man who they said was a white British convert to Islam.

The alleged ringleaders have been under surveillance since last year, security sources said. Mi5, the British intelligence service, has been alerted by suspicious activity during visits to Pakistan.

The plot, which at first was considered too far-fetched, had echoes of an al-Qaeda plan, codenamed Bojinka and discovered in the Philippines in the mid-1990s, to use explosives in bottles in attacks on aircraft, a report in 'The Times' newspaper said today.

A 'martyrdom video' possibly recorded by a would be suicide bomber was found at one of the raided addresses in the UK, it said.

Reports from Pakistani intelligence, suggesting direct involvement of senior Kashmiri militants linked to al-Qaeda, convinced British intelligence that the plot had to be taken seriously, the report said. Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist branch was brought in to the operation last December.

"We have been looking at meetings, movements, travel, spending and the aspirations of a large group of people," said Peter Clarke, Deputy Assistant Commissioner and head of the Anti-Terrorist Branch.

"This has involved close cooperation, not only between agencies and police forces in the UK, but also internationally." A number of events are understood to have convinced the counter-terrorist agencies to act. A telephone call from the alleged plot was intercepted, internet communication increased noticeably and two men under surveillance disappeared off the intelligence radar. However, security sources indicated that the key event - thought to be the transfer of funds - had taken place overseas. "It was very close, and it was too risky to allow the surveillance operation to go on for any longer," one source said.

Assets of 19 of the suspects were frozen and according to reports, several of them had thousands of pounds in their accounts. Some of those detained had been under investigation before for extremist activity.

The newspaper report quoting US sources said substantial sums of money had been wired from Pakistan to two of the alleged ringleaders so that they could purchase airline tickets. One report said they were planning a "dry run".

This may have been the event that triggered the decision to arrest the suspects. Coordinated arrests were also made in Pakistan, including the detention of figures in the militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba.

A biochemist, a Heathrow airport security worker and the son of a former Tory party worker were among the 24 suspects being questioned.

The Tory party worker's son was one of four held in High Wycombe. Neighbours said that he had had a difficult adolescence but had recently married and settled down.

"About six months ago he said he was converting to Islam. He grew a beard and shaved his head," a neighbour told The Times.

Waheed Zaman, a biochemistry student, and Amin Asmin Tariq, a Heathrow security worker, were arrested near Walthamstow dog track after a car chase.

Meetings of the Government's Cobra emergency unit were told that the first wave of bombings was to have targeted five aircraft leaving British airports in the next few days.

The destinations were New York, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles. The plotters are said to have studied the timetables of three US airlines, American, Continental and United.

The newspaper report, quoting security sources, said that a second wave of attacks had been considered, with as many as 12 aircraft to be attacked.

Surveillance on internet traffic between the suspected terrorists indicated that they had considered setting off their devices simultaneously in mid-Atlantic but had also discussed trying to blow up the aircraft as they circled above the destination cities. The aim was to cause maximum death and destruction in the air and on American soil. Paul Stephenson, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, yesterday said: "We are confident that we have disrupted a plan by terrorists to cause untold death and destruction and commit mass murder. This was intended to be mass murder on an unimaginable scale."

US sources said that the main fear of British authorities was that terrorists planned to hide micro-bombs in false bottoms built into opaque energy drink bottles, enabling them to still drink the contents.

The devices may have been liquid explosive but experts said that it was more likely to have been a more stable peroxide material similar to that used in the 7/7 attacks last year.

Martyrdom video discovered at residence of one of the suspects (http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200608111863.htm)

 Target Britain: Wave of attacks planned, say investigators
Terrorists in UK still possess huge arsenal of bombs and weapons. Country remains under 'very severe' threat, security sources warn
By Raymond Whitaker, Paul Lashmar, Sophie Goodchild and Severin Carrell
Published: 13 August 2006

Suspected terrorists were planning to unleash a wave of "apocalyptic" attacks on land and air, using an arsenal of bombs and weaponry, including firearms, investigators have discovered.

Police and intelligence sources have indicated that the alleged plot which was thwarted last week was targeted at the UK, as well as at airliners heading for the US, and could have caused devastating loss of life and destruction on the British mainland. One Whitehall source said "many dozens" of plots were under investigation, involving "hundreds" of suspects.

According to one report last night, al-Qa'ida's leader in Britain could have been held in the raids. But security sources estimate that as many as 1,200 people here are actively involved with terrorism, and that the country is still under "very severe" threat from other potential terrorist plots. This, they added, explained why there were no immediate plans to lower the current national threat assessment from "critical", its highest level.

Last night, 23 people were still being held under terror laws at Paddington Green police station, west London, and other police stations in what has been described as the biggest operation carried out by police to prevent a potential terror attack. Legal sources said that most would be detained for the full 28 days allowed under the terror laws, before being charged. Detectives were preparing for "a long haul", police sources said.

Sources have told The Independent on Sunday that intelligence officers are aware of several active "jihadi" cells around the country ­ including one in east London thought to be unconnected to the suspects arrested last week. Investigators said surveillance in progress since the July 2005 bombings in London had identified the locations of explosives and weapons in quantities sufficient to commit wide-scale atrocities.

The alleged plot uncovered last week was said to involve apparently innocuous home-made liquid explosives being carried on to aircraft, and then turned into bombs using electronic devices such as iPods or cameras. Last night it was reported that police had recovered scores of bottles containing peroxide, a chemical which can be used to make bombs, from a recycling bank in High Wycombe.

The IoS has also learnt that British security officers are to investigate the availability over the internet of so-called binary explosives that can be made easily from two harmless substances. Experts were alarmed to discover that a Canadian company is openly selling an explosive made simply by combining a liquid with a powder in a plastic bottle, and then attaching a detonator.

John Reid, the Home Secretary, told police chief constables yesterday that there was no room for "complacency or self-congratulation". He added: "As I have said all along, no one should be under any illusion that the threat ended with the recent arrests. It didn't."

* The Sunday Telegraph reported that it had uncovered a dossier of " extremist Islamic literature" at London Metropolitan University, one of whose students was arrested last week. Material included documents advocating jihad and a pamphlet on how to deal with approaches from the security services.

Suspected terrorists were planning to unleash a wave of "apocalyptic" attacks on land and air, using an arsenal of bombs and weaponry, including firearms, investigators have discovered.

Police and intelligence sources have indicated that the alleged plot which was thwarted last week was targeted at the UK, as well as at airliners heading for the US, and could have caused devastating loss of life and destruction on the British mainland. One Whitehall source said "many dozens" of plots were under investigation, involving "hundreds" of suspects.

According to one report last night, al-Qa'ida's leader in Britain could have been held in the raids. But security sources estimate that as many as 1,200 people here are actively involved with terrorism, and that the country is still under "very severe" threat from other potential terrorist plots. This, they added, explained why there were no immediate plans to lower the current national threat assessment from "critical", its highest level.

Last night, 23 people were still being held under terror laws at Paddington Green police station, west London, and other police stations in what has been described as the biggest operation carried out by police to prevent a potential terror attack. Legal sources said that most would be detained for the full 28 days allowed under the terror laws, before being charged. Detectives were preparing for "a long haul", police sources said.

Sources have told The Independent on Sunday that intelligence officers are aware of several active "jihadi" cells around the country ­ including one in east London thought to be unconnected to the suspects arrested last week. Investigators said surveillance in progress since the July 2005 bombings in London had identified the locations of explosives and weapons in quantities sufficient to commit wide-scale atrocities.

The alleged plot uncovered last week was said to involve apparently innocuous home-made liquid explosives being carried on to aircraft, and then turned into bombs using electronic devices such as iPods or cameras. Last night it was reported that police had recovered scores of bottles containing peroxide, a chemical which can be used to make bombs, from a recycling bank in High Wycombe.

The IoS has also learnt that British security officers are to investigate the availability over the internet of so-called binary explosives that can be made easily from two harmless substances. Experts were alarmed to discover that a Canadian company is openly selling an explosive made simply by combining a liquid with a powder in a plastic bottle, and then attaching a detonator.

John Reid, the Home Secretary, told police chief constables yesterday that there was no room for "complacency or self-congratulation". He added: "As I have said all along, no one should be under any illusion that the threat ended with the recent arrests. It didn't."

 Target Britain: Wave of attacks planned, say investigators (http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article1218895.ece)