Terror Plot Foiled

[Devastator]

From: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/britain_t...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Airline plot involved liquid explosives
By DANICA KIRKA, Associated Press Writer

LONDON - "British authorities said Thursday they thwarted a terrorist plot to simultaneously blow up several aircraft heading to the United States using explosives smuggled in carry-on luggage. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the terrorists planned to use liquid explosives disguised as beverages and other common products and detonators disguised as electronic devices.

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 and banned carry-on luggage on all trans-Atlantic flights. Huge crowds formed at security barriers at London's Heathrow airport as officials searching for explosives barred nearly every form of liquid outside of baby formula.

The extreme measures at a major international aviation hub sent ripples throughout the world. Heathrow was closed to most flights from Europe, and British Airways canceled all its flights between the airport and points in Britain, Europe and Libya. Numerous flights from U.S. cities to Britain were canceled.

Washington raised its threat alert to its highest level for commercial flights from Britain to the United States amid fears the plot had not been completely crushed. The alert for all flights coming or going from the United States was also raised slightly.

Two U.S. counterterrorism officials said the terrorists had targeted United Airlines, American Airlines and Continental Airlines. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

A U.S. intelligence official said the plotters had hoped to target flights to major airports in New York, Washington and California.

British Home Secretary John Reid said 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.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush also had been briefed by his aides while at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he has been on vacation.

"We do believe the plot involved flights from the U.K. to the U.S. and was a direct threat to the United States," Snow said.

Chertoff, the homeland security chief, said the plot had the hallmarks of an operation planned by al-Qaida, the terrorist group behind the Sept. 11 attack on the United States.

"It was sophisticated, it had a lot of members and it was international in scope. It was in some respects suggestive of an al-Qaida plot," Chertoff said, but he cautioned it was too early in the investigation to reach any conclusions.

It is the first time the red alert level in the Homeland Security warning system has been invoked, although there have been brief periods in the past when the orange level was applied. Homeland Security defines the red alert as designating a "severe risk of terrorist attacks."

"We believe that these arrests (in London) have significantly disrupted the threat, but we cannot be sure that the threat has been entirely eliminated or the plot completely thwarted," Chertoff said.

He added, however, there was no indication of current plots within the United States.

Chertoff said the plotters were in the final stages of planning. "We were really getting quite close to the execution phase," he said, adding that it was unclear if the plot was linked to the upcoming fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

A senior U.S. counterterrorism official said authorities believe dozens of people — possibly as many as 50 — were involved in the plot. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

The plan involved airline passengers hiding masked explosives in carry-on luggage, the official said. "They were not yet sitting on an airplane," but were very close to traveling, the official said, calling the plot "the real deal."

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.

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".

Thank God they were able to prevent a possible part 2 of 9-11. NAIA has already heightened alert because of this.

[chua_riwap]

Buti na lang naagapan, kundi marami na naman ang mamamatay dito.

Galing talaga ng intelligence ng UK.

Sana ganiyan din NBI at ISAFP natin.........

[RedHorse]

naka-tsamba din naman tayo noong Pope John Paul visit...

nahuli yong partner ni Yousef (PAL bombing, cebu to japan)

razon even told US authorities (on tv) at pinagtawanan lang ng bbc (I saw it) yong planes being hijacked ang crashed to buildings...

the sad part: yong female police officer, na first on the scene sa motel, never got the pot money pala, kasi sya ay INC... maybe mga top brass ng catholic church ang humarang (my speculation). A gma docu program, showed her poor state of health, na stroke na pala, her claims were not heard.

[Monseratto]

I wonder how the liquid explosives will be activated. Do they mix it and blow-up onboard after smuggling them in, or are they supposed to blow after reaching a certain altitude?

[mazdamazda]

I wonder how the liquid explosives will be activated. Do they mix it and blow-up onboard after smuggling them in, or are they supposed to blow after reaching a certain altitude?

me thinks that it might be c4 / nitroglycerine / etc. concealed in toothpaste tubes or something. put in a wire then detonate!

[cardo]

buti na lang nakabalik na kami mg misis ko. pahirapan nanaman ito sa business traveler. how will laptops now be transported kung hindi na pede handcarry? kapag i-checkin mo yun laptop, you are putting at risk information security kase baka nakawin yun laptop at lalo na yun info on the laptop. not to mention the damage it might cause pag naka check-in yun laptop.

and the security checks, man! this will be so frustrating again. the long lines, the random checks, the suspicion so kung 2 hours na naka-alot prior to the departure time... ngayon baka 3-4 hours na.

haayyy... its just not ideal to travel these days imagine not being able to brush your teeth if you have a 14 hours flight? factor in the long waiting hours... haha. dugyut yun feeling pag traveling from PH to the US or europe.

but I understand the need of this. so its ok for me I guess.

[nicolodeon]

There are unconfirmed reports that the UK is planning to ban any carry-on luggaes on all incoming and outgoing flights. Frankly, I think this is BS and overkill. I mean, what if you have an infant with you on the flight? The baby would need his/her milk. What if you have some sort of ailment that you would need to take some medicine while in mid-flight?

As far as the security checks goes, I'm used to it - long lines, security people asking me to remove my shoes, my socks, my belt, my watch and my jacket. I don't mind taking off my pants just as long as them security folks won't shocked with my Spongebob boxers. Three months ago, there was a fellow (an Italian I think) that was ahead of me at the security queue of NAIA. To cut the long story short, when he was asked to remove his shoes, socks and stuff, he went the extra mile: he removed all of his clothing except his blue boxersand his undershirt. This is a true story. When asked by the security personnel of NAIA on why did he practically strip, he said that he just got fed up with all those security stuff that airport security asks passengers to do.

With the escalation of this security threats on airlines, I won't be surprised when there would come a time when airline passengers won't be allowed to bring anything with them. Need clothes? Go buy a bunch when you land in Paris.

I'm not criticizing. I understand the need and I understand the reasons. It's just that being a frequent air traveller due to work, this new security stuff is another thing that I would have to grudgingly respect and follow.

[mazdamazda]

Nic... some UK airlines are already doing that... banning all carry-on luggage (except for baby formula).

Though security officials are still worried about baby formula since receiving reports about "cyrstallized" bomb ingredients being feasible already.

[nicolodeon]

Yep, I know but I think UK is thinking of banning any carry on luggage for any incoming and outgoing flights for all carriers using Heathrow or any major airport in the UK. Like I said, I understand the need....


....pero por dios por santo naman, huwag naman nilang ipagbawal ang pag-dala ng anti-aging cream kwoh. Ahahay! :flower:

[RedHorse]

pwede naman daw handcarry ang solid food/liquid for infants.... just have to eat/drink some of it infront of the security personel..

[CVT]

Nic... some UK airlines are already doing that... banning all carry-on luggage (except for baby formula).

Though security officials are still worried about baby formula since receiving reports about "cyrstallized" bomb ingredients being feasible already.

Oo nga, ako hanggang ngayon tanggal sapatos, cellphone, sinturon, relo, wallet kaagad, at lagay sa handcarry bag(except sapatos) bago pumasok sa dami ng inspections.

4X na ako na-sampolan for body and handcarry searches. Hirap talaga. Abala, pero security procedures so have to go through it. Pero, this latest thing will surely make it a lot more inconvenient for us.

For as long as the plane is safe, ok lang ako. This is really scary!

[bender]

Since the methods used are the same with the Cebu bombing wherein a Pakistani bomber used ordinary household chemicals and item to make a bomb, this plot was something that was bound to happen. I was able to catch the Air Crash Investigations episode in the National geographic channel about the Cebu bombing. The funny thing is that a few days after it aired locally, i read an article that NAIA was prohibiting people from bringing in contact lens solutions in carry on baggage. The Cebu bombing incident happened over ten years ago is the government institution only acts on it now because of a tv show?
This incident illustrates one of the major problems of our society. We don't try to learn from our mistakes and apply corrective actions to prevent it from happening in the future. We really need to shame or apply pressure on our bureaucrats or politicians before they act on something that is part of their job. I have to do the same thing to some of my staff as well.

[slamtaz]

it's good that they've thwarted this attempt and i hope there are no other cluster attempts linked to this plot.. i have been travelling quite a lot too and i've always accepted the additional security measures, no matter what, coz i believe it's better to arrive alive

[Monseratto]

"A senior congressional source said it is believed the plotters planned to mix a British sports drink with a gel-like substance to make a potent explosive that could be ignited with an MP3 player or cell phone.

The sports drink could be combined with a peroxide-based paste to form a potent "explosive cocktail," if properly done, said a U.S. counterterrorism official.

"There are strong reasons to believe the materials in a beverage like that could have been part of the formula," the official said."


Hmmm...
Ano ata to? Lipovitan? Red Bull? Gatorade?

[mfo]

Muntikan na namn magkaroon ng 9/11 or Worst Thank God

[Karding]

This plot was tested in the Philippines in 1994 by Yousef. buti hindi pa perfected ang plot kaya naka-land pa ng safe yung PAL.

Saturday, December 10, 1994
A man claiming to represent a Philippine Moslem rebel group said it was responsible for the bombing of a Philippine Airlines plane on a flight to Japan that killed one person. "We are Abu Sayyaf Group. We explode one plane from Cebu."
© Reuters

The bomb

US prosecutors said the device was a "Mark II" "microbomb" constructed using Casio digital watches as described in Phase I of Operation Bojinka of which this was a test. On Flight 434, Yousef used one tenth of the explosive power he planned to use on eleven U.S. airliners in January of 1995. The bomb was designed to slip through airport security checks undetected. The explosive used was liquid nitroglycerin, which was disguised as a bottle of contact lens fluid. The wires he used were hidden in the heel of his shoe. At that time, metal detectors used in airports did not go down far enough to detect anything there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philipp...nes_Flight_434

[theveed]

Eto galing sa office namin hehe

All travelers on commercial U.S. carriers and on all flights into the U.S., please be advised of the following changes to airport screening procedures:

--NO LIQUIDS OR GELS OF ANY KIND WILL BE PERMITTED IN CARRY ON BAGGAGE. ITEMS MUST BE IN CHECKED BAGGAGE. This includes all beverages, shampoo, sun tan lotion, creams, tooth paste, hair gel, and other items of similar consistency.
Exception: Baby formula and medicines must be presented for inspection at the checkpoint.

--Beverages purchased in the boarding area (beyond the checkpoint) must be consumed before boarding because they will not be permitted on board the aircraft.

--Passengers traveling from the U.K. to the U.S. will be subject to a more extensive screening process.

[sean jedi]

Hmmm...
Ano ata to? Lipovitan? Red Bull? Gatorade?

drink yata na may ELECTROLYTES:juice:

[boybi]

affected din kaya yung mga non-UK & US flights?

[RedHorse]

This plot was tested in the Philippines in 1994 by Yousef. buti hindi pa perfected ang plot kaya naka-land pa ng safe yung PAL.

perfect yata ang bomb design.. swerte lang ang PAL, atras yata ng mga 2 seats ang fuel tank ng particular boeing na yon sa standard configuration...at yong bomba, exploded along the fuselage, kung sideways ibang istorya nangyari..