London, August 10:
British authorities said today they had thwarted a terrorist plot to simultaneously blow up several aircraft flying to the United States using explosives smuggled in hand luggage, averting what police described as “mass murder on an unimaginable scale.”
Police arrested 21 people, and were confident they had captured the main suspects in the alleged plot that US authorities said bore the hallmarks of an Al-Qaeda plan. President George Bush said the US was “at war with Islamic fascists.” Officials raised security to its highest level — warning a terrorist attack might be imminent- - and banned hand-carried luggage on all flights. Huge crowds formed at security barriers as officials searching for explosives barred nearly every form of liquid except baby formula.
“This was to be a simultaneous attack on multiple targets, targeting US-bound aircraft,” police said.
Heathrow airport was closed to most flights from Europe, and British Airways cancelled all flights between the airport and points in Britain, Europe and Libya.
The US government, fearing the plot had not been completely crushed, raised its threat assessment to its highest level for commercial flights from Britain to the US.
“We are confident that we prevented an attempt to commit mass murder on an unimaginable scale,” London’s deputy police commissioner Paul Stephenson said.
Police raided homes in London, its suburbs and in Birmingham Searches continued in several locations.
The BBC reported that police were evacuating homes in High Wycombe, 45 km northwest of London, near one of the homes being searched. BBC showed video of a house where police officers were visible.
Police refused to confirm the report or give details of the continuing searches.
The suspects were “homegrown,” though it was not immediately clear if they were British citizens, police said, adding that authorities were working with the South Asian community.
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said the suspects “appear to be of Pakistani origin.” Sarkozy said Paris had been in close contact with British authorities, but he did not give a precise source for his information.
Prime Minister Tony Blair briefed Bush on the situation and issued a statement praising the British-US cooperation. Security was stepped up at train stations serving airports across the country, a British Transport Police spokeswoman said.
2006-08-11
02:57:55
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