UK foils huge Terror plot

[Mutley]

LONDON, England (CNN) -- British police say they have arrested 21 people and disrupted a plot to blow up planes in mid-flight, prompting authorities to raise the nation's threat level to "critical."

The plot was "intended to be mass murder on an unimaginable scale," Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778575.stm

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/08/10/uk.terror/index.html?section=cnn_topstories
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=1161542006

Jeez! I'm speechless, for some reason I'm still scared, considering I'm flying to France next week.

 

[bbson john]

Hahahahaha. You guys cannot leave your country today. Muhahah

 

[15357]

Go UK goverment...

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

I wasn't flying anytime soon, but its good to know they stopped it. ****ing terroists. **** them all. **** 'em (I'll stop now).

 

[mortiz]

Hm, well that's lucky. It comes just at the time when John Reid (our home secretary) was announcing that we may have to curb some of our personal freedom's in order to "fight terror". Now everyone's reminded of the threat. He even said that we're as exposed to a Terrorist attack as we ever were. I'm just listening to that "don't be afraid, be vigalint" bullshit from him.

 

[Jangle]

They've certainly heightened security now. It was on the news this morning, if you want to take milk for your baby onto the plane, a member of staff has to taste it before you're allowed on.

 

[mortiz]

"It's lactacted breast milk"
"Don't worry about that...mmmmmm"

 

[CrazyJeepDriver]

I just heard about this...
Looks like they foiled another September 11.

 

[RoyaleWithCheese]

Very well done by the British intelligence agencies. Must be a big sigh of relief for all people who were supposed to fly in one of those intercontinental flights..

 

[Kangy]

And I overslept it all!

 

[mortiz]

haha, I was just watching the news and two Middle-Eastern looking gentlemen were in the background and everyone was looking around as if to say "OMFGLOL TERRORISTS!!!!111". If I was an Arab I'd put on the biggest Turban I could find, a fake beard, head on down to the airport and just wander around.

 

[Laivasse]

Hah, my friend is flying to the states tomorrow - supposedly. I wonder what's going to happen? Surely they can't afford to restrict the flights for too long.

Hm, well that's lucky. It comes just at the time when John Reid (our home secretary) was announcing that we may have to curb some of our personal freedom's in order to "fight terror". Now everyone's reminded of the threat. He even said that we're as exposed to a Terrorist attack as we ever were. I'm just listening to that "don't be afraid, be vigalint" bullshit from him.

Yeah, I have to agree with this. This worries me. Reid is a total scumbag. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he cynically timed his speech yesterday to coincide with a counter-terrorist operation which he knew was in the near future, in order to vindicate himself and get bragging rights. He's gone as far as to say we haven't been in as much danger since WW2, which I find patently ridiculous. Similarly you'll notice that they've used the words 'unimaginable' and 'unprecedented' to describe the danger posed by this threat, which seems to imply that it would have been bigger even than 9/11 in terms of casualties - however when asked if that's what they meant, Reid and the police representatives replied that no, that's not what they meant But that's the meaning most people will take, regardless of what was said afterwards.

Well done to the security service for catching this. But this is not going to be at all good for the current draconian, scaremongering state of this country.

 

[Rossell]

21 people - 21 planes x 250 people not counting ground casualties.

Bigger then 9/11, yes.

 

[Laivasse]

21 people - 21 planes x 250 people not counting ground casualties.

Bigger then 9/11, yes.

No, stop being so damn sensationalist and listen to the news reports. Apparently the amount of planes that would have been involved would have been 'up to 9'.

A guy on the news just tried to say it would have been 'bigger than 9/11' but only in the sense that it would have involved more planes, and occurred over consecutive days apparently, and so created potentially bigger disruption.

 

[Javert]

Damn. I have buddies wanting to travel out of Britain to Europe over the weekend. It'll be alot harder now.

They have yet to confirm if it was Al Qaeda, but it looks like it.

 

[Varg|Hund]

..it's kinda depressing to note that everyone goes "OMG WTFLOLZ11!!oneone!" when a few hundred civilian Europeans nearly die because of a terrorist attack, but hardly anyone reacts when Israeli state terrorism kills countless innocent Palestinians and Libanese every day..

(I don't mean to belittle this incident of course, it's horrible. But things of the same scale happen in the middle east pretty much every day..)

 

[Kangy]

Still, 9x 250 is pretty horrific, I'm really glad this was stopped.

 

[Kangy]

..it's kinda depressing to note that everyone goes "OMG WTFLOLZ11!!oneone!" when a few hundred civilian Europeans nearly die because of a terrorist attack, but hardly anyone reacts when Israeli state terrorism kills countless innocent Palestinians and Libanese every day..

(I don't mean to belittle this incident of course, it's horrible. But things of the same scale happen in the middle east pretty much every day..)

Oh come on, that's not the discussion at all. No need to bring such stuff into this topic.

 

[Laivasse]

..it's kinda depressing to note that everyone goes "OMG WTFLOLZ11!!oneone!" when a few hundred civilian Europeans nearly die because of a terrorist attack, but hardly anyone reacts when Israeli state terrorism kills countless innocent Palestinians and Libanese every day..

(I don't mean to belittle this incident of course, it's horrible. But things of the same scale happen in the middle east pretty much every day..)

Still, 9x 250 is pretty horrific, I'm really glad this was stopped.

I think you can hold both these points of view...I know I do.

 

[Icarusintel]

London's too lenient with who they allow in the country, extremist clerics being a goiod example. Thank god their intelligence, along with some US help, was enough to catch this in time.

 

[Korgoth]

Good news is, with all this going on, they aren't reporting about israel/lebanon, so we all just forget... yes... just forget.

 

[VictimOfScience]

Wow. That's so weird. Just yesterday I got a new haircut because I was sick of putting crap (gel) in my hair and today its disallowed from flights!*
.
.
.
.
*This is not a joke. I really did get a haircut yesterday and have gone to work without gel for the first time in years!

Seriously though, I am extremely glad they caught these guys before anything blew up. Everyone criticizes the methods that governments have been using of late to stay one step ahead of these criminals, but I for one am glad they are doing what they are doing because it seems to be working.

 

[Gunner]

GG Mi7.

 

[Kangy]

I think you can hold both these points of view...I know I do.

I never said you couldn't. I said you shouldn't be arguing that view in here.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

Hopefully all the main players have been apprenhended (as they say they have been) and the matter is done for now.

 

[gick]

Well done British Intelligence.

I'm still scared though D:

 

[VictimOfScience]

Here is what the always reliable and extremely insightful analysts at STRATFOR had to say about it this morning:

There are four takeaway lessons from this incident:

First, while there obviously remains a threat from those not only sympathetic to al Qaeda, but actually participating in planning with those in the al Qaeda apex leadership, their ability to launch successful attacks outside of the Middle East is severely degraded.

Second, if the cell truly does have 50 people and 21 have already been detained, then al Qaeda might have lost its ability to operate below the radar of Western -- or at least U.K. -- intelligence agencies. Al Qaeda's defining characteristic has always been its ability to maintain operational security. If that has been compromised, then al Qaeda's importance as a force has diminished greatly.

Third, though further attacks could occur, it appears al Qaeda has lost the ability to alter the political decision-making of its targets. The Sept. 11 attack changed the world. The Madrid train attacks changed a government. This failed airliner attack only succeeded in closing an airport temporarily.

Fourth, the vanguard of militant Islam appears to have passed from Sunni/Wahhabi al Qaeda to Shiite Iran and Hezbollah. It is Iran that is shaping Western policies on the Middle East, and Hezbollah who is directly engaged with Israel. Al Qaeda, in contrast, appears unable to do significantly more than issue snazzy videos.

This shift will obviously refocus Western -- and particularly U.S. -- foreign policy from the old threat to the new threat.

The "snazzy videos" comment is hilarious and seemingly quite true! (Thankfully!)

 

[PvtRyan]

I bet 007 killed all the terrorists while making love to some Russian chick.

 

[Raziaar]

Good job Bond.

 

[Gunner]

I just realized that my poor mom is flying from paris to washington today, her flight will probably be delayed a dozen times and the security lines will take forever...

DHS Jerkoff said that all liquid and gel cannot be stored in carry-on luggage anymore.

Toothpaste, shampoo, hair gel, drinks etc...

 

[Zeus]

Man this is serious news..(good news) though.

 

[<RJMC>]

I hav one questiong

the terrorist planned the planed for the 11 of this month?

cuz I am not sure but didnt you notice that various terrorist incidents where in a 11?the uk metro bombing was in a 11?and the spain train too? and the train in india?

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

The UK tube bombing was on July 7th.

 

[Raziaar]

Their calendars were wrong that time.


But seriously though, I don't know the actual dates the other events took place that RJMC was talking about. Anybody know?

 

[gick]

Yep, Madrid bombings and the Indian bombings were both on the 11th of the month. From what I can gather though, these airline attacks werent specifically planned for tomorrow, but within a few weeks.

 

[>>FrEnZy<<]

for some reason this looks like a major pr stunt that's just instilling fear into the british people to me.

 

[Maxi]

for some reason this looks like a major pr stunt that's just instilling fear into the british people to me.

QFE

 

[Mutley]

Still, 9x 250 is pretty horrific, I'm really glad this was stopped.

Any number of civilian people killed by terrorists is horrific.

 

[VictimOfScience]

for some reason this looks like a major pr stunt that's just instilling fear into the british people to me.

Of course someone will always say that, but isn't it better than a huge attack resulting in many many deaths to instill more fear and "justify" a greater reduction in your personal liberties?

 

[Ome_Vince]

holy shit, i have to fly to Heathrow soon :O
Thats going to be some ****ing big line of checking and delay.

Thanks alot terrorist assholes.