Bernama : Terror Plot Foiled, 7 Arrested In Pakistan

Terror Plot Foiled, 7 Arrested In Pakistan

Bernama | August 11, 2006

LONDON -- A suspected Al Qaeda plot with strong Pakistani connection to blow up as many as 10 civilian airliners flying from the UK to US was foiled Thursday with the arrest of 21 people in the UK and seven in Karachi, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported Friday.

Pakistan Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam said from Islamabad that "arrests have been made after exchange of information between the governments" of Britain and Pakistan.

She, however, did not specifiy how many arrests were made and where.

Informed sources said seven persons were arrested in Karachi.

Aslam said Pakistan intelligence agencies had tipped off their British counterparts that resulted in averting the disaster.

"The bombing plot was foiled after exchange of information between the two countries," she said.

The plot, that triggered a worldwide security alert and chaos at airports, envisaged using explosives smuggled into the planes in handbags.

British police arrested 21 people, all British citizens with many believed to be of Pakistani origin, in London, Birmingham and Thames Valley in overnight raids.

The US said the plan was "suggestive" of an Al Qaeda plot and issued its highest ever terror alert for commerical flights from Britain besides banning all liquids and gels from aircraft.

British security officials suspected that during flights some liquid explosives could be mixed into a lethal concoction and said the terrorists had planned simultaneous attacks on US-bound aircraft. Reports from the US said the flights were destined for Washington, New York and California.

The plot was "very significant" and was designed to "bring down a number of aircraft through mid-flight explosions, causing a considerable loss of life", British Home Secretary John Reid said.

Reid said the scale of the terror plot was potentially bigger than the Sept 11 attacks in the US. "Had this plot been carried out, the loss of life of innocent civilians would have been on an unprecedented scale."

British Intelligence agency M15 said the current threat level was critical -- the highest possible-- meaning "an attack is expected and indicates an extremely high level of threat to the UK".

Security has been intensified in airports across the world, which led to chaos and delay of many flights.

US President George W. Bush said from Wisconsin that the foiling of the plot showed that the US was still in war with "Islamic fascists" and vowed to protect his country from terrorists.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, vacationing in Barbados, said there was "enormous amount of cooperation" between Britain and the US in thwarting the airline bomb plot.

"I would like to pay tribute to the immense effort made by the police and security services who for a long period of time have tracked this situation and been involved in an extraordinary amount of hard work," Blair said.

-- BERNAMA