The Observer : US pushed MI5 into airport terror swoop

US pushed MI5 into airport terror swoop

Fight over suspect in Pakistan revealed as Musharraf quashes terror claims

Jamie Doward and Mark Townsend | October 1, 2006

The US warned Britain that it was prepared to seize the key suspect in the UK's biggest ever anti-terrorism operation and fly him to a secret detention centre for interrogation by American agents, even if this meant riding roughshod over its closest ally, The Observer can reveal.

American intelligence agents told their British counterparts they were ready to 'render' Rashid Rauf, a British citizen allegedly linked to al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and who was under surveillance in Pakistan, unless he was picked up immediately. Rauf is the key suspect in the alleged plot to detonate explosives on up to 10 transatlantic planes that was exposed in August and, according to the police, would have brought 'mass murder on an unimaginable scale'.

The Americans' demand for Rauf's quick arrest dismayed the British intelligence services, which were worried that it could prompt terrorist cells in the UK working on separate plots to bring forward their plans or go underground. In the weeks preceding his arrest it is understood that MI5 and MI6 discussed with their US counterparts the best way to dismantle the alleged plot. Britain wanted more time to monitor Rauf, but the US was adamant that Rauf should be arrested immediately.

The revelation casts new light on the nature of America's relationship with Britain in the war on terrorism and provides further evidence of its suspicions that Pakistan was not fully committed in the war against al-Qaeda.

It comes as Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, today launches a fierce defence of claims that his country has fuelled Islamic terrorism and attacks Britain for failing to integrate Muslims into its society.

US intelligence has harboured fears for many years that Pakistan's intelligence service, the ISI, has not done enough to combat al-Qaeda and as a result was worried it would allow Rauf to flee. But the British intelligence agencies were concerned that seizing Rauf too soon would compromise further investigations. Although there were allegedly significant amounts of wire-tap evidence, this could not be made use of in a British court, so a decision was taken to continue with Rauf's surveillance.

However, a senior intelligence source has told The Observer that US agents had agreed on a plan to seize Rauf and fly him to an interrogation centre at a secret location if he remained at large.

Immediately following the US's veiled ultimatum that MI6 should 'lift' Rauf, which was communicated to ISI, he was arrested by Pakistani intelligence officials, a move that forced the British police to carry out a series of arrests as they looked to pick up those allegedly linked to him. Rauf's father, Abdel, was arrested in Pakistan. Rauf's brother, Tayib, from Birmingham, was arrested and later released without charge.

The intelligence source said the alleged plot had not been at the advanced planning stage.

Rauf remains in custody in Pakistan. Britain is now looking to extradite him in connection with the murder of his uncle in Birmingham in 2002.

Tellingly, although Britain's Home Secretary, John Reid, was full of praise for the part played by Pakistan in uncovering the alleged plot, the US did not pay tribute to the country's role.

American concerns about Pakistan's role in the war on terror were echoed last week. A leaked document from a Ministry of Defence think-tank, the Defence Academy, suggested that Pakistan was sabotaging British efforts in Afghanistan. The report blamed the ISI for 'indirectly supporting terrorism and extremism, whether in London on 7/7 or in Afghanistan or Iraq'.

Today, Musharraf uses an interview on ITV's Sunday Edition to fiercely reject claims the 7/7 bombers were indoctrinated in his country. 'The main problem is here in your society, which is allowing these youngsters to be indoctrinated and then attack you through suicide bombs,' Musharraf tells the programme.

Musharraf also says he believes Osama bin Laden could be hiding in Pakistan but rules out US forces being allowed to enter the country to hunt for him. 'We are in the hunt for Osama together,' Musharraf says. 'When we locate him, we'll hunt him down.'

Separately, it has emerged that a senior government official has joined a growing list of experts to warn the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have exacerbated the threat from Islamic terrorism.

David Richmond, the director general of Defence and Intelligence at the Foreign Office, states in a paper for the Royal United Services Institute that concerns over foreign policy are used by al-Qaeda to justify attacks and have helped terrorist cells to recruit. According to Richmond, misgivings over foreign policy among elements of the Muslim community are 'exploited by al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups to justify terrorism and ... propagate their message and seek new recruits'.