Heathrow airport terror plot foiled.

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10/08/2006, 12:29 PM
osarusan

Police at Heathrow have disrupted a plot to blow up airplanes in mid-air. The plot, which was focused on trans-Atlantic flights, involved passengers, after take-off, meeting and combining liquid substances to create explosive substances. As a result Heathrow has basically been closed, and severe boarding restrictions have been put in place.

I watched the British press conference involving Reid, the head of the Met Police, and the head of Scotland Yard. Very calm, and smooth, didnt mention any names, just asked for vigilance and patience.

Then on the US press cenference, which I am watching now, Chertoff and Alberto Gonzalez can only talk about Al-Qaeda, along the lines of "It looks like the work of Al-Qaeda, but of course we cant be sure, but we think it is". And all the press wanted was for them to announce a link between the two.

Anyway, scary stuff. I am always a bit suspicious when these "threats" occur in the USA, when we cant be given the details "for our own protection", but when the British police react like this, it has more credibility.
10/08/2006, 12:39 PM
beautifulrock

Quote:

Originally Posted by osarusan

Anyway, scary stuff. I am always a bit suspicious when these "threats" occur in the USA, when we cant be given the details "for our own protection", but when the British police react like this, it has more credibility.

Not even sure about the UK police these days remember the Forest Hill situation a couple of months back. Police and intelligence should never be used in the same sentenace.
10/08/2006, 12:51 PM
pineapple stu

I see Aertel were talking about Aer Lingus reducing flights into Heathrow because of this -

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aertel

The British Airports Authority has asked that all in-bound flights from Europe into London's Heathrow Airport should be cancelled temporarily.

18 Aer Lingus flights between Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports and Heathrow have been cancelled. More than 3,000 passengers have been affected.

Six flights to the UK from Cork Airport have been cancelled so far today. These included four Aer Lingus flights to and from Heathrow and two EasyJet flights to Gatwick.

Ryanair says 47 of its flights from Stansted to Ireland have been cancelled.

Anyone hear how long this is likely to last? I'm flying into Heathrow next month en route to the Germany game...! I assume it'd be sorted out by then? Hate to be so selfish in terms like this, but still!
10/08/2006, 1:09 PM
osarusan

According to CNN, it seems that a lot of the new procedures - which basically include almost no carry-on luggage allowed, and even then only when enclosed in clear plastic bags, and no liquids apart from baby formula (which must be tested before boarding) - are here to stay.

Expect lines at the airport to get even longer.
10/08/2006, 1:17 PM
Dodge

And O'Leary has stopped charging for stored baggage too. You know its bug when something makes him change.

Seems a whole lot of bluff from what I've read. Very sparse detail
10/08/2006, 1:41 PM
dahamsta

That's what I thought too. I was surprised to see such speculative reporting at the BBC. It's the kind of thing I expect from Murdoch's mouthpieces, not the Beeb.
10/08/2006, 2:21 PM
BohsPartisan

They "plotters" will probably turn out to be Brazillians on holiday who looked too foreign.
10/08/2006, 3:05 PM
beautifulrock

Agreed, will be interesting to see how many of the 21 are released without charge over the next few days. It certainly diverts attention from "other" things happenning in the world or am I too cynical thesse days
10/08/2006, 4:36 PM
paul_oshea

deflection from what is happening in lebanon perhaps?

anyway i live over here and am flying in a tin box to america, air india that is, so i will be wary when flying.

anyhow if it blows up and im not around anymore on here ye know i was on the flight!!!
10/08/2006, 4:58 PM
slow2anger

Remember now you can't even bring a newspaper/magazine/book on a flight. This is because the biggest security threat comes from potential paper cuts from these items...................:p

Looking forward to BMI to Dublin next Wednesday morning at 7am for the match........might just make kick off!!:(
10/08/2006, 5:21 PM
dancinpants

Lads, lads, lads....don't overlook the fact that there are mid-term elections around the corner over here in the states. Because of this there should also be an impecably timed Bin Laden video comin' out soon too. The neo-cons need the "national security stick" to beat the Dems with come November.
10/08/2006, 5:42 PM
Pauro 76

getting a flight from Luton to Dublin 6.30am tomorrow morning. not sure if thats going to be affected but it could be Heathrow, could be a lot worse.... the queue is going to be mental dammit....
10/08/2006, 7:03 PM
slow2anger

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAURO 7

getting a flight from Luton to Dublin 6.30am tomorrow morning. not sure if thats going to be affected but it could be Heathrow, could be a lot worse.... the queue is going to be mental dammit....

Check in online and bring nothing!
10/08/2006, 7:08 PM
slow2anger

Quote:

Originally Posted by dancinpants

Lads, lads, lads....don't overlook the fact that there are mid-term elections around the corner over here in the states. Because of this there should also be an impecably timed Bin Laden video comin' out soon too. The neo-cons need the "national security stick" to beat the Dems with come November.

Could also have been spin to keep "John Terry named England captain" off the front pages/news reports, lol. :D
11/08/2006, 2:20 AM
bennocelt

Quote:

Originally Posted by slow2anger

Could also have been spin to keep "John Terry named England captain" off the front pages/news reports, lol. :D

my brother just managed to arrive home today from london luton.....jesus
fuuny he bumped into the Inter milan team and was chatting to mancini and the boys....whereever they were going
11/08/2006, 8:20 AM
Kingdom

I'd never claim to be a buff on all things political, but this all seems far too breezy for me. Unless I've missed something, there has been absolutely no proof of any threat. If there is a threat all well and good and if the British Police/Intelligence are ahead of the game then well done, but when this was announced the first thing I found myself asking was "When is Bush finishing up? The Republicans must need to keep the US public racked with fear" . Nothing would surprise me and this morning must have been the 1st time in a month that the Lebanon situation wasn't the headline news.
11/08/2006, 9:24 AM
Pauro 76

Quote:

Originally Posted by slow2anger

Check in online and bring nothing!

Funnily enough I tried that. You could have checked online for any Ryanair flight apart from the flights from London last night (inc. Luton) Got into Dublin about 90 mins later than planned this mornnig, was all set to get the ferry over this morning instead of being possibly stranded, but made it ok. Security beefed up a lot, it ****ed me off you couldnt bring even a newspaper or bottle of water on the plane, and being frisked twice was a bit much. Even young kids were frisked! but so long as we're all safe at the end of the day...
11/08/2006, 11:10 AM
Vitruvian Man

I don’t want to automatically get all cynical about something that could be very serious.

But it seems like a really fortunate coincidence that the UK Police managed to uncover this Muslim bad-guy plot at the very time that the US/UK/Isreal “Axis of Good” is taking a hammering in the media due to Isreals offensive in Lebanon.

This would seem to be backed up with the sketchiness of the detail in the public domain.
11/08/2006, 1:02 PM
Noelys Guitar

Watching Bush and co salivating about this says a lot. There was likely some form of plot by amateur Keyboard nutters. The timing suits both Bush and Blair. But it will all backfire. Even with the full backing of most media here in the US and the scaremongering this will be small news in a week. Because nothing actually happened. All the biased media help for Liberman (hard to describe to anyone not here in the US) didn't help him win. And the same will happen to Bush n co.
11/08/2006, 1:30 PM
dahamsta

Given the seeming acceptance of the mainstream, it's good to see so much scepticism in the ranks. Here's a blogger mate of mine commenting on the logistics of using "liquid bombs". One slight problem straight away: the acetone peroxide concept being posited by commentators is kinda unstable. And it's not a liquid.

I've asked for evidence on my own blog. Not a whole lot forthcoming so far. But then it's not a blog.

adam
11/08/2006, 1:43 PM
dfx-

Didn't Ramzy Yousef 'succeed' in exploding a bomb on a Phillippines Airliner with a liquid explosive in a contact lens bottle - rough memory gives the words 'somehow he stabilised nitroglycerine'?
11/08/2006, 2:43 PM
Dodge

Quote:

Originally Posted by dahamsta

But then it's not a blog.

of course not.

Does tha make you a Blogsnob and then your not-a-blog a blogslobnotablog?

Just curious, like.

Anyway, imagine having an 8-12 flight without a book (or magazine for you MTV types). Surely thats a human rights violation?

Maybe not...
11/08/2006, 4:23 PM
dancinpants

Quote:

Originally Posted by dahamsta

Given the seeming acceptance of the mainstream, it's good to see so much scepticism in the ranks. Here's a blogger mate of mine commenting on the logistics of using "liquid bombs". One slight problem straight away: the acetone peroxide concept being posited by commentators is kinda unstable. And it's not a liquid.

Glad you brought this up adam. Heard a "scientist" on the radio yesterday saying it would be nigh on impossible to make a liquid bomb on the sly on an airplane....basically need a lab FFS!!!
11/08/2006, 5:08 PM
dfx-

Quote:

Originally Posted by dancinpants

Heard a "scientist" on the radio yesterday saying it would be nigh on impossible to make a liquid bomb on the sly on an airplane....basically need a lab FFS!!!

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

"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."

?
11/08/2006, 6:13 PM
Plastic Paddy

Quote:

Originally Posted by bennocelt

fuuny he bumped into the Inter milan team and was chatting to mancini and the boys....whereever they were going

Home I guess. They'd just come from Watford where they played a friendly on Tuesday night gone. It finished 1-1 as it happened.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAURO 7

being frisked twice was a bit much.

Nonsense Pauro, I bet you loved it. Stop complaining... :p

:ball: PP
14/08/2006, 12:42 AM
Thunderblaster

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAURO 7

being frisked twice was a bit much.

If it was from a sexy looking chick, I bet you would love it!!:p :D

T-14:D
17/08/2006, 2:57 PM
Roverstillidie

so exactly one week on and

-no explosives found
-no explosive making equipment found
-most of the 'plotters' had no passports, so would have been unable to get on a transatlantic flight for months
-no links (financial etc) to any terror groups

the CIA put pressure on MI5 to break this ring up after a relative of one was arrested in Pakistan. does this whole debacle prove torture doesnt work as the victim will cough up any old crap? the most expensive hoax in history?
17/08/2006, 3:41 PM
Ash

I think Michael O'Leary was asking if there is a big serious threat of liquid bombs
etc why are drinks etc not being banned on trains/undergrounds/buses when
there there would also be large crowds of people.

Although Bush seems to be implying that its an attack on America, as it was
American bound flights that were targeted.
17/08/2006, 9:32 PM
strangeirish

A Pakistani woman boarding a flight in West Virgina is being detained, because two bottles of liquid she was carrying tested positive for explosives! It's amazing that this eagle eyed airport screener in the arsehole of no-where is suddenly an expert on liquid explosives. I'm sure the US Air Force is being scrambled as we speak and a F16 fighter is going to release a smart bomb from five miles away and blow the sh*te out of two Lucozade bottles!:rolleyes:
Link
18/08/2006, 7:47 AM
BohsPartisan

Well if you are going to be pedantic you could say a bottle of Vodka is a liquid explosive.
Pencils were prohibited by UN sanctions on Iraq as if you have enough lead you can use it as a bomb making componant. Thats an awful lot of pencils though.
Last six years - Bomb attacks by people from the Muslim world on the west - 3
Bomb attacks by the west on the Muslim world - Countless.

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