- US Security Alert: RED by JeSuisButterfly
18 y
3,340 9 Messages Shown
Blog: Balance
.:Illusion is Convincing... some more than others:.
"WASHINGTON - The terror scheme disrupted in London is "suggestive of an al-Qaida plot," the Bush administration said Thursday as it issued its highest terrorism alert ever for commercial flights from Britain to the U.S. and raised the threat level for all domestic and international flights. Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff said there was no indication of plotting in the United States but said officials cannot assume that the terror operation in Britain had been completely thwarted."
For those of you who missed it...
21 Arrested for plans suggestive of Al-Qaida
"British Plot Involved Liquid Explosives
LONDON - British authorities said Thursday they had thwarted a terrorist plot to simultaneously blow up several aircraft heading to the U.S. using explosives smuggled in carry-on luggage. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the terrorists planned to use liquid explosives disguised as beverages and other common products and detonators disguised as electronic devices.
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Officials raised security to its highest level in Britain and banned carry-on luggage on all trans-Atlantic flights. Huge crowds formed at security barriers at London's Heathrow airport as officials searching for explosives barred nearly every form of liquid outside of baby formula.
The extreme measures at a major international aviation hub sent ripples throughout the world. Heathrow was closed to most flights from Europe, and British Airways canceled all its flights between the airport and points in Britain, Europe and Libya. Numerous flights from U.S. cities to Britain were canceled.
Washington raised its threat alert to its highest level for commercial flights from Britain to the United States amid fears the plot had not been completely crushed. The alert for all flights coming or going from the United States was also raised slightly.
Two U.S. counterterrorism officials said the terrorists had targeted United Airlines, American Airlines and Continental Airlines. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.
A U.S. intelligence official said the plotters had hoped to target flights to major airports in New York, Washington and California.
British Home Secretary John Reid said 21 people had been arrested in London, its suburbs and Birmingham following a lengthy investigation, including the alleged "main players" in the plot. Searches continued in a number of locations.
The suspects were "homegrown," though it was not immediately clear if they were all British citizens, said a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. Police were working closely with the South Asian community, the official said.
The official said the plotters intended to simultaneously target multiple planes bound for the United States.
"We think this was an extraordinarily serious plot and we are confident that we've prevented an attempt to commit mass murder on an unimaginable scale," Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson said.
Prime Minister Tony Blair, vacationing in the Caribbean, briefed President Bush on the situation overnight.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush also had been briefed by his aides while at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he has been on vacation.
"We do believe the plot involved flights from the U.K. to the U.S. and was a direct threat to the United States," Snow said.
Chertoff, the homeland security chief, said the plot had the hallmarks of an operation planned by al-Qaida, the terrorist group behind the Sept. 11 attack on the United States.
"It was sophisticated, it had a lot of members and it was international in scope. It was in some respects suggestive of an al-Qaida plot," Chertoff said, but he cautioned it was too early in the investigation to reach any conclusions.
It is the first time the red alert level in the Homeland Security warning system has been invoked, although there have been brief periods in the past when the orange level was applied. Homeland Security defines the red alert as designating a "severe risk of terrorist attacks."
"We believe that these arrests (in London) have significantly disrupted the threat, but we cannot be sure that the threat has been entirely eliminated or the plot completely thwarted," Chertoff said.
He added, however, there was no indication of current plots within the United States.
Chertoff said the plotters were in the final stages of planning. "We were really getting quite close to the execution phase," he said, adding that it was unclear if the plot was linked to the upcoming fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
A senior U.S. counterterrorism official said authorities believe dozens of people — possibly as many as 50 — were involved in the plot. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
The plan involved airline passengers hiding masked explosives in carry-on luggage, the official said. "They were not yet sitting on an airplane," but were very close to traveling, the official said, calling the plot "the real deal."
Passengers in Britain faced delays as tighter security was hastily enforced at the country's airports and additional measures were put in place for all flights. Laptop computers, mobile phones, iPods, and remote controls were among the items banned from being carried on board.
Liquids, such as hair care products, were also barred on flights in both Britain and the U.S.
In the mid-1990s, officials foiled a plan by terrorist mastermind Ramzi Youssef to blow up 12 Western jetliners simultaneously over the Pacific. The alleged plot involved improvised bombs using liquid hidden in contact lens solution containers.
Huge lines formed at ticket counters and behind security barriers at Heathrow and other airports in Britain.
Ed Lappen, 55, a businessman from Boston, who was traveling with his wife and daughter to Russia, found himself unable to travel further. "We're safe, we're OK," he said at Heathrow. "Now my daughter is going to get a shopping trip in London."
Hannah Pillinger, 24, seemed less concerned by the announcement. "Eight hours without an iPod, that's the most inconvenient thing," she said, waiting at the Manchester airport.
Most European carriers canceled flights to Heathrow because of the massive delays created after authorities enforced strict new regulations banning most hand baggage.
Tony Douglas, Heathrow's managing director, said the airport hoped to resume normal operations Friday, but passengers would still face delays and a ban on cabin baggage "for the foreseeable future."
"At this point in time it is unclear how long these restrictions will remain in place," he said.
Heathrow's block on incoming traffic applied to flights of three hours or less, affecting most of the incoming traffic from Europe, an airport spokesman said on condition of anonymity in line with airport policy.
Officials at Frankfurt's airport, Europe's second-busiest, Schiphol in Amsterdam and Charles De Gaulle in Paris said Heathrow-bound planes could instead land at their airports if they needed to.
London's Heathrow airport was the departure point for a devastating terrorist attack on a Pan Am airplane on Dec. 21, 1988. The blast over Lockerbie, Scotland, killed all 259 people aboard Pan Am Flight 103 and 11 people on the ground.
The explosive was hidden in a portable radio secreted in checked baggage."
.:Illusion is Convincing... some more than others:.
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JeSuisButterfly
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- Is there any actual information in this article? by andib
18 y
1,457
I love how everything is "unclear" and "uncertain" and "suggestive". I love how they repeat themselves over and over - here's an excerpt from an article on Yahoo:
Gonzales said the operation could "potentially kill hundreds of innocent people." Britain said 21 people had been arrested, including the alleged "main players" in the plot.
Mueller also pointed at al-Qaida. "This had the earmarks of an al-Qaida plot," he said.
The alleged plot was "as sophisticated as any we have seen in recent years as far as terrorism is concerned," Chertoff said.
He said there was no indication of any plotting in the United States but that the government was taking steps to protect against unseen threats or copycat attacks. "We cannot assume that this threat has been completely thwarted," the secretary said.
"There's sufficient uncertainty as to whether the British have scooped up everybody," Chertoff added. Gonzales said the operation could "potentially kill hundreds of innocent people." Chertoff said the plot was "as sophisticated as any we have seen in recent years as far as terrorism is concerned."
---The same comments are repeated several times, they are in fact still calling it an "alleged plot" and claim they have arrested the "main players" in the "alleged Plot"!
Does any of this add up to newsworthy information???
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andib
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- Another thought by andib
18 y
1,424
| Do you suppose the "alleged plot" has anything to do with the "alleged" release of the World Trade Center Movie?
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andib
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- Re: Another thought by JeSuisButterfly
18 y
1,293
You're SO right!!
It's ALWAYS being done in articles, on the news, ect. Most prominently, headlines ~ so vague, VERY easy to make assumptions and feed a panic.
I wanted to see 'America: Freedom to Fascism' but it was OUT OF THEATRES after only a few days and all traces of advertisement or mention was wiped away.
Now perhaps I am assuming, but.. it just doesn't seem to fit right. Na?
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JeSuisButterfly
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- You forgot to mentin the 11n 'missing' new Arabs students by vibrating.world
18 y
1,330
That your FBI claims to be part of the 'sleeping' underground islam terrorist groups in the USA.
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vibrating.world
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- You are as secure as of think you are!! HUH!! by kerminator
18 y
1,207
Well we do not always and some times never want to hear the truth if it involves things we do not like... SO it is with security!!
Just a little tale some years back when the USSR was the big bad wolf... Some friends of mine were visiting West Berlin; since my friends wife knew the Coronal of the Berlin Garrison... Well while there they visited "infamous Check Point Charlie" and saw many of the other sites on the border... They ask about the security of the sector?? The Coronal replied " There is really no such thing as total security; if someone really, really, really wants to get you they will!! "
That goes a long way toward comprehending that we must be defensive, but maintain an open heart and use some understanding in life, if we are to succeed!!
Thanks for your concerns and interest; Lady... Kermit
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kerminator
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