posted August 10, 2006 12:27 PM              

Thursday, August 10, 2006; Posted: 9:29 a.m.(CDT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Terrorists were in the final stages of planning to blow up planes heading to the United States from Britain, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday.

The plot was the "greatest terrorist threat" against the United States since 9/11, government officials are saying privately.

Information gathered after recent arrests in Pakistan convinced British investigators they had to act immediately to stop the plot, sources told CNN.

A British security official told Reuters news service the plotters could have been just days away from their attacks.

The plans were "suggestive of an al Qaeda plot," Chertoff said.

British police said they had arrested 21 suspects in the plot to blow up passenger jets flying between the United Kingdom and the United States.

The effects of the plot rippled across the globe Thursday.

-----------------------

It seems to me as if World War 3 is no longer an option, and it scares me, because our enviornment and governmental structures cannot afford any more terrorism...Tell me all of your concerns, lets discuss them here, and tell me if it surprised you that the terrorists were of Pakistani descent?

posted August 10, 2006 01:46 PM            

I'd like to know how anyone can defend these idiots, but I am sure there are terrorists supporters or those that are sympathetic to the terrorists, that will defend their behaviour.

------------------
The democratic world believes that it is not the terrorists that are to blame, but us. Us, the westerners.
WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the sooner you eliminate this misconception from your minds, the better.
We are NOT to blame. It is the freaking terrorists and the freaking terrorists only!!!! They are the bad guys. They do not understand concepts like peace, democracy, and respect for human life. They are, pure and simPle, EVIL!!!!! Behind all their political manipulations, if you carefully look at the actions of these MONSTERS, they are EVIL!!

http://www.mideastweb.org/log/archives/00000489.htm

posted August 10, 2006 02:45 PM            

The theory goes like this: The turmoil between Israel and Lebanon came about in order to take off the eagle eyes of the media from the Coalition forces... Bush HAD to do something to help his fellow Israeli reptillians out. In order distract people from the evil Nation of Israel, he paid actors to pose as former Paskistani's living in England, and pretend to be terrorists plotting another attack.

That way, we would now concentrate on a NEW threat (which actually doesn't exist because there is no such thing as a Muslim extremist or a Muslim terrorist) and we can stop scrutizing the war in Iraq (and all the babies being sent there to die) and Isreal.

posted August 10, 2006 02:54 PM              

I honestly think some sick, soul-less people are using the fact that they're Islamic as an excuse to be seriel killers and mass murderers. In the name of Allah???? If that's what your Allah wants from you, then your Allah must be Satan.

posted August 10, 2006 04:42 PM            

It is really not a surprise, at least not for many of us here in the US. Often times we see children of immigrants, that were born here, harboring the hate of their homeland for the US. I had Mexican friends that were born here that would talk about how evil American's are, how corrupt we are and how bad America S*ucks.

When I said they could always go back to Mexico and live with other members of their family if they hated being here so bad. They acted like I served them a fungal sandwich 'What? And give up all the money we make?"

Read what people write on this site. People born of Iraqi, Indian, Pakistani, Arab descent but born HERE in the US, in England or in Canada. All they can do is bash on the west, defend the terrorists and call us all evil.

It is only a matter of time... Those that defend the terrorist acts are also the ones that support terrorism.

posted August 10, 2006 05:20 PM              

This cold blooded murderer mentality is going to back fire soooo hard on Muslems one day. They really should be directing all of their outrage on these hate/death-cults, because they are going to be the undoing of Muslems all around the world. I mean, the civilized world is just not going to want anything to do with them anymore.

Western Muslems are westerners too, so they have no room for finger pointing.

posted August 10, 2006 11:42 PM              

quote:

---

Yes it is scary that some Muslims are showing more loyalty to their religion (albeit the "extreme" form of their religion, which is what is really hard to understand)) rather than to the country that they live in that affords them freedom, a good life and the right to practice their religion. Hypocritical indeed.

---

posted August 10, 2006 11:46 PM              

quote:

---

Yes it is scary that some Muslims are showing more loyalty to their religion (albeit the "extreme" form of their religion, which is what is really hard to understand.

---

How dare you judge all Muslims based on what you think.

Some people in this country are so freakin ignorant it's not even funny. They make these statements and try to make them facts.

People who do these things don't know anything about religion.

posted August 11, 2006 12:09 AM              

I am suspicious of the facts. Namely that a terrorist group would attempt to put bombs in carry on luggage knowing the supposedly stepped up security measures at airports both in the U.K. and the U.S. Seems that would be a very stupid move on their part.

Since it is yet to be proven that this event actually transpired I remain skeptical knowing that the Congressional elections are only a little over two months away and that the Republican candidates are behind in the polls in all states, including a stronghold of theirs, Missouri.

Remember a few years ago when Bush made the announcement that they had foiled a terrorist attack at the L.A. airport and then the head of the airport came out and publically stated no such event actually occured?

posted August 11, 2006 12:35 AM            

It's a plot by Bush and Blair to highlight the fact terrorist intend to strike the United States....and deflate the balloons of leftists like you who say Bush created the entire scenario...to take over the world

That's anathema to leftists like you who want to pretend international terrorism doesn't exist and there is no danger to the United States or United States citizens.

I once asked for all who wanted to be at ground zero in the next terrorist attack against the United States to raise their hands. I don't recall you raising yours.

Are you raising your hand to volunteer now?

Only an "alleged" plot...and totally made up, eh Mirandee? Happy flying.

posted August 11, 2006 01:00 AM              

You don't care about dead children.

That is worst then being an idiot.

posted August 11, 2006 01:08 AM              

Who around here ever said that they did not believe there were terrorists? Not me. Not anyone I have seen post around here ever said that. In fact I talk about them all the time on posts and have stated repeatedly, as have all others here at GU, that I do not condone nor support terrorism of any kind. Not the American version of it or the Israeli version of it either. Shows how much you event your own reality and then attempt to convince everyone else of that reality.

On the other hand you love terrorism, Jwhop because it gives you another hate target. Bush loves terrorism too because he has gained a lot of power guised as national security in the so called War on Terrorism. Bush loves terrorism because he can control weak and fearful people like you through the fear of terrorists lurking around every corner. He can control and rule through terrorism. Terrorism serves you and Bush quite well. You both love terrorists because you both advocate the very tactics that will continue to create more and more terrorists so you can go on hating and Bush can go using fear to rule by and gain power through.

I am suspicious for the reasons that I gave in my post, Jwhop. You can believe what you want regarding what I think. I spoke what I thought.

It's okay because Bush only has two months left before he is a lame duck and your great, great, great grandchildren will probably never see another Republican elected to the office of president in their lifetimes since Bush and the rest of the neo-cons have so thoroughly destroyed the Republican party and given it such a bad name.

posted August 11, 2006 01:31 AM            

TP, you don't have enough braincells to formulate a reasonable position. Indeed, logic and reason totally escape you.

Mirandee, I can empathize with you. Your party is in tatters, your initiatives are total failures and the only thing you have left is lies.

That's the staple of all leftists...lies.

It's not surprising you question the plot to set off bombs on American civilian airplanes.

I would expect nothing less from those who are so blinded by hate for Bush and the United States that they see no plot or conspiracy to be beyond the realm of possibility.

Nevertheless Mirandee, 20 terrorists are in custody in Britain and the others are being sought.

Your conspiracy theories are pure, unadulterated bullsh*t...which is the staple of leftists like you.

Instead of blaming terrorists, you question the government of the United States....and the government of Britain.

posted August 11, 2006 01:33 AM              

Hey Jwhop where's your Nazi flag?

posted August 11, 2006 03:07 AM              

It is asine on your part from the Republican party's position in all the polls right now and after the defeat of one of your cronies, Joe Lieberman in Conn. to say that the Democratic party is in tatters with the strong showing of support they all got in the state primaries on Tues. Sorry but your remarks bear no weight. Also you neo-cons are not liked in your own Republican party and there is a lot of infighting going on which is always a sign of a party in crisis. Your in a whole lot more trouble right now regarding being in tatters than the Dems are.

Unless of course your party cheats it's way into office again in the Nov. election Bush is history and I might add, a very bad page of history for the U.S. I don't think that most of America is dumb enough to fall for these kinds of political tricks mainly because they have been used before and those that were once fooled by them have wised up immensely.

Also with the present anger among Americans over the direction that Bush is leading this country and all he has done to this country if the Republicans do attempt to cheat their way into office again I doubt they will get away with it a third time. The voice of the people has grown too loud and demanding of change to tolerate it regardless of the lack of reporters with any guts in the media these days.

You can babble on all you want with your repetitive rhetoric and deny reality all you want, Jwhop but it bears no weight under all the mounting evidence to the contrary.

posted August 11, 2006 12:20 PM              

What I am saying people is to reserve your judgments of the truth regarding this terrorist threat until all the facts come in. It is only an alledged plot at this time and the only information that you are getting regarding the actuality of it is from the U.S. government and the U.K. government in a script written for the worldwide media.

Question to ask yourself:

If it was as serious as they are saying it was, why did Tony Blair remain on vacation in the Carribean instead of flying back to England?

Consider the political timing of the "terrorist plot foiled" in light of all the other similar events at convenient moments listed here.

Don't be fooled by what could well be a political tactic due to the loss of a staunch Bush war supporter in the Democratic party, Joe Lieberman. This was my first thought and today I read here in New Dissector that people in jounalism are thinking the same thing.

My main thing is don't let Bush control you through the use of fear but instead before jumping to conclusions at what are now unsubstantiated facts, wait until all the facts come in before making up your mind of the truth of this terrorist plot foiled.

UK-US TERROR PLOT FOILED IN ONE DAY

The British crisis you didn’t see yesterday morning in Heathrow. No arrests reported yet. It involves millions of people who can’t afford to fly and are terrorized daily—by the size of their debts:

Financial Times: "More than a third of the UK population is just 30 days away from financial crisis, according to new research from Prudential.”

ftadviser.com

WHAT WE DID SEE

What we did see yesterday was that good old repetitious "rolling news," morning to night, round the clock, live all the time, terror TV news template. Press conferences from Homeland Security quickly arranged during the morning TV shows with commentators and “terror” consultants standing by to comment on then still vague details of the latest plot. It was a red alert day for TV ratings. The drama was intense as Scotland Yard announced:

"We are confident that we have disrupted a plan by terrorists to cause untold death and destruction and to commit, quite frankly, mass murder."

British police now say all suspects in custody, according to BBC Newsnight. An hour later, ABC’s Prime Time reported 5 suspects were still at large. ABC called the explosive that was to be used, “THE MOTHER OF SATAN.” (It sounded scary in the promos.)

The Telegraph: "….among those arrested were the white son of a former Conservative Party worker, the son of an architect and an accountant and a heavily pregnant woman. Some had studied at university and came from families that owned several properties or ran their own businesses."

911 REDUX

In the US, a "red alert" on British flights was pronounced as the operation was pictured as a 911 rerun. The Guardian reported:

"The White House framed the apparently thwarted terrorist plot as a direct attack on the US yesterday, as America responded to the news from London with a nationwide tightening of airport security."

The credibility of that claim rests entirely on your view of the White House’s credibility and Michael Chertoff’s believability. Note the Guardian’s reference to “apparently thwarted.”

THE PEROXIDE KILLERS

As alleged plots go, this was projected as THE big one, worthy of a blockbuster movie. It was said to involve ten planes (ABC later put the number at 9) which would be blown up simultaneously in flight. It was was then “thwarted” (that word of the day again!) all in one day. The captured terrorists were allegedly mounting a “dry run.” Their cell was infiltrated by a UK informant on a tip from Pakistan. AP reported:

"British police thwarted a terrorist plot Thursday to blow up 10 U.S.-bound jetliners with a peroxide explosive — a nearly simultaneous strike over the Atlantic that could have killed thousands of people and rivaled the carnage of 9/11.

In raids across England, authorities arrested 24 people based partly on intelligence from Pakistan — moving quickly because U.S. officials said the bombings could have been only days away.

The plan allegedly—and none of those arrested have been interviewed in the media or plead to the charges-- is said to have “involved the use of a peroxide-based solution, flammable when sparked by innocent- appearing small electronic devices". The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitive nature of the subject."

WHERE WAS BLAIR?

It was such a big breaking story that Tony Blair didn’t bother to come back from his vacation in the Caribbean. He did call Bush on the vacation to vacation phone line. Thousands were inconvenienced because you can’t be “too safe” with no hard evidence on eminent danger. Banned: all carry ons—no gel, no haircreme, no toothpaste, no perfume. Smells like an al- Queda plot against good grooming.

Sorry for being skeptical but the Homeland Security operatives live for crises like this when they are guaranteed face time on TV. Sorry, but I am like the guy who heard the guy who cried wolf one too many times. I mean, really, President Bush telling us he’s going to “protect us” from the “Islamic Fascists.” (Christopher’ Hitchen’s favorite word has now moved to the top of the wood pile. On BBC, Congressman Shayes justified the word and lumped Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah et.al into the same terrorist bag.

"Protect us?" Does anyone remember an August like this one just five years ago when the Commander in Chief was briefed about an imminent Al Qaeda attack by Al Qaeda on the United States and then carried on with his vacation as if he never received the urgent warning? How accurate is information that comes from a bureaucracy that lives off of perpetual threats.

The 911 Commission did warn of future acts unless X and Y were done. Largely they weren't. What we have seen is that Jihadi anger has deepened and its capacity is undiminished despite all the security measures.

TIME: HOW THEY SAY THEY STOPPED IT
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1225453,00.html?cnn=yes

YES, BUT….

Our friends at Buzzflash see a political shadow over all of this:

"The pattern continues. A terrorist plot is uncovered just as the masses start to question national security strategy. The day after Senate Democrats brought a vote to pull out of Iraq, we catch a few idiots in Miami who were supposedly trying to blow up the Sears Tower, despite the fact that they lacked the means and ability to do so. Then there were the guys busted for supposedly plotting to blow up a New York subway exactly a year after the London bus bombings. And don't forget the release of new Osama bin Laden tapes just before the 2004 election as well as the very day after the Supreme Court decision striking down the Guantanamo Bay military tribunals. And now today, a few men in England were arrested for a plan to blow up planes flying to America, just a day after Connecticut voters flatly rejected Joe Lieberman and the war in Iraq.

We certainly can't deny that there may have indeed been plans to commit these acts. But the timings of the arrest announcements are awfully suspicious. All three were still in the works and had been monitored for several months by very capable intelligence agencies. While the exact nature of today's arrests is still unclear, none of the plans seemed to have been immediate or imminent threats. The decision of when to intervene has been arbitrary, making the coincidental timings pretty convenient."

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/analysis/0

SKEPTICISM OVERSEAS

Anwaar Hussain writes in his Fountainhead blog from Dubai: "Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark."

By Anwaar Hussain

Not to be left behind, even though the list of unanswered questions, irregularities, and discrepancies continues to grow with each passing hour, the obedient Western media jumped at the occasion ensuring a spate of spectacular cover stories and anti- Muslim tirade.

As usual, though the facts are still coming in, the media is dutifully following the open-ended cues provided by the US and British governments, and reproducing the handed-down script without a pause for the facts to emerge fully. With an indecent haste, government enforcers have already slapped ridiculous restrictions on travelers, with mother's having to taste baby milk before they board planes and all hand luggage, including liquid drinks, being banned.

.... clichés that are the corner stone of Anglo-American policy for global hegemony like ‘Islamic Terror’, 'Bin Laden', 'Jihadis', ‘Al-Qaeda style attack’, ‘suicide bombers’ and ‘security of Western citizens’ etc. are back with a bang with this latest buildup. The smear machine has had gallons of oil thrown on its creaking cogs and is in full gear instantly. At the same time, to breathe new life into the stalling agenda of their masters, crawling out of the woodwork are these states’ instruments of coercion and control such as the CIA, MI6, Mossad and affiliated intelligence agencies, like Pakistan's ISI.

Statistical analysis has now conclusively proven that every time Blair and Bush slump in approval ratings, a fresh terror alert gives them a rebound back up the charts. Every single major terror alert, hear this, issued by the US, Canadian or UK governments has proven to be either a contrived facade, a setup sting operation or an out-and-out fraud.

malakandsky.blogspot.com

ON TERRORISM—FROM PROGRESSIVE REVIEW

John Mueller writes:

"The number of people worldwide who die as a result of international terrorism is generally only a few hundred a year, tiny compared to the numbers who die in most civil wars or from automobile accidents. In fact, in almost all years, the total number of people worldwide who die at the hands of international terrorists anywhere in the world is not much more than the number who drown in bathtubs in the United States. . . What is needed, as one statistician suggests, is some sort of convincing, coherent, informed, and nuanced answer to a central question:

How worried should I be?" Instead, the message the nation has received so far is, as a Homeland Security official put (or caricatured) it, "Be scared; be very, very scared -- but go on with your lives." Such messages have led many people to develop what Leif Wenar of the University of Sheffield has aptly labeled "a false sense of insecurity."

posted August 11, 2006 01:26 PM            

I guess everyone else is wrong? The Pakistani government, England, the US and even the Muslim community in England that has turned their backs on these terrorists... the ones planning the dry run and the actual attack on 8/16.

Oh but wait.. what am I thinking? Mirandee knows more by divine inspiration that ALL others. No wonder Rainblow follows you around like a dog in heat. She is easily duped by pseudo strong yet incredibly delusional women- just look at her worship of queen twit- Cathy O'brian.

__________________________________

Tip Followed '05 Attacks on London Transit

By Craig Whitlock and Dafna Linzer
Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, August 11, 2006; A01

It all began with a tip: In the aftermath of the July 7, 2005, suicide bombings on London's transit system, British authorities received a call from a worried member of the Muslim community, reporting general suspicions about an acquaintance.

From that vague but vital piece of information, according to a senior European intelligence official, British authorities opened the investigation into what they said turned out to be a well-coordinated and long-planned plot to bomb multiple transatlantic flights heading toward the United States -- an assault designed to rival the scope and lethality of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings.

By late 2005, the probe had expanded to involve several hundred investigators on three continents. They kept dozens of suspects under close surveillance for months, even as some of the plotters traveled between Britain and Pakistan to raise money, find recruits and refine their scheme, according to interviews with U.S. and European counterterrorism officials.

Precise details of the plot -- how many planes, their destinations and the date -- remain unknown. The shape of the operation changed regularly as the would-be bombers considered which transatlantic flights to target and prepared for a practice run, which was expected to take place in the next few days, U.S. law enforcement officials said.

Investigators eventually pieced together enough information from a blizzard of stakeouts, tips and wiretaps to make clear that something big was in the works, and that the plotters' preparations were nearing an end.

"It's not like three weeks ago all of a sudden MI5 knew about this plot and went to work," added a U.S. law enforcement official, speaking of the British security service. "They'd had a concern about these guys for some time -- for months. Details started to emerge, and it became clear over the last couple weeks the nature of the threat and the individuals," said the official, who like others interviewed for this story spoke on condition of anonymity.

A law enforcement bulletin issued Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI described the conspiracy as "international in scope" but said there was no evidence that the plotters or any accomplices had set foot in the United States. "This plot appears to have been well planned and well advanced and in the final stages of preparation," the bulletin stated.

One U.S. intelligence source, however, said some of the British suspects arrested had made calls to the United States.

Investigators believe that the London operation was composed of three distinct cells, whose members may not have been aware of the others or the extent of their assignment, U.S. officials said.

British officials suspect that as many as 50 participants and accomplices were involved, U.S. law enforcement officials said. Internet searches made by the suspects suggested they had considered targeting as many as 10 flights, investigators said, although there was no evidence that those arrested had bought tickets or made reservations.

"It's fair to say they were aiming for multiple flights, and some of the exact data of who they would deploy, and how many might be in one deployment, are somewhat ambiguous," said Michael P. Jackson, deputy secretary at the Department of Homeland Security. "There were different data sets about their intentions over time that evolved over the period of time that we were following this. It did seem in more recent days to have centered upon carriers that had direct, nonstop flights between the U.K. and U.S.

"The real focus was to blow up airliners and the people on them," he added.

Counterterrorism officials said the basic outline of the conspiracy was known for several months. Investigators from New York to Islamabad, Pakistan, said they were briefed by their British counterparts late last year.

British and U.S. law enforcement authorities decided against breaking up the cells right away in the hope that they could learn more about the origins of the network and assemble evidence for prosecutors.

Some U.S. counterterrorism officials said plans originally were to allow the conspiracy to develop even further. But U.S. and British investigators made a sudden decision this week to close down the operation after they became increasingly worried that there were other bombers they had been unable to locate or identify, U.S. officials said.

British Home Secretary John Reid said that "the police are confident that the main players have been accounted for" and are in custody. But U.S. and European authorities said the widespread ban on carrying liquids onto flights was imposed because investigators were worried more conspirators could be at large.

British police conducted numerous searches and raids Wednesday and Thursday as they detained at least 24 people in three cities. British officials would not say if they were able to recover any physical evidence or bomb-making materials. Neither would they describe what kind of liquid explosives the suspects were allegedly planning to use.

U.S. counterterrorism officials said the explosive was a peroxide-based compound, but would not give further details. One reason, they said, is that the chemicals are easy to obtain and difficult to detect by airport security screeners.

Authorities are trying to "figure out how to prevent something similar from getting through," said a senior U.S. intelligence official. "We're learning what you can about this material, whether it opens another hole in our security, and we have to figure out how to close it."

Counterterrorism analysts said there were parallels between the airliner plot and the July 7, 2005, subway and bus bombings in London. In both cases, the alleged perpetrators were primarily British Muslims of Pakistani descent aiming to cause widespread carnage on public transportation systems with homemade explosives.

At the same time, analysts said, those behind the airliner plot were planning a more ambitious and difficult operation that likely required more technical expertise, money and leadership, as well as support from an international network.

"This has a far more global flavor to it and, I think, a different level of sophistication to the planning and the action," said John Carnt, a former deputy superintendent at Scotland Yard who now serves as managing director of the London office of Vance International, a private security and investigations firm. "You would think that given the scope and sophistication of this plot, it would be unusual if there wasn't some direction or influence from outside the U.K."

Pakistani officials said Thursday that they were informed about the plot by their British counterparts in December and that they actively assisted with the investigation. "We were in the loop since the blip appeared on the radar screen in London last year," said a senior Pakistani intelligence official.

Although Pakistani officials would not divulge how many people were detained in that country, they said the arrests were carried out simultaneously with police raids in Britain.

A second Pakistani intelligence official said the main suspects in the case visited Pakistan last year and drew financial and motivational support from a small militant Islamic group. "No doubt there was some stimulation from Pakistan, but almost all key players are British citizens with roots in Pakistan," he said.

But wait.. there's MORE:

Day of terror strikes was planned for August 16
15:03pm 11th August 2006

Terrorists were planning to unleash a series of deadly mid-air explosions on flights between London and America on August 16, it has been revealed today.

Members of the terror group, who were arrested in a series of raids by anti-terror police yesterday, were due to mount a dry run today to check if they could smuggle components for liquid explosives through Britain's airports.

United Airline tickets dated next Wednesday were found by police at the home of one of the raided addresses.

One US intelligence official told today's Evening Standard: "The bombers were a couple of days from a test, and a few days from doing it."

The airlines targeted were United, American and Continental, which fly to New York, Washington and California.

Today the Bank of England named and froze the assets of 19 of the 24 air terror suspects arrested. The bank was acting under the instruction of Chancellor Gordon Brown and on the advice of the police and security services.

It acted under powers granted by the United Nations to tackle the financing of terrorism in the wake of the September 11 2001 attacks. Its action means it is a crime to make their money available without a licence from the Treasury.

The oldest of the named suspects is 35 and the youngest 17. Thirteen of them are from east London - nine from Walthamstow, one from Chingford, one from Leyton, one from the Limehouse and Poplar area and one from Clapton.

Four are from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and the other two are from Birmingham and Stoke Newington, north London.

The imam of Walthamstow mosque, where many of the suspects live, urged the Muslim community to remain calm and assist the police in their inquries. The unnamed imam added: "We'd like to remind people that the suspects are innocent until proven guilty."

Meanwhile, a senior Pakistani government official said today that two British nationals arrested in Pakistan provided information about the alleged UK air terror plot.

The UK remains on a "critical" level of alert against terrorism and air passengers at UK airports are expected to face widespread disruption again today following the introduction of new anti-terrorism measures yesterday including a ban on hand luggage.

The plot, which was described as an attempt to commit "mass murder on an unimaginable scale" by blowing up passenger jet, may have been thwarted just days before it was due to be carried out.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=400114&in_page_id=1770&ct=5

_______________________

Help from the Pakistani Government (OMG Mirandee- looks like they are in on the conspiracy that only you can see)

Pakistan arrests 'helped to foil plot'

Profiles of the suspected terror plotters
There is evidence of an Al Qaeda connection to the plot to blow up planes in mid-flight from the UK to the US, it has been revealed.

Pakistani officials said there are indications of an 'Afghanistan-based Al Qaeda connection' to the planned attacks, naming Rashid Rauf as one of the two British nationals arrested in connection with the plot last week. Five other suspects were also detained.

In a statement, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said arrests made in Pakistan had triggered arrests in Britain on the night of August 9 and 10. It named British national Rashid Rauf, who was arrested in Pakistan, as a "key person" in the alleged plot.

The statement said the arrests underscored "the very important role that has been played by Pakistan in breaking this international terrorist network."

It said there were "indications of Afghanistan-based al-Qaida connection" in the case, but did not elaborate further.

Pakistani investigators were still establishing the identities of the other five people arrested.

Pakistan said the plot was thwarted after active co-ordination between Pakistani, British and US intelligence agencies, leading to the arrest of 24 people in Britain.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said, Pakistani citizens were not involved in the plot. Adding the suspects "had been monitored for quite some time" before they were arrested.

'Days from attack'

Suspected suicide bombers were just days from simultaneous attacks on aircraft flying from Britain to the United States, in what one British official said could have been "mass murder on an unimaginable scale". The plot bore the hallmarks of Al Qaeda, some security analysts said.

There were similarities to the September 11, 2001 hijacking of US airliners for the attacks on New York and Washington and "Operation Bojinka", a plan never carried out, to blow up passenger planes over the Pacific Ocean in 1995. Those conspiracies were hatched by Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, the Al Qaeda operations planner arrested in Pakistan in 2003.

Several Al Qaeda leaders, including Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri, are believed to be hiding in Pakistan or across the border in Afghanistan, and their network has forged links with some Pakistani groups.

At least two of the British Muslims involved in the bomb attacks on London underground trains and a bus that killed 52 people in July last year had visited Pakistan months earlier, raising suspicions they had ties to militants in the country.

__________________________-

Pathetic

posted August 11, 2006 02:31 PM            

Well, it sure does put terrorists back on the front pages and on the front burner. That's bad news for the SurrenderCrats in the leftist democrat party who want the US to leave their friends the terrorist alone.

The trigger was pulled on these arrests because a message was intercepted telling the terrorists to "do your attacks now".

" The Guardian newspaper, citing unidentified British government sources, said that after the arrests a message was sent to Britain telling the plotters: "Do your attacks now." That message was intercepted and decoded earlier this week, The Guardian said."

Only idiots wouldn't have stepped in and made the arrests at that point.

Of course, if idiot leftists were in charge...instead of adults...there would have been no surveillance, no wiretaps, no intercepted phone calls, no monitoring of terrorist websites against their friends the terrorists....because it violates their rights, so leftists allege.

What there would have been is about 3000 dead Americans and Britons when those 10 or so civilian airplanes were blown up over the Atlantic Ocean but that's a price leftists are willing to pay....as long as it's not one of their sorry a$ses that gets blown up.

posted August 11, 2006 02:59 PM            

In this article, a reporter wants to know why...since Bush has known for some time about the plot to blow up civilian airplanes over the Atlantic...why Bush didn't tell the press and America when he found out.

These people are either outright traitors or so intellectually impaired that no one should pay the slightest bit of attention to anything they say.

Of course Bush wasn't going to spill the beans that the British are tracking more than 20 terrorists plotting to blow up aircraft over the Atlantic.

Idiots, the terrorists would then melt into the woodwork and we wouldn't learn who all of them are, learn who is funding them, who is supporting them and about their connections with other terrorists. Neither would they be there to be arrested. They would be off somewhere engaged in another terrorist plot to attack western civilization.

What Did Bush Know, When Did He Know It and Why Did He Withhold It?
Posted by Geoffrey Dickens on August 10, 2006 - 15:38.

On this morning's Today, NBC's Kevin Corke wondered how long the administration knew about the averted bombing plot and why they would withhold that information, asking: "If the administration has known about this potential plot what was the hold up in getting the word out, especially domestically?" Either this is a case of the media being overly-skeptical or just being clueless. Clearly the administration wouldn't want to release any information before any arrests were made so as not to tip off any suspects in the U.S. or Britain. The following is the full exchange between NBC's Ann Curry and Corke.

Ann Curry: "And British Prime Minister Tony Blair briefed the President overnight about this plot. Well NBC's Kevin Corke is in Crawford, Texas at the President's ranch this morning. Kevin, good morning. Any word from the President?"

Kevin Corke: "Ann, good morning to you. The President was thoroughly briefed overnight though not directly by British Prime Minister Tony Blair. We've sort have been getting conflicting reports. The White House is saying it was a thorough briefing. British authorities saying Blair reaching out but certainly the two gentlemen have spoken several times over the last several days. We know that at this hour President Bush has just landed in Marine One, in fact he has now boarded Air Force One en route to a trip to, to Wisconsin. The President this morning, Ann, is not expected to make comment on the latest development, the uncovering of that alleged terror plot, however he could make comments later today but we did hear from White House press secretary Tony Snow when he said, among other things he said, 'look this was a serious threat to our country and the UK and we will continue to evaluate the nature of the threat and adjust our measures.' It is fairly common, Ann, for the President to receive a daily briefing which will include an intelligence briefing, a national security briefing and a Homeland Security briefing. That was certainly the case this week, in particular on Tuesday. And you may recall on Sunday, President Bush, in fact the White House released a photo of President Bush along with National Security adviser Stephen Hadley having a video teleconference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The two gentlemen, as you pointed out, had been in constant contact throughout this ongoing investigation, Ann."

Curry: "But Kevin it's really interesting to notice that Scotland Yard is reporting that they have been or telling the press that they actually have been investigating for several months this, this plot to blow up these airlines and it's interesting to wonder, you know, to ask how long have U.S. authorities known and how long has the President known and it sounds as though we're gonna have to wait before we really get an indication about that."

posted August 11, 2006 03:01 PM            

Are you kidding? What in the hell is wrong with these people..

Oh wait.. they're idiots

------------------
The democratic world believes that it is not the terrorists that are to blame, but us. Us, the westerners.
WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the sooner you eliminate this misconception from your minds, the better.
We are NOT to blame. It is the freaking terrorists and the freaking terrorists only!!!! They are the bad guys. They do not understand concepts like peace, democracy, and respect for human life. They are, pure and simPle, EVIL!!!!! Behind all their political manipulations, if you carefully look at the actions of these MONSTERS, they are EVIL!!

http://www.mideastweb.org/log/archives/00000489.htm

posted August 11, 2006 03:53 PM            

It's kinda like a loss of innocence. I mean, I know you're an older woman and therefore you've been around the block (and I don't mean that in an insulting Pid vs "Stainblow" kinda way), so it's not like you're 19 and have this massive amount of innocence to lose. But all the same, when you constantly see your own goverment as out to get you/dupe you/screw you over/take something from you/deceive you/etc, it must make the world you live in a sinister, dark place.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think anyone should blindly believe in their government, nor do I believe that any government is above conspiratorial BS, but when an individual sees everything that happens by their government as a conspiracy to deceive people...what a dark world with little hope.

I know some older people can tend to be more pessimistic and/or have a "sky is falling" attitude about the state of the nation (I hear it all the time, I volunteer for Meals on Wheels and visit with several elderly people on a regular basis), and it saddens me that people who have so much to share become so negative just through what appears to be sheer aging.

I hope I don't become a cynnical, negative pessimist in my twilight years. It doesn't seem like a really happy space to be in.

posted August 11, 2006 03:58 PM              

Feel sympathy for yourself for being a dirty wh*re who likes one night stands