August 10, 2006

British Stop a Major Trans-Atlantic Terrorist Attack

Carroll Andrew Morse

Pajamas Media has a round-up of the plot – foiled by the British Government -- to blow up multiple airliners flying from Great Britain to the United States

UK SECURITY foils terrorist plot to make airliners into flying bombs. “Police say they have disrupted a major plot to blow as many as 20 planes over UK and US cities with explosive devices smuggled aboard as hand luggage.” Arrest 20. (Sky News) 00:37 PDT....

The terrorists were targeting United, American, Continental airlines, two U.S. counterterrorism officials say. One police spokesman said the attacks were planned to happen at the same time. 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.” A senior U.S. counterterrorism official said authorities believe dozens of people — possibly as many as 50 — were involved in the plot, which “had a footprint to Al Qaeda back to it.” (Fox News) 03:41 PDT

The threat is considered widespread enough that liquids have been banned from any carry-on luggage at Green (the terrorists apparently planned to use liquid explosives). According to Kate Bramson on the Projo’s 7-to-7 blog

No liquids of any kind are being allowed in carry-on luggage at T.F. Green Airport this morning following news that British authorities have thwarted a terrorist plot to blow up several aircraft heading to the U.S.

No liquid beverages, hair gels, lotions or shampoos can be carried on airplanes now, according to Patti Goldstein, spokeswoman for the airport corporation….

Goldstein urges passengers to get there 90 minutes to two hours before scheduled departure times to allow for additional time getting through security checkpoints.

The Department of Homeland Security has raised the threat level on flights originating in the UK to destined for the US to "critical" (the highest level) and raised the threat level on all other commercial flights to "high".

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Be scared-be very scared. The Al Qaeda boogey man gonna git ya. Give up more of your rights and liberties to the "get the government off your back" conservatives. Send more money to the nuclear armed apatheidstate of ersatz Israel. Send more troops to every corner of the world; America must seek out monsters.
Al Qaeda gonna git ya.

Posted by: Mike at August 10, 2006 9:02 AM

And I’ll bet some of y’all thought I was exaggerating when I wrote earlier this week about individuals who don’t recognize the existence of foreign enemies planning violent attacks against the US as a major problem, and aren't willing to do anything about mass-casualty attacks until after they occur.

Now, I don’t think that people like the commenter above make up the majority of the Democratic coalition, but I think that there are enough of them to constitute a substantial voting bloc in Democratic politics. That’s why candidates like Ned Lamont don’t want to talk about the War on Terror, and thus put forth no plan for winning the War on Terror (and are willing to simply accept a truce with terrorists), because simply acknowledging the existence of an enemy that has the means and intentions to attack the US would alienate the sizeable hard-left base that Democrats need to win elections.

Do you really want to elect a political party into power that is trying to accomodate people like "Mike" in its anti-terror strategy?

Posted by: Andrew at August 10, 2006 10:14 AM

Mike, just like a panty wearing liberal to complain that he has to untie his Ralph Lauren tennis shoes at check-in and now poor Mikey can't bring his designer water bottle on the plane...

...instead blame "conservatives" and not the sick s.o.b.'s involved in the plot...

...lets just sit back, like in the Clinton years and let our enemies re-group, plot and execute several attacks against U.S. interests per year...

...you, and the likes of you place your hatred of the President of the United States above the safety of the American people.

Since when have liberals ever really cared about liberty anyway!

Posted by: roadrunner at August 10, 2006 10:39 AM

Mike's comments represent a sad commentary on the state of politics in this country. Why do I say politics? Because this very real war against a very real enemy has been undermined by the political criticism of those that disagree with the current administration on issues that may or may not include the handling of the war in iraq and the response to 9/11.

Mike, as someone who was in NY on 9/11; as someone who's brother-in-law was at the WTC on 9/11; who's friends' family were lost; who saw the devestation first hand after the attack; and who's friends have gone off to war, I can attest to the fact that al-qaeda IS very real, their determination IS to be warry of, and they ARE a true threat to the national security of America, its people, and its economy. If you can't understand that, then please, return to your blissful state of ignorance and save your snide comments for guests to your ivory tower.

I wonder. If this were 1942 instead of 2006, would you be making these claims against FDR (who imprisoned Japanese Americans, cracked down on German sympathizers, and sent millions of American GIs to war)?

Posted by: johnb at August 10, 2006 12:28 PM

Kudos to the British authorities for nailing these guys - excellent work, mates.
Even more evidence that the resources we've blown on the Iraq misadventure would've been better invested in securing our airports and port facilities against terrorist threats - liberal and conservative alike can agree on that. The ability to sniff and stop threats like this one - now THAT's what homeland security is all about.

Posted by: Rhody at August 10, 2006 1:53 PM

Kudos to Rhody for posting a reasoned response (that I wholly disagree with) to this thread rather than the inane rhetoric offered by Mike earlier.

Now at least we can disagree with each other like rational people

Posted by: johnb at August 10, 2006 2:09 PM

-Now, I don’t think that people like the commenter above make up the majority of the Democratic coalition-

Democrat? I am a libertarian sick of the fascists who masquerade as "conservatives" with their new motto-"As Government expands liberty expands". Also, I am sick of the nuclear armed apatheid Israeli tail wagging the American dog.

nowarforisrael.com/

Posted by: Mike at August 11, 2006 10:02 AM

mike,

how is fighting a war on terror (hezbollah included) expanding government? i agree that DHS is a bloated waste of money, but dismissing the threat of terrorism to spite what you view as a new big-government conservative movement is totally illogical

Posted by: johnb at August 11, 2006 10:59 AM