'Plot to blow up planes' foiled

[indra]

Well this is lovely.

From BBC news. linke here

A terrorist plot to blow up planes in mid-flight from the UK to the US has been disrupted, Scotland Yard has said.
It is thought the plan was to detonate up to three explosive devices smuggled on aircraft in hand luggage.

Police have arrested about 18 people in the London area after an anti-terrorist operation lasting several months.

Security at all airports in the UK has been tightened and delays are reported. MI5 has raised the UK threat level to critical - the highest possible.

According to MI5's website, critical threat level means "an attack is expected imminently and indicates an extremely high level of threat to the UK".

Home Secretary John Reid confirmed that there had apparently been a plot "to bring down a number of aircraft through mid-flight explosions causing a considerable loss of life".

According to BBC sources the "principal characters" suspected of being involved in the plot were British-born.

In other major developments:


The US Department of Homeland Security said the increased threat level applied to commercial flights originating in the UK

The Home Office confirmed there had been three meetings overnight and on Thursday morning of the Cabinet's emergency committee, Cobra, chaired by Mr Reid, to discuss the terror alert

A spokesman for Number 10 said Tony Blair had briefed US President George Bush on the situation during the night

All passengers were banned from taking hand luggage onto flights, while the government warned of delays. Heathrow Airport has warned travellers to stay at home if possible

Heathrow airport operator BAA asked that all in-bound services not already in the air be suspended, National Air Traffic Services said

BBC home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford said he did not think the police believed an attack was imminent.

"The reason for raising the threat level is in case there is some other sub-plot, back-up plot around this that the police aren't aware of," he said.

Scotland Yard said in a statement that their investigation into the alleged plot was a "major operation" which would be "lengthy and complex".

"We would like to reassure the public that this operation was carried out with public safety uppermost in our minds."


Prime Minister Tony Blair is on holiday in the Caribbean, but Downing Street said the police operation was undertaken with his full support and he had been "in constant touch".


Transparent bags

The Department for Transport set out the details of the security measures at UK airports.

Passengers will not be allowed to take any hand luggage on to any flights in the UK, the department said.

Only the barest essentials - including passports and wallets - will be allowed to be carried on board in transparent plastic bags.

"We hope that these measures, which are being kept under review by the government, will need to be in place for a limited period only," the statement said.

At Heathrow Airport, BBC presenter Fiona Bruce said there were "ranks of people" unable to get into the terminal.

"Terminal One is completely at a standstill. Nobody is being checked in at all."


She said it was "jam-packed", but passengers were managing to remain "good natured".

BBC journalist Joe Lynam encountered the increased security measures at Gatwick airport.

"I was handed a piece of paper saying that pretty much nothing could be taken on board the plane," he said.

"Everything had to be checked in and that includes mobile phones, ipods, wallets - even spectacle cases had to be checked in."

British Airways said that passengers who do not wish to fly on Thursday can rebook on flights leaving over the next two weeks.

David Learmount from Flight International Magazine said he expected passengers to be searched much more carefully.

He added: "This is the first time this measure has actually been taken. Certainly I've never seen hand luggage banned."

 

[Down Under]

Not good

Just saw it on the TV news when I came home

 

[A_Wanderer]

Bloody Zoroastrians

 

[Pearl]

 

[dazzlingamy]

This completely fucks me off. This now calls for armed secuirty to be on every single airplane taking off from every airport in the world.

For travellers, this is total bullshit. These wankers have already made me fearful of flying and so many othe rpeople at all.

 

[trevster2k]

Stop being frightened. There will be another major terrorist attack at some point on western countries. Fortunately, they have been able to thwart this apparent conspiracy. You are more likely to die in a car crash or from a fall than as a victim of a terrorist attack.

 

[ClaytonMan]

The main thing is that its foiled, although they are concerned of alternative methods of terrorism ie contigency plans etc.

Im going on a plane next week, not frightnening me one bit. and thats how it should be

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I don't think it's reasonable to expect people to stop being frightened, it's a natural human reaction. Fact is these possibilities exist every time you get on a plane, it's really heightened obviously by something like this. It tends to make you feel generalized fear even if you don't have to get on a plane-I went for a walk this morning and just felt some sort of general fear and dread. Planes flew overhead and I thought about all of it. When I got home my prevailing thought was how much I hate having to live in the world the way it is today. How much I hate that it is that way. Unfortunately it's never going to go back.

The reality is that if this hadn't been stopped, it would have been worse than anything we have seen in terms of loss of life. They are speculating about at least 9 planes.

 

[silja]

This now calls for armed secuirty to be on every single airplane taking off from every airport in the world.

No thank you please.

I was supposed to fly to Barcelona today… but no. I’ve already postponed the trip once and I hate to do it again but the alternative is to hire a car and drive and with my stellar driving abilities I’ll be dead before I reach Paris. I guess Barcelona will have to wait.

At least it's eons better than the alternative and it's actually quite nice to get a few unplanned schedule-free days when the alternative is picking bodies out of the Atlantic.

And I agree Mrs. S. I hate what the world has become.

 

[A_Wanderer]

The world is a fantastic, wonderful and frightening place and I don't see anything wrong with that.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Sure it's still fantastic and wonderful, it's not all gloom and doom. I don't think and live that way, if I did I would have thrown in the towel a long time ago.

Still I grew up in a world that was significantly different (obviously it still had it's own terror and violence, but it was different), and one in which people didn't have to drink their baby's formula before they got on a plane in order to prove it didn't contain deadly explosives. I see nothing wrong with not wanting to exist like that.

 

[sami0201]

I'm supposed to fly home from NY to FL tomorrow. I know it wasn't in the US, but now I'm scared shitless (and I'm usually totally fine with flying). Tell me I'll be okay.

 

[Numb1075]

Can't these A$$holes get another hobby other than trying to blow up commerical airplanes w/ liquid explosives......try knitting or taking up cooking classes.....a$$holes

 

[fly so high!]

I'm supposed to fly home from NY to FL tomorrow. I know it wasn't in the US, but now I'm scared shitless (and I'm usually totally fine with flying). Tell me I'll be okay.

You will be OK Sami0201.

 

[AaronMcKie]

I'm supposed to fly home from NY to FL tomorrow. I know it wasn't in the US, but now I'm scared shitless (and I'm usually totally fine with flying). Tell me I'll be okay.

You're going to be fine



I'm taking a flight from Chicago to FL, not too worried about it, except for the extra time spent in the security line.

 

[melon]

Can't these A$$holes et another hobby other than trying to blow up commerical airplanes w/ liquid explosives......try knitting or taking up cooking classes.....a$$holes

The Middle East has had long-term double-digit unemployment. So, no, they really don't have anything else to do.

Melon

 

[trevster2k]

You will be ok, sami.

http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/050106_odds_of_dying.html

http://www.anxietyandstress.com/sys-tmpl/terrorismandyouwhataretheodds/

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/07/13/the_six_most_feared_but_least_likely_causes_of_death.htm


I wish the media would cut the ominous background music and sensationalizing of the events. This just increases anxiety instead of lessening it. The role of the media and government should be to reduce fears not increase them, the terrorists are already doing an excellent job of increasing fear. I agree with extra precautions but someone should put this in perspective for everyone.

 

[A_Wanderer]

The Middle East has had long-term double-digit unemployment. So, no, they really don't have anything else to do.

Melon

Sorry doesn't cut it, recent terror plots have involved native born men who practice Islam, even middle class guys who had a strong reversion to faith - they are a step removed from the restless Arab youth and in many instances they are not Arabs at all, rather of South Asian and even European extraction.

 

[Numb1075]

The Middle East has had long-term double-digit unemployment. So, no, they really don't have anything else to do.

Melon

Wrong answer

I've been unemployed and didn't attempt to kill people for sport.

 

[melon]

Wrong answer

Cute.

I've been unemployed and didn't attempt to kill people for sport.

If you faced living in a nation with 25%+ unemployment with no prospect of that changing in your lifetime and a government so corrupt and autocratic and unchangeable as to not care, I think you'd change your story. I say this, because many terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah, have wide appeal for their social services, which fill the void that government has left behind. After they feed you and give you money, they then convince you to give your undying loyalty to their cause. It's quite a racket, really, because both Hamas and Hezbollah are held in very high esteem in the Middle East because of their social services.

The Shi'ite minority in Lebanon, for instance, is also the poorest demographic in pluralistic Lebanon. As Lebanon has also historically ignored Southern Lebanon, in terms of infrastructure building, the people look to Hezbollah. In fact, many people have mentioned that most of the paved roads in Southern Lebanon were built by Israel back when they occupied it. It's conditions like this that perpetuate terrorism.

I don't have sympathy for terrorists, but if you wonder why there seems to be an endless supply of suicidal maniacs, it's pretty clear.

Melon

 

[Numb1075]

Ok Melon, it makes perfect sense now. these people have no choice but to kill people they never met....brutally....having them explode in the sky at 30,000 feet.

 

[melon]

Ok Melon, it makes perfect sense now. these people have no choice but to kill people they never met....brutally....having them explode in the sky at 30,000 feet.

You certainly find it easy to hate and dehumanize a group of people you've never met too. It doesn't take a lot of effort.

If you don't like what I'm saying, then tell me. What is the root cause of Islamic terrorism?

Melon

 

[prideofzootv]

yeh great perfect but will you guys SHUT UP! my dads stuck in fucking Germany cos of these ass holes! i want to see him come home you know?! and its not making my life easier either when im supposed to be flying soon the other end of the country for a year, what do you think people will think seeing me come on with huge fucking bags weighing loads of weight?

they will probably think explosives or somet now, just shut up about it oooook?

god!

*think calm think calm hes coming home hes comin home*

 

[Numb1075]

You certainly find it easy to hate and dehumanize a group of people you've never met too. It doesn't take a lot of effort.

If you don't like what I'm saying, then tell me. What is the root cause of Islamic terrorism?

Melon

Yes it's true that I don't like that these people are trying to blow us up. Yeah, I'm the bad guy because I have hatred for them. Their "buddies" killed some of my friends & neighbors in the WTC and severly destroyed my mothers building which was across the street from WTC while she was in it. BUT, I still won't blow up a plane filled w/ muslims.

We can agree to disagree and that's cool.

PrideofZootv - I'm flying in a few weeks as well and I'm not happy about it - as a matter of fact, I'm extremely nervous (Guess the terrorists already won). But, if reading this thread bothers you too much, perhaps you should not open this thread.

 

[Irvine511]

Ok Melon, it makes perfect sense now. these people have no choice but to kill people they never met....brutally....having them explode in the sky at 30,000 feet.

yes, let's not even bother to pause for a moment and consider why the world is as messed up as it is and why there are so many suicidal maniacs. it must be because they lack character. or maybe they're just evil. either way, i don't want to have to think about it. just kill them all. and you're not the only person on this board who lost people in the WTC, or had relatives and close family friends run out of the building just ahead of the cloud of dust.

but on a more serious note, this is sad, and disturbing, and things will probably be fine. i am encouraged that there appears to be such good international communication on these things, and a big to Scotland Yard.

truly, this is what allies do, they protect each other.

 

[Liesje]

Scary. I just spent and hour last night reading through the Interference Sept. 11 thread, and now this...

I'm glad my dad is home today (he flies a lot to Western Europe and Israel).

 

[silja]

I wish the media would cut the ominous background music and sensationalizing of the events. This just increases anxiety instead of lessening it. The role of the media and government should be to reduce fears not increase them, the terrorists are already doing an excellent job of increasing fear. I agree with extra precautions but someone should put this in perspective for everyone.

Yes, it's getting ridiculous. I went to Heathrow this morning because calling the airline to get information about my flight was about as successful as flapping my arms and hope to get airborne myself. So I get home, turn on the telly, and see a bloke from CNN reporting on the ‘chaos and fear gripping air travellers’. Not the ones I met. They were mostly a bit impatient. I’ll admit that the poor clerk at the BA service desk who had the misfortune of brightening my day looked like he had been run over by a mid-sized chaos though.

The job of journalists is to report truthfully, but unfortunately the job of the media seems to be to earn money for the shareholders.

Originally posted by prideofzootv
yeh great perfect but will you guys SHUT UP! my dads stuck in fucking Germany cos of these ass holes! i want to see him come home you know?! and its not making my life easier either when im supposed to be flying soon the other end of the country for a year, what do you think people will think seeing me come on with huge fucking bags weighing loads of weight?

they will probably think explosives or somet now, just shut up about it oooook?

god!

*think calm think calm hes coming home hes comin home*

Lufthansa will probably try to book people through Frankfurt and Munich. And you can say a lot about Lufthansa but they’re very German so they’ll find a way.

 

[Irvine511]

The job of journalists is to report truthfully, but unfortunately the job of the media seems to be to earn money for the shareholders.

people will start to understand that the media isn't really liberal, it merely promotes various corporate interests.

 

[silja]

people will start to understand that the media isn't really liberal, it merely promotes various corporate interests.

Oh sorry, I forgot that we’re supposed to keep that a secret. Well, I have to get back to plotting world domination...

 

[MaxFisher]

The UK airports are a complete shit storm today.