We have disrupted a terrorist plan to commit

One year after the terrible attacks of the London underground, the United Kingdom was, according to Scotland Yard, escaped, yesterday, narrowly to a new tragedy: British police announced circumvented an international conspiracy to bomb several airliners in flight between Britain and the United States. "We have disrupted a terrorist plan to commit (...)". "a murder in mass," said Paul Stephenson, Deputy Chief of the British police.

Three large American Airlines have been particularly affected, said an official of the US intelligence services. The terrorists wanted to board aircraft destined for at least five cities in the United States, "tourist destinations: New York, Washington and Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago. The conspiracy concerned "up to ten flights", according to the same source. Suicide bombers wanted to carry the bombs in their hand luggage and make them jump once the aircraft in flight. They have opted for liquid explosives, said Paul Chertoff, the American Minister to homeland security.

The conspiracy was "une global dimension" and meant "a large number of people" both in the UK from abroad, said the head of the anti-terrorist unit of the British police, Peter Clarke. Twenty-four suspects have been arrested (five would be always sought) on the night in London, its suburbs and Birmingham, in the centre of England. According to several television channels, was from Muslim British of the Pakistani community. But police simply mention "of the people behind some religions".

Monsters mobs

The investigation could lead to Al-Qaeda, responsible for the attacks of 11 September 2001 in the United States, according to Paul Chertoff. A view shared by many experts, for which only the terrorist Nebula has the ambition and the means to carry out a dramatic project. Even if the links between Osama bin Laden's organization and the London bombings, last year, have never been clearly demonstrated.

Scotland Yard was watching, it seems, the suspects and the preparations for the plot for months. The White House indicated that George w. Bush had been informed of what was going on "these last days". On holiday on the island of Barbados since Tuesday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair also welcomed yesterday, "the enormous cooperation with the US authorities".

Just the suspects arrested, the United Kingdom immediately placed himself in a State of maximum alert, adopting exceptional security measures causing chaos at all airports in the country and in the European sky. The strengthening of controls at London-Heathrow and other airports immediately resulted in queues and monsters mobs. All the passengers were searched in the body and the hand luggage limited to what is strictly necessary (see page 3).

BAA, the British airports operator, has not closed Heathrow, but requested the suspension of all flights until the middle of the afternoon destined for this airport that had not yet taken off. But British Airways chose to cancel its domestic and European flights to departure and destination of Heathrow, first European terminal in terms of passengers carried all day. Many companies air European made, at least in the morning, and said building all day on by larger disturbances in origin and destination of London. However, most of the major US airlines said yesterday keep their plans for flights to Britain.