2006 transatlantic aircraft plot
Encyclopedia
| 2006 transatlantic airline plots in the United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
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| Timeline Timeline of the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot The following is the timeline of events linked to the British terror alert on 10 August 2006.Mid August10 August-11 August:-12 August:-13 August:-14 August:-15 August:-16 August:-17 August:-18 August:-19 August:... |
| Suspects 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot suspects According to British and American authorities, the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board several airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States.... |
| Security reaction 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot security reaction This article details the security reaction to the 2006 alleged transatlantic aircraft plot.-United Kingdom:Following the raids, the terror alert level was raised by Britain's Joint Terrorist Analysis Centre from 'severe' to 'critical', signalling an attack was believed to be imminent, although this... |
Explosive material
An explosive material, also called an explosive, is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure...
carried on board at least 10 airliner
Airliner
An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such aircraft are operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an aircraft intended for carrying multiple passengers in commercial...
s travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada. The plot was discovered and foiled by British police before it could be carried out and, as a result, unprecedented security measures were immediately put in place.
The restrictions were gradually relaxed in the following weeks, but the right of passengers to carry liquids onto commercial aircraft is still limited.
Of the approximately 24 suspects
2006 transatlantic aircraft plot suspects
According to British and American authorities, the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board several airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States....
who were arrested in and around London on the night of 9 August 2006, eleven were charged with terrorism offenses on 21 August, two on 25 August (subsequently discharged on 1 November), and a further three on 30 August. Eight men (Ahmed Abdullah Ali, Assad Sarwar, Tanvir Hussain, Oliver Savant, Arafat Khan, Waheed Zaman, Umar Islam, Mohammed Gulzar) were charged in connection with the plot. The trial began in April 2008 and ended in September. The jury failed to reach a verdict on charges of conspiracy to kill by blowing up aircraft, but the court did find three guilty of conspiracy to murder. In September 2009, a second trial (of the eight men excluding Gulzar but with the addition of Donald Stewart-Whyte) found Ali, Sarwar, and Hussain guilty of the plot.
In July 2010, Ibrahim Savant, Arafat Khan and Waheed Zaman were found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court and sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy to murder. They must serve a minimum of 20 years in prison before being eligible for release.
Surveillance
In Pakistan, a British man from Birmingham named Rashid RaufRashid Rauf
Rashid Rauf was an alleged Al-Qaeda operative. He was a dual citizen of Britain and Pakistan who was arrested in Bhawalpur, Pakistan in connection with the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot in August 2006, a day before some arrests were made in Britain...
is believed to have put plotters in touch with al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
's leadership. When Ahmed Ali, who was under police surveillance, returned from Pakistan in June 2006, investigators secretly opened his baggage. Inside they found a powdered soft drink—Tang
Tang (drink)
Tang is a fruit-flavored breakfast drink. Originally formulated by General Foods Corporation food scientist William A. Mitchell in 1957, it was first marketed in powdered form in 1959....
—and a large number of batteries. It was enough to raise suspicions and in the following weeks, the police mounted the UK's largest surveillance operation, calling on an additional 220 officers from other forces.
Assad Sarwar (from High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
) was seen buying items that did not appear to fit with his daily needs, and which may have had a potentially deadly context. On one occasion, surveillance officers watched him dispose of empty hydrogen peroxide bottles at a recycling centre. Sarwar and Ali were seen meeting in an east London park. When MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
covertly entered a flat being used by Ali, they found what appeared to be a bomb factory. They left behind a camera and microphone, and on 3 August Ali and Tanvir Husain were seen constructing devices out of drink bottles. Surveillance officers watched Ali spend two hours in an internet cafe researching flight timetables.
Arrests
On 10 August 2006, British police arrested 25 suspects.The arrests were made in London, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, and High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, in an overnight operation. Two of the arrests were made in the Birmingham area, where firearms officers were not involved, and five were made in High Wycombe. The key suspects were British-born Muslims, some of Pakistani descent. Three of the suspects were recent converts
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
Nineteen of the suspects had their finances frozen. Seventeen of the suspects were later charged with conspiracy to murder and commit acts of terrorism or failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism. Eight of the suspects were released without charge. Another seven suspects were arrested in Pakistan on charges related to the alleged plot.
Police said they had been observing this plot for months, and that the "investigation reached a critical point last night (9 August 2006) when the decision was made to take urgent action in order to disrupt what we believe was being planned." An undercover British agent had infiltrated the group, according to American government sources. According to Franco Frattini, the European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom & Security
European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom & Security
The Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship is a post in the European Commission. The current commissioner is Viviane Reding....
, "the plotters received a very short message to 'Go now'." However, it was not clear when the attacks were supposed to have been launched, and the New York Times has since reported that the plans were at an earlier stage than was initially stated.
British authorities carried out a total of 69 searches of residences, businesses, vehicles and open spaces, which have netted bomb-making equipment and chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke said on 21 August. "As well as the bomb-making equipment, we have found more than 400 computers, 200 mobile telephones and 8,000 items of removable storage media such as memory sticks, CDs and DVDs," he said. "So far, from the computers alone, we have removed some 6,000 gigabytes of data." It will take "many months" for investigators to analyse all of the data, he said. Police said they found a list of flights on a memory stick belonging to Mr. Ali following his arrest. The memory stick allegedly listed scheduled flights from three carriers – American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
and Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
.
Disagreement over when to make the arrests
NBC NewsNBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
reported disagreement between the United States and Britain over when to make the arrests. According to NBC News, a senior British official contended that an attack was not imminent, noting that the suspects had not yet purchased airline tickets and some did not even have passports; he urged that the investigation continue to collect more evidence. The report noted that this official's statement was contrary to statements by other British officials previously reported in the press.
The same source also told NBC News that the United States had threatened to use extraordinary rendition
Extraordinary rendition
Extraordinary rendition is the abduction and illegal transfer of a person from one nation to another. "Torture by proxy" is used by some critics to describe situations in which the United States and the United Kingdom have transferred suspected terrorists to other countries in order to torture the...
upon suspected ringleader Rashid Rauf
Rashid Rauf
Rashid Rauf was an alleged Al-Qaeda operative. He was a dual citizen of Britain and Pakistan who was arrested in Bhawalpur, Pakistan in connection with the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot in August 2006, a day before some arrests were made in Britain...
in Pakistan, or to pressure the Pakistan government to arrest him, if he were not immediately taken into custody. A United States official acknowledged this disagreement over the timing of arrests and that a British official believed that an attack was not imminent. However, Frances Townsend
Frances Townsend
Frances M. Fragos Townsend is the former Homeland Security Advisor to United States President George W. Bush and TV personality. Townsend was appointed to this position by President Bush on May 28, 2004. Her resignation was announced November 19, 2007...
, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, denied the report of a dispute: "There was no disagreement between US and UK officials."
In Ron Suskind
Ron Suskind
Ron Suskind is a Pulitzer Prize winning American journalist and best-selling author. He was the senior national affairs writer for The Wall Street Journal from 1993 to 2000 and has published the books A Hope in the Unseen, The Price of Loyalty, The One Percent Doctrine, The Way of the World and...
's The Way of the World
The Way of the World (book)
The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism is a 2008 non-fiction book by Ron Suskind, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, describing various actions and policies of the George W. Bush administration...
(2008), Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
is reported to have "ordered" the arrest of Rauf in Pakistan in August 2006, apparently with a view to providing good news ahead of the US 2006 mid-term elections.
Responsibility
Paul Beaver, a British terrorismTerrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
expert, has said that it appears possible that the militant
Militant
The word militant, which is both an adjective and a noun, usually is used to mean vigorously active, combative and aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in 'militant reformers'. It comes from the 15th century Latin "militare" meaning "to serve as a soldier"...
Islamic
Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
organisation al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
was behind the plot, which comes only weeks after the group threatened to attack British aviation. DHS Secretary Chertoff
Michael Chertoff
Michael Chertoff was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush and co-author of the USA PATRIOT Act. He previously served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as a federal prosecutor, and as assistant U.S. Attorney...
stated the plot was "getting close to the execution phase", and that it was "suggestive of an al-Qaeda plot".
Liquid explosives
The alleged plotters allegedly planned to use peroxideOrganic peroxide
Organic peroxides are organic compounds containing the peroxide functional group . If the R' is hydrogen, the compound is called an organic hydroperoxide. Peresters have general structure RCOOR. The O-O bond easily breaks and forms free radicals of the form RO·...
-based liquid explosives
Explosive material
An explosive material, also called an explosive, is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure...
. US authorities named two peroxides that could be used: acetone peroxide
Acetone peroxide
Acetone peroxide is an organic peroxide and a primary high explosive. It takes the form of a white crystalline powder with a distinctive bleach-like odor....
(TATP) and hexamethylene triperoxide diamine
Hexamethylene triperoxide diamine
Hexamethylene triperoxide diamine is ahigh explosive organic compound, first synthesised in 1885 by Legler. The theorised structure lent itself well to acting as an initiating, or primary explosive...
(HMTD). These "are sensitive to heat, shock, and friction, can be initiated simply with fire or electrical charge, and can also be used to produce improvised detonators." According to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, police sources have confirmed that the plot involved TATP. According to the New York Times, the plotters wanted to use HMTD.
During the trial of the conspirators the prosecution stated that each alleged bomber would board a plane with the "necessary ingredients and equipment". They would then construct the devices mid-flight and detonate them. The alleged bombs would include 500 ml plastic bottles of the Oasis and Lucozade
Lucozade
Lucozade is an umbrella name for a 6 series of energy and sports drinks, produced by GlaxoSmithKline in Gloucestershire. The former company became part of Beecham and, after the mergers of SmithKline and Beecham in 2000, GlaxoSmithKline....
soft drinks. A sugary drink powder, Tang, would be mixed with hydrogen peroxide, which is widely available in the form of hair bleach, and with other organic materials. Hydrogen peroxide and the other ingredients can become explosive if mixed to a specific strength. The mixture would be injected into a bottle with the help of a syringe. The bottle's cap would not have been removed and the hole would have been resealed. The use of liquid explosives with dissolved powder is similar to the composition used in the 21 July 2005 London bombings
21 July 2005 London bombings
On 21 July 2005, four attempted bomb attacks disrupted part of London's public transport system two weeks after the 7 July 2005 London bombings. The explosions occurred around midday at Shepherd's Bush, Warren Street and Oval stations on London Underground, and on a bus in Shoreditch...
, using hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is the simplest peroxide and an oxidizer. Hydrogen peroxide is a clear liquid, slightly more viscous than water. In dilute solution, it appears colorless. With its oxidizing properties, hydrogen peroxide is often used as a bleach or cleaning agent...
and chapatti flour, detonated by a booster explosive.
A second substance, a type of high explosive, would be hidden within an AA battery
AA battery
An AA battery is a standard size of battery. Batteries of this size are the most commonly used type of in portable electronic devices. An AA battery is composed of a single electrochemical cell...
; this small explosive charge would be sufficient to detonate the main bomb. The charge would be detonated by linking the bottle of explosives to a light bulb and a disposable camera. The charge from the camera's flash unit would be enough to trigger the explosion.
On 28 August 2006, the New York Times reported that seven martyrdom tapes made by six suspects were recovered. This was confirmed by prosecution during the subsequent trial.
Flights targeted
The court reviewing the case heard from prosecutors that the suspects did not restrict themselves to the following flights; the prosecutors said that the suspects talked about including 18 suicide bombers and that they examined Denver, Boston, and Miami as destinations to target possibly along with the other flights.United Airlines Flight 931 to San Francisco departing at 14:15 on a Boeing 777 Air Canada Flight 849 to Toronto-Pearson departing at 15:00 on an Airbus A330 Air Canada Flight 865 to Montreal-Trudeau departing at 15:15 on an Airbus A330 United Airlines Flight 959 to Chicago-O'Hare departing at 15:40 on a Boeing 777 United Airlines Flight 925 to Washington-Dulles departing at 16:20 on a Boeing 777 American Airlines Flight 131 to New York-JFK departing at 16:35 on a Boeing 777 American Airlines Flight 91 to Chicago-O'Hare departing at 16:50 on a Boeing 777
Pakistan's role
Initial reactions praised Pakistan's assistance in stopping the plot before its execution. However, later press reports have questioned Pakistan's claimed commitment to the War on TerrorismWar on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
.
Other press reports that the alleged bombers were funded by "charities" intended to help victims of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake
2005 Kashmir earthquake
The 2005 Kashmir earthquake was a major earthquake centered in Pakistan-administered Kashmir known as Azad Kashmir, near the city of Muzaffarabad, affecting Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It occurred at 08:52:37 Pakistan Standard Time on 8 October 2005...
. The FBI and Scotland Yard investigated links to militants and the flow of money to the conspirators. Pakistan and international press also reported that Rashid Rauf, the key player in the plot, had links with the Jaish-e-Mohammed
Jaish-e-Mohammed
Jaish-e-Mohammed is a Pakistani-based, militant Islamic group established by Maulana Masood Azhar in March 2000...
, a Kashmir militant group banned by several countries. Media reports state that he has close family ties to Maulana Masood Azhar
Maulana Masood Azhar
Maulana Masood Azhar is a Pakistani mujaheddin leader and the founder of the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, based mainly in the Pakistan-administered portion of the state of Kashmir....
, one of the most wanted criminals in India.
In Pakistan, law enforcement authorities continued to interrogate Rashid Rauf, a Briton of Pakistani descent, over his alleged key role in the plot. Pakistani Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said British police were conducting inquiries in Pakistan but were not involved in questioning Rauf. The UK Foreign Office sought Rauf's extradition from Pakistan, and it was reported that Pakistan plans to accept the request. However, in mid-December 2006, terrorism charges against Rauf were dropped by a Pakistani judge, who ruled there was a lack of evidence. Rauf's case was transferred from a terrorism court to a regular court where he faced lesser charges including forgery. The charges were later dropped, and Rauf was reported killed in a US drone attack in Pakistan in November 2008.
Political reaction
Prior to the arrests, the plot was discussed at a high level of government, with then Prime MinisterPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
knowing about it for months, and alerting President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to the investigation on Sunday 6 August 2006.
On 9 August, hours before the arrests, the then Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
John Reid gave a major speech to Demos
Demos (UK think tank)
- History :Demos was founded in 1993 by former Marxism Today editor Martin Jacques, and Geoff Mulgan, who became its first director. It was formed in response to what Mulgan, Jacques and others saw as a crisis in politics in Britain, with voter engagement in decline and political institutions...
(a British think-tank) hinting at a new round of anti-terror legislation
Terrorism Acts (2000-present)
From 2000 to the present, the British Parliament passed a series of Terrorism Acts that were aimed at terrorism in general, rather than specifically focussed on terrorism related to Northern Ireland...
and claiming that the country was facing "probably the most sustained period of severe threat since the end of the second world war". The following day Reid broke the news along with Douglas Alexander
Douglas Alexander
Douglas Garven Alexander is a British Labour Party politician, who is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the shadow cabinet of Ed Miliband. He has held cabinet posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of State for Scotland and...
, the Transport Secretary.
Public announcement
On 10 August 2006 the Deputy CommissionerDeputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
The Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, commonly referred to simply as the Deputy Commissioner, is the second-in-command of London's Metropolitan Police Service. The rank is senior to Assistant Commissioner, but junior by one rank to Commissioner...
of the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
, Paul Stephenson
Paul Stephenson (police officer)
Sir Paul Robert Stephenson, QPM was the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, 2009-2011, the most senior police officer within the United Kingdom....
, said that the plot, aimed to destroy as many as ten aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
in mid-flight from the United Kingdom to the United States, using explosives brought on board in the suspects' hand luggage, was disrupted. News media reported that planned targets included American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
, Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
, and United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
flights from London Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
and London Gatwick
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
airports to Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles; Miami; Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
; Boston; Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
; New York City; San Francisco; Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
flights were also included, with destinations being Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Toronto. BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
security correspondent Gordon Corera
Gordon Corera
Gordon Corera is a British journalist. He is the Security Correspondent for the BBC.Corera studied modern history at St Peter's College, Oxford, followed by graduate studies in US foreign policy at Harvard University. He then worked on the re-election campaign of President Bill Clinton.Corera...
said the plot involved a series of simultaneous attacks, targeting three planes each time. Reports vary regarding the number of planes involved, ranging from three to twelve. In a press release, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security
United States Secretary of Homeland Security
The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the body concerned with protecting the American homeland and the safety of American citizens. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet. The position was created by the...
, Michael Chertoff
Michael Chertoff
Michael Chertoff was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush and co-author of the USA PATRIOT Act. He previously served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as a federal prosecutor, and as assistant U.S. Attorney...
, said "multiple commercial aircraft" were targeted. Some reports say the attacks were planned for 16 August, but police say no evidence specifying the date has been found. British officials have since stated that the estimate of ten aircraft was "speculative and exaggerated."
In the United States, the announcement was made during a joint press conference by the head of the Department of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff
Michael Chertoff
Michael Chertoff was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush and co-author of the USA PATRIOT Act. He previously served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as a federal prosecutor, and as assistant U.S. Attorney...
, the Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Alberto Gonzales
Alberto Gonzales
Alberto R. Gonzales was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. Gonzales was appointed to the post in February 2005 by President George W. Bush. Gonzales was the first Hispanic Attorney General in U.S. history and the highest-ranking Hispanic government official ever...
, and the Director of the FBI Robert Mueller
Robert Mueller
Robert Swan Mueller III is the 6th and current Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation .-Early life:...
. Chertoff refused to be drawn on questions about the design of the devices or whether any bombs had actually been built.
On the same day, President George Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
commented upon arrival in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
: "The recent arrests that our fellow citizens are now learning about are a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists
Islamofascism
The term Islamofascism is a neologism which draws an analogy between the ideological characteristics of specific Islamist movements from the turn of the 21st century on, and a broad range of European fascist movements of the early 20th century, neofascist movements, or totalitarianism.-Origins of...
who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation."
Responses
- On 12 August, British Muslim groups sent an open letter to the Prime Minister, stating that "current British government policy risks putting civilians at increased risk both in the UK and abroad." Many such groups and even certain sectors of UK government have suggested that (among other factors) the foreign policy position of the United Kingdom in places such as Palestine, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq is to a large extent responsible for the increasing radicalisation of young Muslims in the UK, thus promoting the possibility of actions like the 7 July 2005 London bombings7 July 2005 London bombingsThe 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
. The letter also states "Attacking civilians is never justified", and encourages the UK to reassess its foreign policy in order to maintain the safety of individuals both in the UK and abroad. In interviews with the BBC, John Reid described the letter as "a dreadful misjudgement", and former ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
leader Michael HowardMichael HowardMichael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
described it as "a form of blackmail". - Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Tony BlairTony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
was on holiday during these events, but decided not to return to Britain. Blair had been notified of the raid prior to its occurrence, and kept in constant contact with officials. He briefed PresidentPresidentA president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
about the raid overnight. - Britain's Deputy Prime MinisterDeputy Prime Minister of the United KingdomThe Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...
, John PrescottJohn PrescottJohn Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
, nominally running the UK government during Tony Blair's holiday, paid tribute to the way the UK reacted to what he called an "extraordinary past 36 hours… in the efforts to protect this country". He expressed his "deepest appreciation" to the "real dedication" shown by security services, police, transport staff and aviation companies and praised Home SecretaryHome SecretaryThe Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
Dr John Reid and Transport SecretarySecretary of State for TransportThe Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
Douglas AlexanderDouglas AlexanderDouglas Garven Alexander is a British Labour Party politician, who is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the shadow cabinet of Ed Miliband. He has held cabinet posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of State for Scotland and...
. Prescott added that the British public had acted "calmly, sensitively and with great patience."
Skeptical responses to the arrests
Several commentators expressed scepticismSkepticism
Skepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
over the allegations. Many mentioned the Forest Gate raid
2 June 2006 Forest Gate raid
The 2 June 2006 Forest Gate raid saw the arrest of two men at their east London homes in Forest Gate by police acting on what they described as "specific intelligence" that they might be terrorists in possession of a chemical bomb. One of the men was shot during the raid. No explosive devices were...
, the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes
Jean Charles de Menezes
Jean Charles de Menezes was a Brazilian man shot in the head seven times at Stockwell tube station on the London Underground by the London Metropolitan police, after he was misidentified as one of the fugitives involved in the previous day's failed bombing attempts...
and the Iraq War, all based on intelligence
Intelligence (information gathering)
Intelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...
that turned out to be wrong, as reasons for their doubts. Muslim sections of the British population were also reportedly sceptical that the plot was carried out by other Muslims.
Former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray
Craig Murray
Craig John Murray is a British political activist, former ambassador to Uzbekistan and former Rector of the University of Dundee....
was sceptical of the account of the plot. He based his criticism on the facts that "None of the alleged terrorists had made a bomb. None had bought a plane ticket. Many did not have passports." He also suggested that suspected ringleader Rashid Rauf invented the plot under torture in Pakistan.
The Register
The Register
The Register is a British technology news and opinion website. It was founded by John Lettice, Mike Magee and Ross Alderson in 1994 as a newsletter called "Chip Connection", initially as an email service...
ran a story on the practicalities of producing TATP on board an airplane from constituent liquids and concluded that, while theoretically possible, the chances of success would be extremely low. Although following additional details revealed at the trial The Register
The Register
The Register is a British technology news and opinion website. It was founded by John Lettice, Mike Magee and Ross Alderson in 1994 as a newsletter called "Chip Connection", initially as an email service...
wrote that the plot and bombing method chosen was viable
On 18 September, retired Lieutenant-Colonel Nigel Wylde, a former senior British Army Intelligence Officer with decades of anti-terror and explosives experience, declared the plot to be "fiction". He said the explosives in question could not possibly have been produced on the plane. "So who came up with the idea that a bomb could be made on board? Not Al Qaeda for sure. It would not work. Bin Laden is interested in success not deterrence by failure," Wylde stated. He further suggested that the plot was an invention of the UK security services in order to justify wide-ranging new security measures that threaten to permanently curtail civil liberties and to suspend sections of the Human Rights Act of 1998. Due to the mountain of evidence, including forensic material, he expected the men to face "a very long trial of (between) five and eight months."
Security reaction
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
.
United Kingdom
Following the raids, the terror alert level was raised by the Joint Terrorist Analysis CentreJoint Terrorist Analysis Centre
The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre is an all-source intelligence organisation closely related to the United Kingdom Security Service which provides advice to the British government and firms within the Critical National Infrastructure on terrorist threats.Operating from Thames House on Millbank...
from 'severe' to 'critical', signalling an attack was believed to be imminent, although this was only done after the raid. On 14 August 2006 the threat level was reduced from 'Critical' to 'Severe'.
In the immediate aftermath of the raids, no hand luggage was allowed except for a very few essentials such as travel documents and wallets. Hand baggage was reintroduced at some smaller airports on 14 August, but was not permitted at Heathrow and Gatwick Airports until 15 August. The size of baggage was restricted to 45 cm × 35 cm × 16 cm, but this was increased to 56 cm × 45 cm × 25 cm as of 22 September 2006.
Despite having made it clear in August that the unprecedented security measures were "here to stay", at the end of September, upon pressure from the industry representatives and professional musicians, the British government relaxed the restrictions on size to the aviation industry standard (56 cm × 45 cm × 25 cm) and allowed musical instruments as carry-on luggage.
On 6 November 2006 the restrictions were relaxed once again to allow limited amounts of liquids in the cabin.
In November 2007 Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly
Ruth Kelly
Ruth Maria Kelly is a British Labour Party politician of Irish descent who was the Member of Parliament for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010...
announced that from 8 January 2008 British airports will be able to allow more than one item of hand luggage on board. This was following criticism in October by the shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers
Theresa Villiers
Theresa Anne Villiers is a British Conservative Party politician. She is the Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet and the Minister of State for Transport.She was appointed as a Privy Counsellor on 9 June 2010.-Early life:...
, who said that because of the restrictive rules, Heathrow was "rapidly becoming a national embarrassment". Chief executive of British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
Willie Walsh was also critical, saying that they are "damaging the UK's reputation around the world from a business perspective". However, the implementation of this new rule is subject to the discretion of the individual airports, and at some airports, differs depending on the airline travelled with.
United States
Following the operation, United States Homeland Security banned all liquids and gels except baby formula and prescription medications in the name of the ticket holder in carry-on luggage on all flights. The DHS levelHomeland Security Advisory System
In the United States, the Homeland Security Advisory System was a color-coded terrorism threat advisory scale. The different levels trigger specific actions by federal agencies and state and local governments, and they affect the level of security at some airports and other public facilities. It...
in the United States was raised to 'severe' (red) for all flights from the UK. The terror level for all other domestic or non-British international flights to the United States was raised to High (orange).
As of 13 August 2006, airline passengers in the United States could take up to 3.4 USoz ounces of non-prescription medicine, glucose gel for diabetics, solid lipstick, and baby food aboard flights. The TSA also began demanding that passengers remove their shoes so they may be X-rayed before boarding.
Eventually, it became that passengers are allowed only a certain amount of liquid aboard an aircraft in carry-on luggage. The restrictions do not apply to checked luggage. Liquids that measure 100 ml (9.00009000090001E-09 imp fl oz) or less are allowed, including aerosols. Another stipulation applies to the total size of each container (no larger than 3 oz), regardless of the total volume of the liquid. TSA standards require all non-medical liquids of appropriate volume be confined to a quart-sized plastic bag, with only one such bag allowed per passenger. Any non-medical (also called exemptable) liquids that do not fit in the bag are not permitted. This means that if the plastic bag is full, any excess liquids cannot be taken in carry-on. TSA officers are required to inform passengers of their options for excess liquids or liquids over the quantity limit. These are:
- Return to the air carrier ticketing counter and place a luggage item with the liquids into checked luggage.
- Return the liquid(s) to the passenger's vehicle, if able.
- If a non-traveling companion is available, the liquids may be turned over to them, provided they are not entering the secured areas of the airport.
- Surrender the liquid(s) to the TSA for disposal. (Note: if a companion is accompanying the passenger to the boarding gate, the companion is not able to leave his or her liquids with the TSA for retrieval by the non-ticketed companion)
Effect
Overall, an estimated 400,000 passengers were affected because of the alerts. It has been estimated that the first day of delays cost the airlines over £175 million.As many as 20,000 bags are believed to have been misplaced at Heathrow.
Flight cancellations on the 10 August
All international inbound flights to London Heathrow AirportLondon Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
were cancelled on the day of the arrests, most notably the Thursday short-haul flights of British Airways. Some flights to and from London Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
were also suspended, although US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
flights continued flying normally from Gatwick according to the airline's helpline. Passengers (connecting flights and non-connecting flights) in London Heathrow were asked to collect their luggage and wait until further notice. Later on that evening, some flights had resumed.
Service resumption
On Sunday 13 August, 30% of flights out of Heathrow were cancelled to reduce pressure on the screeners. By 15 August flight cancellations had fallen to 47 flights at Heathrow, and 8 Ryanair flights from Stansted. It was reported by BA that 10,000 items of baggage belonging to their passengers had gone missing. It was anticipated that cancellations would reduce on 16 August, with 90% of flights expected to depart as scheduled.
Controversy over the alert
On 12 August a public argument broke out between BAABAA plc
BAA Ltd. is the Spanish-owned operator of six British airports and Naples Airport in Italy, making the company one of the largest transport companies in the world. BAA stems from British Airports Authority and is owned by a consortium led by Grupo Ferrovial, a Spanish firm specialising in...
, the operator of Heathrow and other airports, and British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
, with Willie Walsh, BA's Chief Executive, accusing BAA of not being able to cope with the increased security and baggage checks. Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
also called on the British government to employ police and military reservists to speed up the full body searches which were now mandated.
Three days later on 12 August 2006 the owner and operator of London Heathrow, BAA
BAA plc
BAA Ltd. is the Spanish-owned operator of six British airports and Naples Airport in Italy, making the company one of the largest transport companies in the world. BAA stems from British Airports Authority and is owned by a consortium led by Grupo Ferrovial, a Spanish firm specialising in...
ordered airlines using the airport to make a 30 per cent reduction in departing passenger flights (something BA was already having to do as many passengers missed flights due to the extra time it took to clear security), to help reduce delays and cancellations.
On 18 August Ryanair's O'Leary delivered an ultimatum to the British government demanding the resumption of normal hand baggage dimensions and hand screening one passenger in four instead of one in two within one week, otherwise Ryanair would sue the Government for compensation under section 93 of the Transport Act 2000
Transport Act 2000
The Transport Act 2000 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It provided for a number of measures regarding transport in Great Britain, most notably, the first major change in the structure of the privatised railway system established under the Railways Act 1993...
. The government responded that the actions were taken under the Aviation Security Act 1982, and no compensation was payable.
Several pilots have complained about the "ridiculous" luggage restrictions that was thought up by "utter morons". Carolyn Evans, head of flight safety at the British Airline Pilots Association, said that "the procedures put in place are not sustainable long term, and unless the passengers are treated more reasonably we will not have an industry left".
The British government was criticized for scare mongering for its response to the alert and for using it to drive through unpopular reforms.
Economic effects
The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
commented the day after the arrests, that the economic effects were minor and that the FTSE 100 index showed only "mild signs of strain", suggesting that terror was already priced into assets, that the market impact will be contained, and that "what is lost on the swings may be gained on the roundabouts". It observed that the real commercial risk is that "people's behaviour is altered... change may come so subtly and subconsciously that it is hard to see, let alone measure… people may stop travelling for example, not because they are scared of being blown up, but because they are tired of complying with necessary security measures."
Estimates have also been made of the cost to airlines of their disrupted business. British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
had to cancel 1280 flights, at a cost of £40 million. Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
had to cancel 500 flights and sued the UK government for the £3.3 million the cancellations cost them. EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
had to cancel 469 flights, at a cost of about £4 million. BAA says the alert cost them £13 million.
Air passengers also switched to other means of travel, including SeaFrance ferries operating from Dover to Calais, and Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
.
BA considered making a claim for compensation against BAA, which operates Heathrow, for its failure to provide adequate security services and shortages of personnel during the crisis. In November 2006, BA claimed the increased security measures since August had cost it £100 million.
On 13 August, Michael O'Leary
Michael O'Leary (Ryanair)
Michael O'Leary is an Irish businessman and the Chief Executive Officer of the Irish airline Ryanair. He is one of Ireland's wealthiest businessmen.-Early life:...
, the chief executive of Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
, claimed that the chaos at airports meant that the terrorists were achieving their aims. On 25 August, O'Leary announced plans to sue the British Government over the disruption to his business.
Trial
Following the August 2006 arrests, The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
(upon the advice of its legal counsel) blocked IP addresses in Britain from accessing a story titled "Details Emerge in British Terror Case." If a user in Britain tried to access the article, he or she was met with a disclaimer: "On advice of legal counsel, this article is unavailable to readers of nytimes.com in Britain. This arises from the requirement in British law that prohibits publication of prejudicial information about the defendants prior to trial." Using software technology designed for targeted advertising, The New York Times was able to comply with laws stricter than those in the United States.
Eventually, only eight men (Ahmed Abdullah Ali, Assad Sarwar, Tanvir Hussain, Ibrahim Savant, Arafat Khan, Waheed Zaman, Umar Islam, Mohammed Gulzar) were charged in connection with the plot. The trial began in April 2008, and the prosecution began with the exhibition of suicide videos and the allegation that the suspects had bought chemicals.
In their defence, the seven men, who had recorded videos denouncing Western foreign policy, said they had only planned to cause a political spectacle and not to kill anyone. Ahmed Ali told the court that he intended to make the political statement by letting off a small device at Heathrow and scaring people, and that the plot did not involve attacking planes. All the accused, except for Mohammad Gulzar, admitted plotting to cause a public nuisance. Ali, Sarwar and Hussein also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause explosions.
On 8 November 2008 after more than 50 hours of deliberations, the jury did not find any of the defendants guilty of conspiring to target aircraft. The jury found Ali, Sarwar and Hussein guilty of conspiracy to murder charges but was unable to reach verdicts on charges relating to the alleged plot to blow up aircraft in respect of them.
Conviction and sentencing
On 7 September 2009, a second jury at Woolwich Crown Court found Ahmed Abdulla Ali, Assad Sarwar and Tanvir Hussain guilty of "conspiracy to murder involving liquid bombs" and therefore that the target of the conspiracy were airline passengers. The plot was said at court to have been discovered by MI5 using covert listening devices in a flat in east London. The jurors were unable to reach verdicts on those charges against Ibrahim Savant, Arafat Khan, Waheed Zaman or Unmar Islam. Umar Islam was however convicted on a separate charge of conspiracy to murder. A hearing on 5 October will decide whether Ibrahim Savant, 28, Arafat Khan, 28, and Waheed Zaman, 25, will face another trialMohammad Gulzar was found not guilty on all counts. Sarwar, 29, must serve at least 36 years, while Tanvir Hussain, 28, was jailed for at least 32 years at Woolwich Crown Court.
In July 2010, Ibrahim Savant, Arafat Khan and Waheed Zaman were found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court and sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy to murder. They must serve a minimum of 20 years in prison before being eligible for release.
Other airliner attacks
- Middle East Airlines Flight 438Middle East Airlines Flight 438Middle East Airlines Flight 438 a Boeing 720B, callsign CEDAR JET 438, was en route from Beirut to Dubai on 1 January 1976 when a bomb exploded in the forward cargo compartment. The aircraft broke up at an altitude of and crashed 37 km northwest of Al Qaysumah, Saudi Arabia.The bombers were...
In 1976, a bomb exploded a cargo bay of a Boeing 720B en route from Beirut, Lebanon to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The bombers were never identified. Lebanon was going through a civil war at the time. - Air India Flight 182Air India Flight 182Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montreal–London–Delhi route. On 23 June 1985, the airplane operating on the route a Boeing 747-237B named after Emperor Kanishka was blown up by a bomb at an altitude of , and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while in Irish airspace.A...
1985 transatlantic flight destroyed in-flight by PETN explosives placed in a stereo tuner by Sikh separatists. - Korean Air Flight 858Korean Air Flight 858Korean Air Flight 858 was a scheduled international passenger flight between Baghdad, Iraq, and Seoul, South Korea that exploded in mid-air on 29 November 1987 after two North Korean agents planted a bomb in the passenger cabin...
, a flight brought down in November 1987 by liquid explosives concealed as liquor bottles by North Koreans who boarded the plane in Iraq. - Pan Am Flight 103Pan Am Flight 103Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways' third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from London Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport...
/Lockerbie, killing 270 people in 1988 transatlantic flight destroyed in-flight by PETN explosives. - Bojinka plot al-Qaeda plot to destroy several airliners over the Pacific Ocean in 1995 using liquid explosives.
- Philippine Airlines Flight 434Philippine Airlines Flight 434Philippine Airlines Flight 434 was the route designator of a flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Pasay City, the Philippines, to New Tokyo International Airport , Narita near Tokyo, Japan, with one stop at Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Cebu, the Philippines.On December 11, 1994...
, al-Queda test run for Operation Bojinka, in which a passenger was killed and 747 controls seriously damaged by a liquid explosive assembled from parts in hand luggage by Ramzi YousefRamzi YousefRamzi Yousef was one of the main perpetrators of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and a co-conspirator in the Bojinka plot. In 1995, he was arrested at a guest house in Islamabad, by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence and United States Diplomatic Security Service, then extradited to the...
. - September 11, 2001 attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacksThe September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, al-Queda terrorist attacks with hijacked airliners on the United States in 2001. - American Airlines Flight 63/Shoe bomb, the target of a failed al-Qaeda PETN bombing attempt in December 2001.
- China Northern Flight 6136China Northern Flight 6136China Northern Airlines Flight 6136 was a flight from Beijing Capital International Airport to Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, a coastal city in Liaoning province of the People's Republic of China....
, a 2002 flight brought down by a passenger who had purchased life insurance, who set a fire in flight with gasoline - Northwest Airlines Flight 253Northwest Airlines Flight 253Northwest Airlines Flight 253 was an international passenger flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands, to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Michigan, United States...
, the target of a failed al-Qaeda PETN bombing attempt in December 2009 - 2010 cargo plane bomb plot, failed al-Qaeda PETN bombing attempt on two planes in October 2010
See also
External links
UK press- 'Airlines terror plot' disrupted (BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
) - Mass murder in the skies: was the plot feasible? (The RegisterThe RegisterThe Register is a British technology news and opinion website. It was founded by John Lettice, Mike Magee and Ross Alderson in 1994 as a newsletter called "Chip Connection", initially as an email service...
)
International press
- British police thwart alleged major terrorist plot (USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
) - 24 questioned after prevention of terror plot (RTÉ News and Current Affairs)
- Britain says it foils 'mass murder' plane bomb plot (ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
)