Terrorists target Canadian Carriers

[Kip Powick]

Been away....is this "old" news???

LONDON — Flights to Canada were targets in a well-advanced terrorist plot to blow up at least seven jetliners in mid-Atlantic simultaneously using bombs stored in drink bottles, according to British prosecutors.

Canadian officials said that some of the flights in question were Air Canada flights, destined for Toronto and Montreal.

In the summer of 2006, a group of seven British men were arrested in London with a bomb laboratory that appeared to have produced a number of bombs, stored in Lucozade drink containers with electronic detonators, that appeared ready for use.

Large drink bottles, shampoo containers and other liquids have been banned from many international flights since 2006 because of concerns about their apparently well-advanced plan, and police evidence that they were on the verge of boarding between 7 and 18 aircraft in a mass suicide-bombing mission that could have killed between 1,700 and 4,500 people in mid-Atlantic blasts.

The Canadian dimension of the plot only became public Wednesday, when a judge revealed to potential jurors in the trial of the seven men that Canadian flights were allegedly targeted.

"This case concerns an allegation that in 2006 a number of men planned to create bombs which some of their number would take on board passenger aircraft flying from London Heathrow to various destinations in the USA and Canada, Mr. Justice David Calvert-Smith told a panel of potential jurors at Woolwich Crown Court in London yesterday.

"It is further alleged that the bombs were planned to be set off when the aircraft were airborne and that the bombers and everyone else on board would be killed."

Facing conspiracy charges of murder and violence against an aircraft are London-area residents Ahmed Abdullah Ali, 27, Assad Sarwar, 27, Tanvir Hussain, 27, Umar Islam (born Brian Young), 29, Arafat Waheed Khan, 26, Ibrahim Savant, 27, Waheed Zaman, 23, and Mohammed Gulzar, 27. All seven have pleaded not guilty.

[CanadaEH]

The topic of airport security is a joke. I'd love to get into detail about the holes in our system but I'd probably get in trouble for doing so. What I do know is that my security fee dollars aren't doing much to actually prevent a threat as much as they are in giving the perception that they actually give a damn to the general public.

[sustainable]

Kip, I believe that this threat was subsequently and ever-so-quietly discounted. Might be worthwhile to see if any of the accused are still being held.

[Kip Powick]

Might be worthwhile to see if any of the accused are still being held.

International Herald Tribune (Europe) 02 April 2008

LONDON: Jury selection began Wednesday for the trial of eight British men accused of planning to bomb airliners bound for the United States and Canada in order to kill hundreds of passengers in a major terrorism plot.

Prosecutors allege the group planned a series of coordinated suicide attacks, hoping to detonate improvised bombs aboard the planes in 2006.

Authorities said the alleged plan would have targeted flights from London to the United States and Canada with explosives concealed in containers of liquids or gels.

A police inquiry into the purported plot caused major disruption to flights in Britain, and eventually led to tight restrictions on the items airline passengers can to take on board planes as carryon luggage.

Judge David Calvert-Smith told about 100 prospective jurors during a jury selection hearing on Wednesday that the trial would be long and complex.

But he said the case would likely begin on Thursday, when prosecutor Peter Wright will outline his allegations against the eight.

"This case concerns an allegation that in 2006 a number of men planned to create bombs which some of their number would take on board passenger aircraft flying from London Heathrow to various destinations in Canada and the U.S.A.," Calvert-Smith said.

He said prosecutors alleged "the bombs were planned to be set off when the aircraft were airborne and the bombers and all on board the aircraft would be killed."

American and British intelligence officials have said the men had no obvious links to support networks in the United States.

A police operation on Aug. 9-10, 2006, to round up suspects in the case led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights in and out of Britain.

It prompted airlines to undertake a major review of baggage security and restrictions on the amount of liquids passengers are permitted to carry onboard.

Prosecutors allege the plotters intended to use liquid explosives to create their bombs.

The eight men are accused of conspiracy to murder and a charge of planning acts of violence likely to endanger the safety of an aircraft. Both charges carry maximum sentences of life imprisonment.

They are Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27; Assad Sarwar, 27; Tanvir Hussain, 27; Mohammed Gulzar, 26; Ibrahim Savant, 27; Arafat Waheed Khan, 26; Waheed Zaman, 23 and Umar Islam, 29. Ali also is known as Ahmed Ali Khan, and Islam also is known as Brian Young, court records show.

[Specs]

Have to say this really sent a chill up my spine. Those crew and passengers are our friends and family members.

[Kip Powick]

Apr 03, 2008 04:30 AM

Planes destined for Canada were among those allegedly targeted in a British terrorism plot that dramatically changed airline travel and had the potential to eclipse the damage caused by the 9/11 attacks.

Prospective jurors in a British court were told yesterday that eight men were on trial for plotting to blow up transatlantic flights with liquid explosives in a series of co-ordinated attacks on up to 10 commercial jetliners.

While the case made headlines around the world when the group was arrested in 2006 and ushered in new security measures that restricted airline passengers from travelling with liquids, yesterday was the first time an alleged Canadian connection was revealed.

"This case concerns an allegation that in 2006 a number of men planned to create bombs which some of their number would take on board passenger aircraft flying from London Heathrow to various destinations in the U.S.A. and Canada," Justice David Calvert-Smith said at Woolwich Crown Court in London.

"It is further alleged that the bombs were planned to be set off when the aircraft were airborne and that the bombers and everyone else on board would be killed."

Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick would not comment on reports that the company's planes had been targeted in flights for Toronto and Montreal, adding he could not discuss a case that is before the courts.

"Air Canada always has and we will continue to cooperate with security agencies to ensure the safety of our passengers," he said yesterday.

Canadian officials from Public Safety and Transport Canada similarly would not comment on the specific allegations.

Patrick Charette of Transport Canada did say the department works closely with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service "to address specific threats identified by these agencies."

Melisa Leclerc, spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, noted in an email that as the trial progresses "more information will become public."

The revelation of a Canadian connection may have surprised some, since at the time of the arrest, government officials did not disclose any threat to flights bound for Canada. At the time, Day said no Canadians were involved in the plot.

Liberal public safety critic Ujjal Dosanjh said yesterday he was disappointed that he learned of the Canadian link from media reports out of Britain and not from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.

"I always believe the public's right to know is paramount," he told reporters in Ottawa.

"You also don't want to scare the public unnecessarily and I think in that sense, they may have used their judgment. But at some point, it was incumbent on them to advise us as Canadians, and if we have to hear it from the British, that's not acceptable."

Britain's largest anti-terrorism case opened yesterday with jury selection. The prosecution is expected to begin presenting its case today, at which point more details concerning the Canadian dimension may emerge.

The accused, most of whom are in their 20s and of Pakistani heritage, are accused of conspiracy to murder and of planning acts of violence likely to endanger the safety of an aircraft. Both charges carry maximum sentences of life imprisonment.

The accused are: Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27; Assad Sarwar, 27; Tanvir Hussain, 27; Mohammed Gulzar, 26; Ibrahim Savant, 27; Arafat Waheed Khan, 26; Waheed Zaman, 23; and Umar Islam, 29.

The security scare garnered international attention after police carried out a series of raids on homes and businesses across England on Aug. 9 and 10.

Police said they had been conducting audio and video surveillance on a London apartment they called a bomb factory, where they allege the accused experimented with bomb components.

Their plot involved a previously unknown method of attack: smuggling liquid explosives in plastic sports-drink bottles, along with detonators, which would be assembled into bombs on board.

A senior British security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Washington Post last week that the plot was a "a sophisticated piece of work" that might have killed "2,500 or 3,000" passengers.

Had the planes exploded in the mid-Atlantic, evidence would have been lost and investigators may not have been able to pinpoint what kind of bombs were used, said the official.

The massive roundup of suspects led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights in and out of Britain.

It also prompted airlines to undertake major reviews of baggage security and to restrict the amount of liquids permitted in carry-on baggage.

In Canada, passengers are allowed liquids, gels and aerosols in containers no bigger than 100 millilitres, which must fit into a 1-litre plastic bag.

Similar restrictions exist in Britain and the U.S.

[Guest rattler]

The pics accompanying this article sort of lend support for "profiling". Profiling might not be politically correct but it does work.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7328892.stm

From another article:

Woolwich Crown Court heard how homemade devices would be smuggled on to aircraft concealed in bottles of soft drinks and detonated in flight by a suicide bomber.

Mr Wright said this meant that, barring unexpected delays, the seven airliners would be "entirely at the mercy of the suicide bombers who happened to be on board with their explosive devices".

The seven flights were:

:: 1415 United Airlines Flight 931 to San Francisco

:: 1500 Air Canada Flight 849 to Toronto

:: 1515 Air Canada Flight 865 to Montreal

:: 1540 United Airlines Flight 959 to Chicago

:: 1620 United Airlines Flight 925 to Washington

:: 1635 American Airlines Flight 139 to New York

:: 1650 American Airlines Flight 91 to Chicago

Mr Wright said there was evidence the conspirators had ambitions to bring down more than just seven aircraft.

[Guest woxof]

Sometimes I hate being right.

[deicer]

The pics accompanying this article sort of lend support for "profiling". Profiling might not be politically correct but it does work.

Tend to agree with this.

I know it's a bit of an extreme view, but have you seen the movie FITNA yet?

Iceman

[Guest rattler]

Tend to agree with this.

I know it's a bit of an extreme view, but have you seen the movie FITNA yet?

Iceman

No I have not, I tend to wait for movies to come on the tube on the movie channel. I find the value of going to movie theaters has diminished in direct proportion to the cost ot their popcorn and pop. I can enjoy the movie at home along with a glass of wine and don't even have to listen to some goof telling their seat partner what is going to happen next.

Regarding the movie itself, I have heard some of the reviews. One in particular pointed out that the Koran contains all of the references made in the film but criticized how the references were joined with the graphics. He pointed out one could go through the bible and do the same.

Anyway, I am all for profiling to prevent a known group from committing terror but I am not in favor of condemning a religion or a people based on the actions of a few. The religion is now the largest religion in the world so if you take into consideration the actual number of believers vs the number of terrorists, the terrorists are a very small minority.

The Vatican puts the number of Catholics in the world at 1.13 billion people, while the figure for Muslims is estimated at around 1.3 billion

[Super 80]

"conspircy" is one thing - but it there still any real reason to believe their plot was even possible?

There has only been one marginally successful liquid bombing, Flight 434 by Ramzi Yousef who misidentified the 747 varient and put the bomb ahead of the fuel tank - and that thing could probably still get through security today.

I have seen plenty of the high tech gear at security check points unused either because it was obviously unservicable, or more likely that the security staff simply aren't qualified to use it.

I saw a certain unit stuck on the "blue screen of death" three visits in a row, at another airport cables for one machine were just hanging off the back unplugged for more than a week.

[ChicoChico]

I used to think that the liquid bomb was far fetched until I saw a news item in the UK that showed how much damage a small amount could cause....

cc

[DEFCON]

A couple of decades ago, I spent a period of time with the Canadian "security" groups.

I began a demo for the Mounties at YZ during a period of heightened North American security. I demonstrated (actual) how someone could easily get ..... through the system. Over a four day period I passed through several Cdn & US security check points without hassle. The Mounties were in disbelief.

I also showed them how someone could pass through security screening and then purchase all the necessary items to construct a ....

Nothing has changed excepting "public optics".