Posted on 07/18/2004 5:06:07 PM PDT by Dont Mention the War
LONDON (Reuters) - British police said on Sunday they had launched an inquiry into how a secret police dossier went missing that according to a newspaper report contained counter-terrorist plans for London's Heathrow airport.
The dossier, found lying in a road, showed 62 sites at the airport where al Qaeda was most likely to launch anti-aircraft missile strikes, the Sun newspaper said in its Monday edition.
The Sun said the dossier included facts about surveillance, escape routes, evacuation plans and deployment of rooftop snipers at the world's busiest international hub.
The plans, which have since been returned to police, were found by a motorist, the newspaper said.
A police spokeswoman could give no details about what the dossier contained or where it was found, but confirmed it had been returned to police.
"We treat any breach of security extremely seriously," the spokeswoman said.
"We have launched an internal inquiry into the circumstances of how these documents went missing and will take the appropriate action when we have ascertained the facts surrounding this matter," the spokeswoman said.
She could not confirm whether the dossier was compiled by the SO18 anti-terrorist Aviation Security team, which is based at Heathrow police station.
According to The Sun, the papers contained detailed maps and photographs, including aerial and satellite shots.
In one section, the dossier identified a field close to the airport as being ideal for a terrorist attack. "This site affords an excellent site to attack aircraft departing Heathrow," the Sun quoted from the dossier, saying it included aerial and satellite photographs of the site.
Dated June 26 2004, the dossier gave surveillance and assessment information valid until December, the newspaper said.
Ten years ago, the Irish Republican Army targeted Heathrow airport with rocket attacks. None of the missiles packed with Semtex plastic explosive detonated.
Security chiefs sent tanks into Heathrow last year after intelligence pointed to a threatened missile attack.
This year, flights to the U.S. have been canceled amid fears of an al Qaeda attack.
Los Alamos secrets?
Oops!
Is it a new Monty Python skit?
<< .... the "Irish Republican Army" .... >>
Isn't that the grandiously self-awarded title of the psychopathologically-predatory transnational-terrorism-exporting pack of endemically-alcoholic bank-robbing gun and drug-running gangster bastards that collectively gets its Marxist rocks off by shooting holes in the legs of the defenseless and in its definitive cravenly cowardly anonymous bomb attacks in which it delights in blowing the arms and legs and heads off women, children, babies and little old ladies?
That Irish "republican army?"
BUMPping
"For God's sake, travel out of Gatwick" ping...
Flying through Heathrow is scary enough without terror threats.
The place is vast though. Not surprising there were so many potential 'strike' places.
I don't wish to mention the recent unpleasantness with the Germans, the Blitz and all that, old boy, but this does bring to mind "The Man Who Never Was".
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1557504482/qid=1090237210/sr=8-2/ref=pd_ka_2/102-4383589-9545723?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
What's MI-6 up to? Quick, Moneypenny, get Commander Bond.
...and in a related story, J K Rowling confirmed that a copy of the manuscript for her latest book has also gone missing. A suspected Al Qaeda terrorist was hospitalised after attempting to run through a wall in Kings Cross station with a bag full of explosives.
bumping because of the recent concerns about Heathrow
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