FBI Investigates American Connection to London Terror Plot

The Blotter (ABC News.com) ^ | 8/11/2006 | Brian Ross and Richard Esposito

[Rutles4Ever]

U.S. law enforcement sources tell ABC News the FBI is investigating new leads that involve a possible connection between people in the United States, in major east coast cities, and the London bomb plotters.

In an interview with ABC News this morning, White House Homeland Security Advisor Fran Townsend said while there is currently no indication of any plotting in the United States, she confirmed, "There are leads that the FBI is running."

With at least five, and maybe more, suspects still at large, it is the missing plotters who are the greatest security concern. Among those still at large are some of the suspected ringleaders of the London plot.

Congressman Peter King (R-NY), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told ABC News authorities are extremely concerned about the missing suspects. "They are on the loose," said King. "These are desperate, vicious people, who have a good degree of sophistication. And they're out there, if nothing else, they're available for future operations. The more deadly threat is that there is a plan B that they would be able to implement."

Intelligence officials tell ABC News the plot's trail leads directly to al Qaeda and to the Pakistani city of Karachi, where money for the plot was wired to London.

Officials say two of those arrested in London came to Karachi in the last few months for explosives training with known al Qaeda commanders.

The terrorists had planned to use a peroxide-based liquid explosive, dyed red, to appear as a sports drink. A $10 disposable flash camera was to be used as the detonating device.

Pakistani officials have made as many as nine arrests, but the suspected ringleader remains at large. Pakistani officials say this 29-year old al Qaeda commander, Matiur Rehman, was known to be planning a terror spectacular to mark the fifth anniversary of the 9/ll attacks, and some believe the London plot may have been it.

ABC News consultant Alexis Debat, a terrorism expert at the Nixon Center in Washington D.C., says, "[Rehman] is the interface between al Qaeda's leadership and thousands, if not tens of thousands, of Pakistani militants who are able to provide the muscle for al Qaeda's operations not only in Pakistan but around the world."

[Rutles4Ever]

The thread is unraveling.

[Names Ash Housewares]

Gosh golley, You mean eavesdropping on domestic bad people could be a good thing? OH NO! Bush was .......gulp.....right?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Neil Young will compose a telephone tap protest song.

[b4its2late]

Wire tapping and following the money along with some human intelligece foiled the plot. That rascal GWB was right on again.

[Texas Jack]

I wonder if Senator Arlen Specter will demand a Senate hearing into the Constitutionality of our supplying information to the Brits concerning telephone calls made to the U.S.?

Quite possibly, one of the terrorists may have had his US Constitutional rights violated.

[Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin]

Okay, NYT, get ready now. You weren't able to notify the terrorists that Scotland Yard was on their tail, but you just might be able to let these terrorists know that our people are after them so they can run and hide...

[piasa]

New Al Qaeda Leader Planning Attack Against U.S.
ABC News ^ | Wednesday, March 1, 2006
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1588179/posts
Posted on 03/01/2006 5:11:41 PM PST by kristinn

Pakistani officials have told ABC News that they believe they have indications that a new terror attack is being planned there against the United States. They tell ABC News that while their intelligence does not give any specific details as to a target or time, it does indicate that the plans are being made by an emerging top al Qaeda figure.
Pakistani military officials say Matiur Rehman, 29, a Pakistani militant, is behind the new plans for an attack against the United States. Pakistan has posted a 10-million rupee (about $166,000) award for his capture.
"He is probably Pakistan's most wanted right now," says Alexis Debat, a former adviser in the French defense ministry and now an ABC News consultant. "He is extremely dangerous because of his role as the crucial interface between the brains of al Qaeda and its muscle, which is mainly composed these days of Pakistani militants."
Pakistani officials say Rehman helped train thousands of fellow Pakistani militants at al Qaeda training camps during the late 1990s.

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...

[6ppc]

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