Posted on 08/17/2004 6:04:06 PM PDT by wagglebee
BRITISH anti-terror authorities have foiled a suspected al-Qaeda plot to assassinate Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Police swooped on two Lithuanian asylum seekers believed to be spying on Mr Blair's home in his constituency in England's north.
The men were caught with hi-tech surveillance equipment less than a kilometre from Mr Blair's countryside home.
Sources said the pair raised alarm bells because they displayed the characteristics of al-Qaeda spying behaviour.
Using a stolen car fitted with false number plates, they filmed roads and traffic surrounding their alleged target and were carrying a highly-detailed map of the country area of Trimdon in County Durham.
"To dismiss these as nothing more than a couple of wandering foreigners out to see the British countryside is stretching it a bit," a security source told Britain's Daily Express newspaper.
Intelligence officials are reportedly working on the theory that the men had been hired by intermediaries to keep higher-ranking members of the terror cell at arms length.
"This is classic al-Qaeda behaviour, a textbook example of one way the terrorists would gather information about a possible target," the security source said.
"Video equipment like that wasn't normally the kind of gear you'd expect a hard-up asylum seeker to be carrying about.."
After their arrest, the Lithuanians were deported. Police said they were satisfied no security issues were involved.
Meanwhile, security for Mr Blair was stepped up yesterday for his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi after an Islamic terror group declared Italy its top target.
The Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade, which admitted responsibility for the Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people in March, said Mr Berlusconi would "pay with his head" for failing to withdraw Italian troops from Iraq.
The group put out a statement on the Internet on Sunday after a deadline it set for Italy to withdraw from Iraq expired. It called on terrorist cells to hit "all targets in Italy".
Italian security forces were on high alert yesterday, noting that Mr Blair's visit to Mr Berlusconi's private villa in Sardinia presented a prime target for terrorists.
Italy's Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu played down the terror threat, suggesting it had not affected the arrangements for Mr Blair's visit.
This makes me even more convinced that we need to continue on into Iran and kill all of the jihadists.
A hint to all of you people who think that W is doing all of this for oil: he, and his family, are now marked for life. Do you really think that he would exchange his peace of mind, as well as the safety of his loved ones, for oil?
Kerry lives under the eternal leftist delusion that somehow, if everyone is nice enough, we can all get along. Of course any kid who's spent an hour in kindergarten already knows that theory is BS.
Yea! That’ll teach’m!
Bet no one else comes in to kill the head of state, knowing that they risk being “deported”!
Way to go you freak’n pu~sy!
September 11 embarassed a LOT of people, on the left. In one day, their who view of gutting national defense was demolished, with those two buildings.
Continue on into Iran. An EXCELANT idea! Syria would bare looking at as well.
Editorial comment: McGreevey doesn't have to worry because he had chosen a top flight homeland security director.
Doncha think the timing of these arrests and deportations is a little suspicious?
And besides, this will make Tommy Dachshund sad, very sad.
I have a feeling that this threat is why the authorities are so concerned with the "peace" demonstrations planned for NYC during the convention. It will detract police from more important tasks.
Absolutely. The terrorists are following this very carefully and the useful idiots are helping them. These leftist bastards are making it dangerous for everyone.
I was listening to Sean Hannity talking to some of them yesterday and today, they actually refused to commit to non-violent protests. I guess they don't realize that the "right of the people peaceably to assemble," referred to their actions not their cause.
darnit, not the Lithuanians too!!
(from the great granddaughter of Lithuanian immigrants)
Does it strike anyone as odd that they would deport them rather then use them to lead back to who ever hired them?
This "no crime, no foul" criminal prosecution mentality has got to stop. these vermin should be sent to an "interrrogation-friendly" location for long-term in-depth probing of every orifice and synapse. Afterward, the permanently damaged carcases should be "disappeared" without a trace or clue.
Maybe Kerry was running guns to them??
Lithuania?
Are you sure that wasn't a "homoland security director"?
This ties in with the plan to have the next terror attacks being sparked by the assassination of a high-ranking leader.
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