U.S. Airline Threat Level At Highest After Plot Foiled (Red)

LONDON -- The U.S. government raised its threat warning to the highest level for commercial flights from Britain to the United States early Thursday in response to a terror plot disrupted in London. Terrorists had targeted United, American and Continental airlines, two U.S. counterterrorism officials said.

In addition to the highest alert for flights from Britain, the alert for all flights coming or going from the United States was also raised slightly. The government banned beverages, hair gels and lotions from flights, explaining only that liquids emerged as a risk from the investigation in Britain.

Multiple flights to multiple American cities were put on alert. Specifically, these airlines included United Airlines, American Airlines and Continental Airlines Inc., the two counterterrorism officials said. American and United flights were turned into terrorist weapons on Sept. 11, 2001, when they were hijacked and crashed.

It is the first time the red alert level in the Homeland Security warning system has been invoked, although there have been brief periods in the past when the orange level was applied. Homeland Security defines the red alert as designating a "severe risk of terrorist attacks."

"We believe that these arrests (in London) have significantly disrupted the threat, but we cannot be sure that the threat has been entirely eliminated or the plot completely thwarted," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in announcing that the threat level for flights from Britain to the United States has been raised to the highest "severe or red" level.

"To defend further against any remaining threat from this plot, we will also raise the threat level to high, or orange, for all commercial aviation operating in or destined for the United States," Chertoff said.

A statement issued by Chertoff said "currently, there is no indication ... of plotting within the United States."

AP Image Passengers at check-in area of Terminal 1 at Heathrow airport during terror alert on Thursday morning.

A U.S. law enforcement official said there have been no arrests in the United States connected to the plot.

A senior U.S. counterterrorism official said authorities believe dozens of people and as many as 50 were involved or connected to the overseas plot that was unraveled Wednesday evening. The plan "had a footprint to al-Qaida back to it," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

It was not believed to be connected to the Egyptian students who disappeared in the United States more than a week ago before reaching a college they were supposed to attend in Montana. Three of the 11 have since been found and the FBI has said neither they nor the still-missing eight are believed to be a threat.

The plan involved airline passengers hiding masked explosives in carryon luggage, the official said. "They were not yet sitting on an airplane," but were very close to traveling, the official said, calling the plot "the real deal."

U.S. intelligence has been working closely with the British on the investigation, which has been ongoing for months, the second official said.

Authorities have not yet arrested or detained all suspects who are believed to be involved in the plot, the official said, prompting Chertoff's alarm.

"Consistent with these higher threat levels, the Transportation Security Administration is coordinating with federal partners, airport authorities and commercial airlines on expanding the intensity of existing security requirements," Chertoff said.

"Due to the nature of the threat revealed by this investigation, we are prohibiting any liquids, including beverages, hair gels, and lotions from being carried on the airplane."

He said the changes take effect at 4 a.m. local time across the United States and will be undated as warranted.

The metal detector and X-ray machines at airport security checkpoints cannot detect explosives. At many, but not all airport checkpoints, the TSA has deployed walkthrough "sniffer" or "puffer" machines that can detect explosives residue.

As part of the foiled Bojinka Plot to blow up 12 Western airliners simultaneously over the Pacific Ocean in the mid-1990s, terrorist mastermind Ramzi Youssef planned to put together an improvised bomb using liquid in a contact lens solution container.

Chertoff said travelers in the United States "should also anticipate additional security measures within the airport and at screening checkpoints."

Multiple airlines with flights to multiple U.S. airports were at risk, according to a western counterterrorism official. Another official refused to identify the airlines because they were still being notified of the threat but referred to them as the "usual suspects." In the past, U.S. cities with terrorism threats or plots have included Washington, New York, Boston and Los Angeles. Airlines whose planes were hijacked on Sept. 11, 2001, were United Airlines and American Airlines. British Airways has also dealt with numerous threats in recent years.

"These measures will continue to assure that our aviation system remains safe and secure," Chertoff added. "Travelers should go about their plans confidently, while maintaining vigilance in their surroundings and exercising patience with screening and security officials."

At U.S. Northern Command, the military headquarters established in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to improve coordination of the defense of U.S. territory, spokesman Sean Kelly declined to comment on any precautionary steps taken in response to the heightened threat levels.

"It is inappropriate to speculate or comment on any current operational activities or discuss future force protection measures," he said.

Prime Minister Tony Blair's office said in London that the prime minister, vacationing in the Caribbean, had briefed President Bush on the situation overnight.

There was no immediate public reaction from the White House. Bush is spending a few days at his ranch near Crawford, Texas.

The Homeland Security Department devised the alert system after the Sept. 11 attacks. The last time the U.S. government raised the terrorist risk here to orange, or high, was in July 2005 after the subway bombings in London. It was lowered to yellow a month later, the elevated risk status that has been the norm since the system was created.

U.S. authorities, including the Transportation Security Administration, planned a news briefing early Thursday.

In London, Britain's Home Secretary John Reid said the alleged plot was "significant" and that terrorists aimed to "bring down a number of aircraft through mid-flight explosions, causing a considerable loss of life."

Police arrested a number of people overnight in London after a major covert counterterrorism operation that had lasted several months, but did not immediately say how many. Heathrow airport in London was closed for most European flights.

The national threat level in Britain was raised to critical - a warning level that indicates the likelihood of an imminent terrorist attack. The threat rating was posted on the Web site of Britain's MI5 - the British domestic spy agency.

Ahmadinejad said, "Well, (with the letter) I wanted to open a window towards the light for the president so that he can see that one can look on the world through a different perspective.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Nothing this man says or does can be trusted or taken seriously. For him diplomacy is Taqiya. Ahmadinejad is most certainly engaging the deception of Taqiyah:

Among followers of the different schools of Islam, Shi'ites are well kndwn for their practice of taqiyah. In case of danger they dissimulate their religion and hide their particular religious and ritual practices from their opponents.

The sources upon which the Shi'ites base themselves in this question include the following verse of the Holy Quran: "Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoso doeth that hath no connection with Allah unless (it be) that ye but guard yourselves against them [tattaqu minhum. from the same root as taqiyah], taking (as it were) security [tuqatan. again from the same root as taqiyah]. Allah biddeth you beware (only) of Himself. Unto Allah is the journeying" (III, 28).

***************************************

As is clear from this sacred verse, God, the,Most Exalted, forbids with the utmost emphasis wilayah (meaning in this case friend- ship and amity to the extent that it affects one's life) with un- believers and orders man to be wary and have fear in such a situation.

***********************************************

In another place He says, "Whoso disbelieveth in Allah after his belief-save him who is forced thereto and whose heart is still content with Faith-but whoso findeth ease in disbelief: On them is wrath from Allah. Theirs will be an awful doom" (Quran, XVI, 106).

As mentioned in both Sunni and Shi'ite sources this verse was revealed concerning 'Ammar ibn Yasir. After the migration (hijrah) of the Prophet the infidels of Mecca imprisoned some of the Muslims of that city and tortured them, forcing them to leave Islam and to return to their former religion of idolatry. Included in this group who were tortured were Ammar and his father and mother. Ammar's parents refused to turn away from Islam and died under torture. But Ammar. in order to escape torture and death, outwardly left Islam and accepted idol worship, thereby escaping from danger. Having become free, he left Mecca secretly for Medina. In Medina he went before the Holy Prophet-upon whom be blessings and peace--and in a state of penitence and distress concerning what he had done asked the Prophet if by acting as he did he had fallen outside the sacred precinct of reli gion. The Prophet said that his duty was what he had accom plished. The above verse was then revealed.

The two verses cited above were revealed concerning particular cases but their meaning is such that they embrace all situations in which the outward expression of doctrinal belief and religious practice might bring about a dangerous situation. Besides these verses, there exist many traditions from the members of the Household of the Prophet ordering taqiyah when there is fear of danger.

Some have criticized Shi'ism by saying that to employ the practice of taqiyah in religion is opposed to the virtues of courage and bravery. The least amount of thought about this accusation will bring to light its invalidity, fort aqiyah must be practiced in a situation where man faces a danger which he cannot resist and against which he cannot fight. Resistance to such a danger and failure to practice taqiyah in such circumstances shows rashness and foolhardiness, not courage and bravery.

The qualities of courage and bravery can be applied only when there is at least the possibility of success in man's efforts. But before a definite or probable danger against which there is no possibility of victory- throwing oneself before a cannon that is being fired or lying down on the tracks before an onrushing train-any action of this kind is nothing but a form of madness contrary to logic and common sense.

Therefore, we can summarize by saying that taqiyah must be practiced only when there is a definite danger which cannot be avoided and against which there is no hope of a successful strug gle and victory.

The exact extent of danger which would make permissible the practice of taqiyah has been debated among different mujtahids of Shi'ism. In our view, the practice of taqiyah is permitted if there is definite danger facing one's own life or the life of one's family, or the possibility of the loss of the honor and virtue of one's wife or of other female members of the family,or the danger of the loss of one's material belongings to such an extent as to cause complete destitution and prevent a man from being able to continue to support himself and his family.

In any case, prudence and the avoidance of definite or probable danger which cannot be averted is a general law of logic accepted by all people and applied by men in all the different phases of their lives.

http://www.balagh.net/english/shia/shia/12.htm

From your link:

Fact Sheet: Security Measures After Plot Foiled

Security measures in place at U.S. airports in response to a thwarted terror plot in Britain:

LIQUIDS

· Banned from carry-on luggage.

· That includes drinks, toothpaste, perfume, shampoo, hair gel and suntan lotion.

· Drinks purchased in the airport cannot be carried onto flights.

SHOES

· Must be removed and placed on an X-ray belt for screening.

PASSENGERS

· Asked to arrive at least two hours early to allow for additional screening.

ALSO BANNED

· Laptop computers.

· Mobile phones.

· iPods are among items banned on British flights.
(Source: Transportation Security Administration, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport)

How am I supposed to travel without my laptop????? /whine

A small rupture and airspeed, decompression and gravity do the rest.....

Nope. Not even close to being correct.

Yuu might like these posts from a thread discussing the arming of pilots from 2004: The first one is apropos because of the situation involving the banning of liquids; the second because a pilot cites some examples which refute the statement in your post.

We've all been programmed to worry about someone taking over a plane using a gun and that airport security will protect us. I was selected for additional screening in Las Vegas some months ago. As I finally boarded with another passenger who was also screened, he told me that nobody had checked the little shampoo bottles in his carry on bag. Said that a terrorist could carry chemicals in the little bottles, mix them on the plane to create a bomb or a fire. I later asked a friend of mine who is a chemical engineer if the comment made sense to him. He told me that there were actually quite a number of chemicals that could be used. All the secuity measures at the airports serve to make the passengers feel safe, but I don't think that we really are much safer than before September 11.

Posted by: Al at January 7, 2004 07:15 PM

There seems to a lot of ignorance about airplanes out there. As a long time B737 pilot I can tell you that handgun will not bring down an airliner unless you shoot the pilots and they fall against the controls. I've been told that a B767 can hold it pressurization with several windows blown out. Remember the Aloha 737 where the top peeled off and was able to land. One flight Att[endant] was killed because she was out of her seat. A United 747 lost its cargo door on a flight from Hawaii to Japan and landed safely. A few people were lost because their seats were ripped out when the door came off. You could shoot multiple holes with a handgun in an airliner and it could fly for hours. Just protect the pilots and the cockpit. All cockpits have bullit (sic) proof doors now.

Arming properly trained Airline pilots is a good Idea. it's a last line of defense if all the layers break down. Hopefully the aircraft manifacturers will redesign the airline fleets so that pilots will have there own bathroom and galley facilities so that the door will never have to be opened in flight.

If you see another passenger being a threat to the safety of the flight, report it to the crew then help neutralize the threat.

Stop believing all the junk you see at the movies.

Please call your government reps and have them support the armed pilot program.

Posted by: Traveler at February 27, 2004 01:19 AM

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