Posted on 08/11/2006 10:44:56 AM PDT by Republicain
The European Union will hold a meeting of aviation and security experts next week on the suspected plot to blow up planes that was uncovered in the UK. Finland, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said the meeting was needed to discuss anti-terrorism measures and air travel safety.
The UK says 24 people have been held in the alleged plot to blow up several planes with liquid explosives.
The EU says its police and security officials are working closely together.
'Mass murder'
Finnish State Secretary Kari Salmi said the meeting would be in Brussels although the exact date has not yet been set.
Mr Salmi said: "The aim is that experts will go through the situation in aviation security. Are the regulations in place? Are communications, both on EU and national level synchronised?"
A statement from the Finnish presidency said another "restricted" meeting was being considered of ministers responsible for internal security.
The suspected plot caused many delays and cancellations of flights to the UK from European airports, many of which have seen heightened security.
The UK has said its security threat level is to stay at "critical" although it believes the main suspects are in custody.
Nineteen of 24 people arrested have had their UK assets frozen. The names have been published by the Bank of England.
On Friday the world's top money laundering watchdog, the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force, urged nations to increase measures to combat the financing of terrorism.
Alain Damais, its executive secretary, said: "This is again a kind of wake-up call for all the countries around the world."
It is thought that the suspects were planning to blow up several planes by using liquid explosives carried in soft-drink bottles, and detonators disguised as electronic equipment.
UK police said the explosions could have caused "mass murder on an unimaginable scale".
Officials in Pakistan said security forces in the country had arrested two British men of Pakistani origin in connection with the alleged plot.
They were picked up from Lahore and Karachi last week.
On Thursday, Pakistan announced it had made a number of arrests in connection with the investigation.
The UK Home Office has refused to confirm reports that Thursday's anti-terror operation was triggered by the interception of a decoded message sent by a suspect in Pakistan, which gave the go-ahead for the attack to take place.
The suspects were rounded up in raids in London in Buckinghamshire and the West Midlands. All are being held in London.
Searches continued at several addresses.
Oh goody, an EU meeting
EUuuuuuuuuwwww
Wonderfull are these idiotic useless socialist bureaucrats going to question the british police about if the terrorists rights were violated when they were arrested.
Plot in quote? Do they doubt it exists? BBC needs help.
The solution to the problem is at hand. They'll talk it into submission.
So why did the BBC put the word plot in quotes?
Are they suggesting there was no plot?
Well, that certainly is reassuring. Now that the EU is on the case everything will be all right.
I'd like to dedicate a song by Toby Keith to the EU...
A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action!
The rules at the BBC dictate that all references to terrorists must be "alleged". However, Bush is Hitler and Blair is his poodle, no quotation marks.
Just waiting to hear from the EU that human bombs on airliners have rights too. /sarc
My first reaction, "A meeting! We're saved!!!!"
Oooh, a jet "plot." But do they have to use such an inflammatory description?
The have to standardize the conditons under which planes can be blown up.
They are learning to pronounce words....and have not mastered the ability to say "MUSLIMS"
As of yet no-one has been charged with anything, nevermind convicted. Hence the plot is still 'alledged', yes.
Nah. THey're going to pass a few more laws protecting islam from "hate speech".
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