HUGE U.K. TERROR STRIKE FOILED-Al Qaeda To Drive 20 Tons of Explosives to Parliament

London Daily Record ^ | Saturday, December 22, 2001 | Special Branch Source

[umbra]

A suspected plot by muslim fanatics to destroy the heart of London was smashed yesterday in a high-seas raid on a cargo ship.

More than 20 tonnes of plastic explosives-enough to blow up Parliament-are feared hidden aboard the MV Nisha.

The search of the 26,000-tonne cargo of raw sugar could take days.

The ship was siezed 30 miles off the English coast after a tip-off from MI6 agents in the Middle East.

A Special Branch source in London said: "This is not a speculative operation."

"We have information that that the ship was loaded in Yemen with a large consignment of explosives, which were to be carried to England for a devastating attack in London.

We believe UK-based Islamic militants were planning to transfer the explosives to a large lorry or another smaller boat, for a suicide attack on Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament or similar high-profile target."

Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network has a long history of working in lawless Yemen.It is believed British agents saw the explosives going abord the ship.

Experts have warned that bin Laden could be planning a "Chirstmas spectacular" in Britain in revenge for his crushing defeat in Afghanistan.

[umbra]

That was smart of the Brits-When they saw the explosives being loaded, they waited a couple of weeks to see who else was in on the plot

[DJ88]

Is this connected to the other story today where the Royal Navy boarded a ship? Or is this the same story? Hmmmm.

[umbra]

Good work allied bump

[xm177e2]

This is exactly what our government predicted, truck bombs. Of course, they might have known about it for several days, and used those "predictions" to make themselves look good :-)

[John H K]

Looks like I need to post this in this thread, too..don't know which one will be deleted.

FREE REPUBLIC READING COMPREHENSION TEST

1. How many of you, upon reading the article, noticed NO EXPLOSIVES HAVE BEEN FOUND ON THE SHIP AT ALL YET?

2. How many of you, after reading the article, checked the link to see what sort of source the "Daily Record" was?
I'm genuinely curious....honest answers, please.

[Palladin]

Britain's MI agents are the best. Combine them with MOSSAD, and you have a team that's hard to beat.

[parcel_of_rogues]

Sugar's pretty flammable by itself. Could that 20,000 tons have added to the payload?

[caisson71]

Do any other European nations still doubt their vulnerability to attacks from terrorists? Imagine if the Brits really get pissed about this and venture off in their own pursuit of terrorists? We'd be with them, no doubt.

[umbra]

What we do know right now is that someone from the Special Branch of the UK Investigative force is talking to the papers, and it sounds like we caught a big fish today.

[Trajan88]

If explosives are in fact on this ship - it should be loaded with all the captured Taliban thugs and detonated on the high seas - instant fish food.

Trajan88

[xm177e2]

Experts have warned that bin Laden could be planning a "Chirstmas spectacular" in Britain in revenge for his crushing defeat in Afghanistan.

WHAT A GRINCH!!!

[rockfish59]

yoo hoo!
i did!

nuke yemen now!

[lelio]

More than 20 tonnes of plastic explosives-enough to blow up Parliament-are feared hidden aboard the MV Nisha.
1st off they don't know if there is plastic explosive on there. 2ndly where are they getting that figure from? Is that what the ship can hold? Come on give us a more realistic number.

[litany_of_lies]

I did go to the link and the link's home page. It appears to be a legit newspaper and part of the Daily Mail operation.

As to not finding explosives yet, you're talking about finding 20 tons in the midst of 26000--that sounds pretty difficult to me, especially since they appear to be plastic and not metal explosives.

[billhilly]

Duh. Whatchz mean?

[vrwc54]

This is under Breaking News in the Telegraph:

Ship held for anti-terror search

Anti-terrorist officers are continuing to search a cargo ship intercepted in the Channel in what Scotland Yard describe as a "major security operation".

Security sources say they are acting on intelligence that the vessel is carrying "terrorist material", although there was no specific intelligence that anthrax was involved.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "A full security search of the ship has been completed and no noxious or dangerous substances have been found aboard the vessel. At this stage it is not possible to say how long officers will remain aboard the ship."

He added: "We do not believe the overall level of threat to London or the UK as a whole has increased beyond the heightened levels since the events of September 11."

The ship was intercepted in international waters off the Sussex coast, about 30 miles south of Beachy Head.

Dramatic TV film of the interception of the MV Nisha showed the Royal Navy frigate HMS Sutherland trailing the ship by a few hundred yards.

The joint intelligence-led initiative involved anti-terrorist police, the Royal Navy and Customs and Excise.

The ship was taken to Sandown Bay, off the Isle of Wight, where it is being moored until searches have been completed. It will then be moved to a new location, Scotland Yard said.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said the interception demonstrated the "top-level vigilance" of the security services.

[litany_of_lies]

I would be more worried if ultimately say they DIDN'T find the explosives, because that would likely mean either that they don't want to scare the populace about such a close call, or they caved to pressure from elsewhere to sweep it under the rug. Remember, they are saying that they saw the suspicious cargo being loaded.

[summer]

FYI.

[classygreeneyedblonde]

These people are cruel heartless non-human beigns

[mathurine]

I'm sure that this has nothing to do with any of the peace-loving mohammedans, so who will object if the ship and all who are on it are towed out into the Atlantic and sunk? If the people on board happened to be mohammedans, well, they must be some misguided ones who are embarrasing that peaceful religion. On the other hand, if they are not mohammedans they must just be some worthless infidels whose demise the mohammedans would celebrate as usual. Sink it.