Posted on 08/10/2006 3:00:54 AM PDT by HAL9000
Police statement on airline bombing plot
LONDON (Reuters) - Following is the full text of a statement issued by London Deputy Commissioner, Paul Stephenson on Thursday morning:
"We are confident that we have disrupted a plan by terrorists to cause untold death and destruction and commit mass murder.
The Commissioner has been fully briefed and he is at New Scotland Yard today. He and I want to pay tribute to officers from the Met's Anti-Terrorist Branch and the security services for the work they have undertaken to disrupt these activities.
We believe that the terrorists' aim was to smuggle explosives onto airplanes in hand luggage and to detonate these in flight.
We also believe that the intended targets were flights from the UK to the USA.
Overnight we have arrested 21 people. The majority of those arrests have been in London but we have also made arrests in Thames Valley and Birmingham. We are currently searching a number of addresses.
We are grateful to our colleagues in other force areas for their support.
As the operation got under way we spoke to community leaders to make them aware that a major anti-terrorist operation was taking place but without giving specific details about locations. This extensive dialogue will continue throughout the operation.
We would like to reassure the public that this operation was carried out with public safety upper most in our minds. This is a major operation, which will inevitably be lengthy and complex. The UK is now at the highest possible level of alert.
We will consider the threat in its wider sense and take whatever action is necessary to protect people in London and throughout the country.
Measures have already been put in place to restrict hand luggage taken onto aircraft. This will inevitably cause significant delay and we ask people to remain calm, patient and vigilant at this very difficult time.
Put simply this was a plot to commit mass murder on an unimaginable scale."
The muslims in America better start packing.
This disaster has NOT yet been adverted.
"mass murder on an unimagineable scale"
Which means there were more than 6 planes involved...
And which probably also means that the plot was more than blowing up planes on transatlantic flights.
Are liquids being banned for explosives? Or, could the matrial be used to disable a plane load of people. Thus, there would be more "missiles" capable of killing an extraordinary number of civilians.
Our casualty count for 9/11 was 3,000...this attack needed to be cataclysmic in order for the authorities to make the above chilling statement.
Domestic levels raised, Egyptian students missing...more to this than we know yet.
I'm sure the FBI is watching us all very very closely.
LOL, and I thought this line was sarcasm. I don´t get it. Whatever, we still can laugh! For a change, thanks to the Brits!
It seems that they planned to blow them up over major American cities during approach.
FoxNews updates:
Up to 10 international flights may have been targeted.
Potential 'bombs' were liquid and could easily have passed through security procedures.
Flights bound for NYC, Washington and California (LAX?), were primary targets.
TSA is banning most 'liquids' being carried by passengers, including gel products, toothpaste, etc.
Well, 21 wanna-be-killers have been arrested. These SOB can harm themselves in jail only.
21 arrested.
999,979 to go.
Remember that the left wants death and destruction for several reasons. 1. destroy civilization. 2. dump Bush.
Let's see what comments come from the left on this.
"What? No Lutherans this time?"
Just heard the Home Secretary, in response to a question, quite painstakingly explain that we are not in a "cultural" or "religious" struggle. At some point, some official, somewhere, is going to have to admit just who and what our real enemy is, or we are lost.
Anyone have an email address we can FReep to thank the Brits for a job well done?
I, for one, would like to show my appreciation!
I wonder if they will be checking luggage and other thing going into the Belly of the planes?
sw
We are confident that we have disrupted a plan by terrorists to cause untold death and destruction and commit mass murder....Man! I sure hope that nobody's rights were violated in detecting this plot! If so, I's sure the ACLU will be all over this like stink on you-know-what! < /sarcasm >
I will be very very surprised if FBI and/or CIA [as well as many other intel services] have not been intimately involved in this, but we'll probably never know.
They damn well better check grandma from Minnesota. I've been there and it's overflowing with Somalis (many of the cab drivers, store clerks etc).
And they inter-marry. That pretty young blond could easily be a convert.
Check everyone. Just be efficient.
Anybody in Connecticut wanna reconsider their votes this morning?
"Following this morning's police action, the Department for Transport have asked all UK airports to apply additional security measures designed to ensure passenger safety.
These measures will prevent passengers from carrying hand luggage into the cabin of an aircraft with the following exceptions (which must be placed in a plastic bag):
# Pocket size wallets and pocket size purses plus contents (for example money, credit cards, identity cards etc (not handbags);
# Travel documents essential for the journey (for example passports and travel tickets);
# Prescription medicines and medical items sufficient and essential for the flight (e.g. diabetic kit), except in liquid form unless verified as authentic;
# Spectacles and sunglasses, without cases;
# Contact lens holders, without bottles of solution;
# For those traveling with an infant: baby food, milk (the contents of each bottle must be tasted by the accompanying passenger);
# Sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight (nappies, wipes, creams and nappy disposal bags);
# Female sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight, if unboxed (e.g. tampons, pads, towels and wipes) tissues (unboxed) and/or handkerchiefs;
# Keys (but no electrical key fobs)
All passengers must be hand searched, and their footwear and all the items they are carrying must be X-ray screened.
Pushchairs and walking aids must be X-ray screened, and only airport-provided wheelchairs may pass through the screening point.
In addition to the above, all passengers boarding flights to the USA and all the items they are carrying, including those acquired after the central screening point, must be subjected to secondary search at the boarding gate. Any liquids discovered must be removed from the passenger.
About 3 hours before your post, that's how long.
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