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| Britain |
| Al-Qaeda Attacks On Britain Foiled |
| 2004-11-24 |
| BRITAIN foiled an al-Qaeda plot to fly aircraft into Heathrow Airport and London's giant Canary Wharf skyscrapers, according to reports yesterday quoting an unnamed "senior authoritative source". Al-Qaeda intended to train suicide pilots to crash planes into the London landmarks just as it had convinced others to fly into the Pentagon and the World Trade Centre in the US on September 11, 2001, ITV News said. ITV News and the Daily Mail newspaper claimed the attacks on the two targets were among four or five strikes that had been planned by al-Qaeda. "I have not been told how or when the plot was uncovered or how close they came," said ITV News political editor Nick Robinson. "But I am in no doubt that this was a genuine feeling on the behalf of those in the security services that they have managed to foil a plot and make us safer." Asked if the story had come from Britain's security services, ITV said the "unattributable source" was "in that arena". According to the ITV News website, the attack on Heathrow and Canary Wharf was one of four or five planned by al-Qaeda in Britain since September 11, 2001, which "have come to nothing, after the authorities intervened". Britain's Home Office and London's Metropolitan Police declined to comment. The 35ha Canary Wharf estate, one of London's most famous landmarks, is in the docklands area on the banks of the Thames and has long been seen as a potential terrorist target. In February last year, hundreds of police and troops, backed by tanks, were deployed at Heathrow following a warning that terrorists might be about to attempt a missile attack on a plane. Prime Minister Tony Blair faced accusations of alarmism following the incident, but the Government insisted the action came in response to specific intelligence. On November 8, the head of MI5, Eliza Manningham-Buller, said counter-terrorism efforts had helped prevent attacks in Britain since the September 11, 2001, attacks in the US. She provided no details, but said Britons still faced a "serious and sustained threat". |
| Posted by:God Save The World |