A PLOT by al-Qaeda operatives to kill the Queen during a state visit to Uganda less than two months ago was foiled by security services.| Of course they planned to kill the Queen. They plan to kill everyone. Sheesh. |
London's Sunday Express reported the vans were seized after a tip-off from intelligence agents. As a result, the broadcaster was unable to transmit live pictures of key summit events, including the Queen's historic address to the Ugandan parliament on November 22.
The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla travelled to the east African nation's capital for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, attended by more than 30 world leaders. Australia was represented by Richard Alston, the High Commissioner to London.
Uganda's Internal Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda said several suspected terrorists were arrested. "We received information that a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda, the Allied Democratic Forces, was planning to carry out terrorist activities at the Commonwealth meeting," he told the Sunday Express. "The security services in Uganda neutralised these threats."
Dr Rugunda refused to comment on the exact nature of the intended attacks or reports that Ugandan armed forces had seized a speedboat loaded with arms and homemade bombs.
| "I will say no more!" |
Security was tight for the CHOGM meeting, with roads in Kampala's centre closed off to local traffic and identity checks carried out venues.
Dai Davies, former head of royal protection, told the Sunday Express: "It will have huge implications globally for the royal family's protection. It will obviously put forward planning into a huge new phase of concern.
"But the Queen's security arrangements are very sophisticated. There would have been thorough advanced planning ahead of the trip to Uganda, an exit strategy would have been worked out, and so on.
"At the end of the day, the Queen is a great pragmatist - she's a great believer in what will be will be. But she has absolute faith and trust in her protection team."
In her speech to Uganda's parliament, the Queen praised the country's army for its peacekeeping role in war-torn Somalia. She also noted great advances by the East African country better known for the bloody ravages inflicted by its 1970s tyrannical ruler Idi Amin.