London - Police statement on airline bombing plot - "mass murder on an unimaginable scale"

Reuters ^ | August 10, 2006 | Paul Stephenson

[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."

[vimto]

I heard the interview. Chilling in it's clinical clarity.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

"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."

What community would that be..the Dar al-Amn?

[Outrance]

And the Democrats want to give Bush crap about monitoring overseas phone calls. It should be an interesting election this Fall.

[Popman]

Is it August 22nd already?

More peace from our friends of the ROP*

[Jackknife]

Chilling in it's clinical clarity.

The British eye for detail can really come in handy when utilized.

[vimto]

es well, that's the PC way these days. You have to say it. But I suspect they will not be too forthcoming to the local Imams if it as as unimaginable as they say. The best message they could give is "Don't mess with us this time".

[Lurker]

They met with the Mennonite and Quaker communities. Oh and the British Gardening Society, strictly as a precaution of course.

L

[vimto]

Yes and there is something chilling in the understatements like, "I think we are in for a bit of a scrap with the enemy today sir!" as if it's going to be a school yard fight.

One thing I love about the UK is that no matter what PC there is in society we still have our Special Forces and they don't mess around.

[Dog]

Can we get this place in Breaking News.

[Michael81Dus]

You can add EACH THREAD to breaking news, if you want. Just click "add topic" and type "breaking" in.

[Jackknife]

"I think we are in for a bit of a scrap with the enemy today sir!"

Heh Heh Heh .... Well put!

(Heading for work....have a great day)

[happinesswithoutpeace]

What? No Lutherans this time? bah humbug.

[Dog]

Thank you Michael..

[Jameison]

"And the Democrats want to give Bush crap about monitoring overseas phone calls. It should be an interesting election this Fall."

Not only that,the RATS decide to choose the totally weak on the war on terror moonbat, Lamont, to be their guy for the US Senate.
Should be an interesting election indeed, his fall.

[tomnbeverly]

America is hypnotized by the liberal crap... They see this as all Bush's fault... If we weren't in Iraq there would be no terror plots... sheesh.... It is way past time for our GOP reps to be out there trumpeting the what if we had not acted scenarios instead of reacting to Dem criticsm at every turn.

[Jameison]

We are confident that we have disrupted a plan by terrorists to cause untold death and destruction and commit mass murder. "

The New York Slimes is deeply saddened.

[hiramknight]

God Bless the Brits.

[Michael81Dus]

You´re welcome. The Mods surely have other things to do. :-)

Btt, I´m so glad that the British police prevented this disaster. During the last year the "warm and fuzzy" feeling of being safe came back... let this prevented attack be a reminder that the war on terror is also fought AT HOME!

[vimto]

Thank you indeed.

[rvoitier]

Hope the minimum wage rent-a-cops at airport terminals are sure to check grandma from Iowa real good. But be sure not to upset middle eastern males by asking them to submit to searches.

[2nd Amendment]

In order not to offend any particular religious or ethnic group, we will not reveal their ethnic or religious preferences.. . I expect a statement like this soon!

[Dog]

The threat is not over Michael....don't think otherwise...bringing down the planes could have been a precurser to other parts of the plot.

[cvq3842]

Great work by law enforcement!

How long before some moonbat on the left says this was just hyped, one day after Lieberman's loss, "to keep Americans in fear"? Believe me, some a** will say it. Check DU. I don't have the stomach to.

[Michael81Dus]

I don´t expect the terrorists to strike at the skies today. If ever, they exercise their revange in a bus or the underground. That´s far more difficult to control than the airports and planes.

[IamConservative]

What you will hear on Fox News Radio this morning that you won't see on Al-Reuters is that all 21 arrested were Muslim males.

Good on Scotland Yard.

[hiramknight]

Unfortunately, for some stupid people, that warm fuzzy feeling will remain until we're attacked again, and their unwavering critisism of current anti-terror policies will enable the attack. Useful idiots for the terrorists.

[rockabyebaby]

yes indeedy, line up all the blue eyed blonds, little babies and oh, don't forget grandma, SEARCH them and SEARCH THEM GOOD, and oh, be sure to let muslins/pakistani's/etc. through with out searching, we don't want to offend them, yes indeedy people, welcome to the world........

[Michael81Dus]

THIS was an almost-attack. It´s a proof that the terrorists are still alive and well among us. We need to continue the efforts in the global (!) war on terrorism. This shall be the lesson of today. If not for the British law enforcement, this would have been the worst day since September 11 2001.

WAKE UP you sleepers in the western world, and I don´t mean the terrorist sleepers, but all the - how did you call them? - "useful idiots". This is our societies, our lives at risk!

We will not bend, we will not break. But we will prevail!

UNITED WE STAND!

[steamroller]

the ACLU is helping this type of thing to become a reality here-aided by people(?) like barbara boxer who don't want "profiling"used by security and police personnel-i really think the aclu should be treated as an enemy combatant

[blam]

Global dimensions!!

I wonder if we'll have arrests here?

Some of these SOB's may be running and looking for a hiding place. There may be people from other uninvolved cells that start to 'scramble' for fear that these arrests will reveal them too. Report any suspicious activity...

You have my permission to shoot any suspects.

[HAL9000]

The obvious solution is to profile everyone, head-to-toe. Noone gets a pass.

[Guenevere]

We're in the middle of stopping an unfolding terrorist attack...We're not out of the woods yet....BILL GERTZ...(right now on FOX LIVE)

[Dog]

Thank you dear lady...

[blam]

"THIS was an almost-attack. It´s a proof that the terrorists are still alive and well among us. "

They will always be among us until we get our pitchforks and chase these POS people out of our countries.

[Atlantian]

Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport has just issued a warning--passengers are being told to pour out all liquids before boarding. This includes bottled water, cologne, contact lens solutions, lotion and hair gel.

[AmericaUnite]

If you haven't Freeped this CNN poll please consider it.

"Which issue facing the U.S. do you think is more important? Terrorism or Gas Prices" (and gas is now leading)"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1680943/posts

[Nomorjer Kinov]

Put simply this was a plot to commit mass murder on an unimaginable scale."

I can imagine the scale. Both the US and the UK are capable of delivering a counter on an even greater scale from a submarine a thousand miles away. The muslims are plucking the rawest of remaining nerves.

[gotribe]

Yes. Bush and Blair need to put forth a 30-day plan for eliminating terrorists and their nanny states. Then get on with it. No reason we should even have to be talking about iran, syria, and north korea beyond Sept. 10.

[chapin2500]

We also believe that the intended targets were flights from the UK to the USA.

Thank God the adults are still in charge.

[tkathy]

These suspects will be described as "mentally ill, wonderful model citizens". All who knew them will be shocked, shocked I tell you.

[defconw]

Ping, WTG GB! and Thank You to Scotland Yard.

[ketelone]

Disaster averted.

[poobear]

"Hope the minimum wage rent-a-cops at airport terminals are sure to check grandma from Iowa real good. But be sure not to upset middle eastern males by asking them to submit to searches."

I agree with your cynicism but the security at OIA make a very decent living. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember the ads after 9/11 offering hourly wages ranging from $18.00 to $30.00 per hour. While that's not going to make your rich, the benefits and pensions are quite attractive around these parts. Let's just hope they do their jobs.

OIA is expecting heavy Delius do to the elevated security. No shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc. Their going to make you prove the content of baby formula. All shoes will be inspected. (Except of course middle eastern men in their 20's /s) This should be interesting on the evening news.

[AFPhys]

If any portion of this plot is successful, it will doom the Lamont branch of the DNC and the Old Media terrorist sympathizers.

[AFPhys]

...bringing down the planes could have been a precurser to other parts of the plot.

That's how I read the last sentence of the Brit's statement.

[The Sons of Liberty]

Thank GOD for the vigilance of MI5!

We must be prepared, there may be additional aspects to this plot.

[oh8eleven]

Check DU. I don't have the stomach to.
Here's a sampling (BARF alert):

- The UK government mostly lie about these things.
- political ploy
- It seems like this has been planned to coincide with the new terror alert system that came into effect on 1st August.
- can you IMAGINE how they are treating every passenger who isn't lily white? what a horror.
- I've pretty much laughed off most of the terra!terra! crap
- I'd like to think that this is just another fizzy Pepsi can in the NY subways, but they still are calling this a "critical" threat...

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Deport Muslims Now! No camps -- just deport! Raze ALL mosques. Do it now!