UK: 'Terror gang' may have been 'plotting to blow up shopping centre and nightclub'

The Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | April 9, 2009 | James Tozer

[Stoat]

Dramatic daylight terror raids on a university may have been linked to a plot to blow up a shopping centre or nightclub, police fear.

Students at Liverpool John Moores University watched in shock yesterday as two men were hauled outside and forced to the ground by armed police.
 

Witnesses said the duo  -  students at the university's Business School  -  were wearing combat trousers and hiking jackets, and claimed there were rumours of 'a bomb' on the premises. 

(edit)

The raid was one of a series carried out simultaneously across the North-West in which 12 suspects believed to be plotting a major terrorist bomb attack in Britain were seized. Most of the men are Pakistani nationals living in Britain on student visas.
 

Police believe possible targets were the Trafford Centre shopping centre in Manchester and a nightclub frequented by footballers.

(edit)

 

The other areas targeted included Cheetham Hill in north Manchester, where officers raided two houses looking for explosive material and seeking four men. An internet cafe was also searched.
 

In addition, a Homebase DIY store in Clitheroe, Lancashire, was raided by 100 officers, with shoppers looking on as two security guards were led away.

 

(edit)

[happygrl]

So I decided to do my bit once and went in there , the looks I got from the pakistani were that of hatred but of course they did nothing to me as they realise I can look after myself plus they probably thought who the hell is this nutcase doing this right now.

This is how we are going to have to handle them, one small battle and one square yard at a time.

Good for you; I will implement this strategy if ever I have the opportunity.

I can be one real Happy B*tch!

[Cindy]

“Most of the men are Pakistani nationals living in Britain on student visas.”

Yep and thank you for the ping, Stoat.

[21twelve]

I caught a glimpse of this on the news. It seems they had to push the raid up 12 hours (to a day-time raid) because the head of British anti-terrorism was holding the file, labelled “Secret”, in such a manner that when he went into the building (Parliament? Prime Minister? Somewhere!)the photographers at the curb were able to blow up a photo of the document and got details of the operation! The head honcho resigned.

[Cindy]

“The head honcho resigned.”

OK, there’s something I didn’t know.
Thanks for the update.

[21twelve]

Opps. I knew I should have clicked on that link in #3. More info on the screw-up by the head of the anti-terrorism force, and the treachery of the press.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

I go shopping there on a fairly regular basis. Slightly more perturbing when its so close to home....

[manc]

my neice works there in claires and a few mates go there too,

when they have money like

[Cindy]

Thanks to Oorang for the ping to this link (at The Threat Matrix on FreeRepublic.com):

Note: See photo and map.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/09/al-qaida-terror-uk

“Police feared ‘Al-Qaida terror attack’ on UK was planned for Easter”

guardian.co.uk, Thursday 9 April 2009 15.14 BST

SNIPPET: “Sources with knowledge of the investigation - in which arrests were rushed forward after Quick’s mistake, which today cost him his job - say the execution of an “al-Qaida driven” plot was “imminent”.

UK officials say they believe the attack would have been attempted by Easter Monday at the latest.”

[Cindy]

Thanks to Steelfish for this related thread.

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2226038/posts

Al-Qaeda Terror Plot To Bomb Easter Shoppers
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5133535/Al-Qaeda-terror-plot-to-bomb-Easter-shoppers.html ^ | April 09, 2009
Posted on April 9, 2009 6:38:39 PM PDT by Steelfish

Al-Qaeda terror plot to bomb Easter shoppers

An al-Qaeda cell was days away from carrying out an “Easter spectacular” of co-ordinated suicide bomb attacks on shopping centres in Manchester, police believe.

By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent 09 Apr 2009

Sources told The Daily Telegraph that the arrests of 12 men in the north west of England on Wednesday were linked to a suspected plan to launch a devastating attack this weekend.

Some of the suspects were watched by MI5 agents as they filmed themselves outside the Trafford Centre on the edge of Manchester, the Arndale Centre in the city centre, and the nearby St Ann’s Square.

Police were forced to round up the alleged plotters after they were overheard discussing dates, understood to include the Easter bank holiday, one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

“It could have been the next few days and they were talking about 10 days at the outside,” one source said. “We had to act.” Police are now engaged in a search for an alleged bomb factory, where explosives might have been assembled.

If such a plot was carried out, it would almost certainly have been Britain’s worst terrorist attack, with the potential to cause more deaths than the suicide attacks of July 7, 2005, when 52 people were murdered.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...

[Cindy]

from the link in post no. 29:

SNIPPET: “The security services suspect that several of the men arrested were trained at religious schools in Pakistan and sent to launch suicide attacks on the West.”

SNIPPET: “Sources said police had arrested the man they suspected was the ring-leader, Abid Naseer, 22, at an address in Galsworthy Avenue in Cheetham Hill, Manchester.

He is said to be from the tribal areas of Pakistan where the Taliban and al-Qaeda have established their base.”

SNIPPET: “Among the locations raided on Wednesday afternoon was the Cyber Net Café in Cheetham Hill, where it is thought the men communicated using emails.”

SNIPPET: “Security sources suspect they received their instructions from al-Qaeda commanders in Pakistan.

The leader of the Pakistan Taliban is Baitullah Mehsud...”

[Cindy]

JIHAD WATCH.org (TELEGRAPH.co.uk): "UK: AL-QAEDA TERROR PLOT TO BOMB EASTER SHOPPERS EXPOSED" (April 10, 2009)

[Stoat]

Thanks to all for your great posts and updates....all are sincerely appreciated.  Here's a bit more:

(severely edited to comply with FR rules)

Revealed Terror suspects in 'Easter bomb plot' worked at Manchester airport Mail Online

Members of the alleged Al Qaeda cell suspected of plotting a Bank Holiday terror atrocity worked for a firm based at Manchester Airport.

At least one drove vans for a cargo company which has access to sensitive locations.

A further two had passed security industry checks which enabled them to guard premises overnight, further raising fears that members of the gang - all but one of them Pakistani students - were planning to infiltrate high-profile targets before an attack.

(edit)

It was further claimed that some of the men have links to the terror group accused of the devastating Mumbai attacks in India which left more than 170 dead. The group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, or Army of the Righteous, was also blamed for the Lahore cricket atrocity.

(edit)

At least two of the arrested men had worked for Manchester Airport-based delivery firm Cargo2Go, the Daily Mail can reveal.

Cargo2go van drivers are supplied with a logo and a list of work

(edit)

One Cargo2Go driver, a Brazilian, told the Mail he had been inside secure areas of Manchester and Glasgow airports with minimal security checks. 'To be honest I didn't know you had to have any, as people just wave me through - I drop off the cargo and that's that.'

(edit)

Although 11 of the suspects arrived in Britain on student visas, only one is known to have attended a reputable institution, a 26-year-old studying accountancy at Liverpool John Moores University.

[Cindy]

Thank you Stoat and this looks like a very good update with some interesting details.

[Stoat]

Thank you Stoat and this looks like a very good update with some interesting details.

You're quite welcome, and I'm delighted that you've found it to be worthwhile.  I apologize to ALL here for not responding to everyone's posts to me...things have been a bit hectic at the stoat cave...but I've read everything you've posted and I sincerely appreciate all of everyone's effort.  This seems to have been an absolutely massive terror attack that was thwarted and the details make it all more chilling with every new bit of information that trickles in.

[TornadoAlley3]

BTTT

[Stoat]

Update

Students in Quick 'terror' arrests freed without charge News

Students in Quick 'terror' arrests freed without charge

Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor
 

 

MINISTERS were today facing an embarrassing deportation battle as nine Pakistani students held in the anti-terror raids that followed Bob Quick's photographed files blunder were released without charge.

The students were among 12 men arrested nearly two weeks ago in Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Lancashire. The operation had been brought forward after Mr Quick, Scotland Yard's former anti-terror chief, was photographed with a file showing details of the raid plan. Gordon Brown said at the time that a "very big" terror plot had been thwarted.

Today two of those detained were in custody. Earlier one suspect was released and last night the remaining nine Pakistani students were freed without charge.

All nine, aged between 22 and 38, have been handed to the UK Border Agency for deportation on national security grounds. A lawyer for three of the men, Mohammed Ayub, vowed to fight to allow them to stay in the country. He said: "Our clients have no criminal history, they were here lawfully on student visas and all were pursuing their studies and working part-time." The Home Office insisted the deportation was necessary "to protect public safety".

[Cindy]

Thank you for the update Stoat.
I appreciate it.

[Stoat]

You’re quite welcome....I only wish that it could have been an update other than the usual “Bureaucrats turn terrorists loose again” bilge.
Our British Friends deserve far better than this. When Britain’s (Or America’s) next terror attack involves some of the people involved in this article, and hundreds or thousands of people die and are injured, those who set them free will be nowhere to be found or will hide behind the usual bluster. “sigh”

[Cindy]

Quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2408278/posts

UK: Jihadists who plotted to blow up shopping center had been granted permission to work...
(by David Leppard for THE SUNDAY TIMES, December 13, 2009) via JIHAD WATCH.org ^ | December 15, 2009 12:11 PM | posted by Robert
Posted on December 15, 2009 3:20:33 PM PST by Cindy

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2009/12/uk-jihadists-who-plotted-to-blow-up-shopping-center-had-been-granted-permission-to-work-as-security.html

UK: Jihadists who plotted to blow up shopping center had been granted permission to work as security guards

Why not? To disallow them would have been “Islamophobic.” “Manchester terror suspects cleared to work as guards,” by David Leppard for The Sunday Times, December 13:

Ten members of a suspected Islamist terror cell, said by MI5 to be plotting to blow up a shopping centre and a nightclub in Manchester, had been granted permission by the Home Office to work as security guards in Britain.

The Pakistani students — who were never charged for lack of evidence — were arrested over an alleged plot to bomb Britain last Easter. Police believed they had conducted “hostile reconnaissance” of the Arndale and Trafford shopping centres and the Birdcage nightclub.

It has now emerged that in the months before the alleged plot, the men were given licences to work as security guards by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), a Home Office body that regulates the private security industry.

They all passed a vetting programme designed to bar criminals and undesirables from taking up sensitive security posts protecting airports, ports and Whitehall buildings from terrorist attack. When arrested, two of the students were working for a cargo firm which had access to secure areas at Manchester airport....

Posted by Robert on December 15, 2009 12:11 PM

[Cindy]

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/03/uk-al-qaeda-cell-came-within-days-of-attack-around-easter-of-2009.html

“U.K.: Al-Qaeda cell came “within days” of attack around Easter of 2009”

SNIPPET: “This was the case where officials were sent scrambling due to an assistant police commissioner being photographed with highly-classified documents visible. The new details illustrate what a close call this may have been, no thanks to said commissioner. “Al-Qaeda came within days of terror attack on Britain last year, court hears,” by Duncan Gardham for the Telegraph, March 9 (thanks to all who sent this in):

An alleged al-Qaeda terrorist cell arrested in the North West was within days of launching an attack on Britain a senior officer in MI5 has told a tribunal.
The men, who were arrested in Manchester and Liverpool in April last year, were said to be in direct contact with al-Qaeda in Pakistan, using coded email messages that talked about cars and girls.
They were said to be “operating in a similar manner” to those planning the mass casualty attacks of July 7 2005 and the trans-Atlantic airline plot of 2006.
Sources at the time said the gang was targeting Easter shoppers but police found no sign of bomb-making equipment and they were never charged.
The operation had to be brought forward after Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, then Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism officer, was photographed entering Downing Street with details of the operation visible.
The “Al-Qaeda Pipeline,” still in action:

Four of the men, who had all arrived from Pakistan on student visas, are now appealing against a government decision to deport them on national security grounds. [...]”