Posted on 08/23/2003 9:00:10 PM PDT by HAL9000
The FBI has uncovered intelligence that al-Qa'eda terrorists are plotting to hijack an aircraft in Britain over the next two months and fly it into an important building.
British Airways and other leading airlines operating in and out of Britain have been put on alert after the warning was passed to the security services. The most likely targets are aircraft taking off from Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
The FBI and the American department for homeland security circulated a warning to American and British airlines on July 30, saying that terrorists working in teams of five were likely to try to hijack aircraft using "common items carried by travellers", such as cameras, to disguise weapons.
The warning, which has been seen by The Telegraph, said: "Recent reporting on al-Qa'eda from intelligence sources indicated that terrorists might try to modify electronic items for use as weapons in order to circumvent improved security screening."
During the hijack they intend to tell passengers that it is an old-style hijacking and ransom operation, not a suicide mission, in order to prevent a heroic attack by a passenger, such as the one that brought down a hijacked aircraft on September 11, 2001, in Pennsylvania, before it could reach its target - thought to be the White House.
The specific targets of the hijackers are not known, although al-Qa'eda has in the past targeted the Houses of Parliament in an abortive plot. American officials said the intelligence was collected during a raid on an overseas al-Qa'eda residence in recent months.
A suspect in the May bombings in Saudi Arabia is understood to be behind the warnings. Ali Abd al-Rahman al-Faqasi al-Ghamdi (also known as Abu Bakr al-Azdi), described by US counter-terrorism officials as "a leading al-Qa'eda operative in Saudi Arabia", surrendered to Saudi authorities on June 26 and has been interrogated by the CIA.
Intelligence officials said that intercepted terrorist communications have corroborated his claims.
Al-Ghamdi is believed to have co-ordinated the suicide bombings on residential compounds inhabited by Westerners and other foreigners in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Thirty-four people, including nine bombers, died in the attacks.
During a raid on his house, agents found that he had a special interest in converting camera flash attachments into stun guns or explosive devices. Another al-Qa'eda experiment focused on disguising a detonator and explosive inside a camera.
One British security service official said: "This is a real threat and shows we have to be vigilant."
An FBI spokesman said that information about potential attacks had also identified Italy, Australia and America. ground targets. He said: "At least one of these attacks could be executed by the end of the summer. Recognising changes in aviation security measures since September 11, 2001, al-Qa'eda is looking for new ways to circumvent enhancements in aviation security screening and tightening immigration requirements."
Britain is thought to be a particular target because of its support for the war in Iraq and because many aircraft stop here to refuel or transfer passengers to other flights.
It is known that al-Qa'eda believes that it is easier to get into Britain or America by booking flights that stop here but do not require passengers to pass through immigration controls.
During the hijack they intend to tell passengers that it is an old-style hijacking and ransom operation, not a suicide mission, in order to prevent a heroic attack by a passenger, such as the one that brought down a hijacked aircraft on September 11, 2001, in Pennsylvania, before it could reach its target - thought to be the White House.One day in the near future, Islamic terrorists intend to tell passengers that their mission is an old-suicide mission, not one aimed at maiming all non-Muslim children on the planet. Progress under Islam.
It wasn't fair and it wasn't right, but it was the natural reaction of a host who had been burned too many times by bad Muslims disguising themselves as good Muslims.
Sadly, the failure of the good Muslims to sort out the rotten apples in their midst led to them all being painted with the same brush.
Uh huh. Okay. Go right ahead. We'll just sit here in our seats and yawn. That will work.
If the passengers are French, it will work. Better hijack Air France on its London to Paris run. If they try it on an American airliner, the passengers will rise up immediately. Let's Roll!!!
Of course, to the (insane) libs and many in the GWB administration, arming pilots is infinetely more dangerous a proposition.
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