The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • National

    VAN CLEAVE: A Thanksgiving message from Russia's spy agency

  • National

    HOLMES: Behind Obama's overseas allure

  • World

    Thailand seeks U.S. help battling insurgents

  • Politics

    Obama taking emissions goal to summit

  • Business

    Retailers banking on Black Friday

  • World

    Corruption stain puts Pakistan leader at risk

  • Politics

    Courage the turkey escapes Obama's plate

Friday, August 11, 2006

British-Pakistani effort thwarted terror 'dry run'

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • Obama calls service members on holiday
  • Gay marriage vote stalls in N.J., N.Y.
  • Shaq pays for murdered girl's funeral
  • IAEA: Iran investigation at 'dead end'

By

British and Pakistani officials stepped up an eight-month investigation to prevent a "dry run" of a terrorist attack to blow up more than 10 U.S. airplanes flying between the U.S. and the United Kingdom arresting 24 suspects.

The terrorist suspects had been under surveillance since December and the plot could have been carried out "within days," officials said.

U.S. officials publicly congratulated Britain for the arrest, but privately two officials suggested that electronic surveillance of terror suspects in Pakistan and Britain provided the initial clues to the plot. Several news organizations, including ABC, Fox and CNN, reported last night that a British undercover agent was able to penetrate the terrorist cell.

British authorities decided to take action and arrest as many people linked to the plot as possible Wednesday before they could carry out the planned "dry run" to determine whether they could smuggle the contraband onboard, said officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

British security officials "decided that no way were they going to allow those guys to get on the planes, because what if they were not doing a dry run?" said one federal security official.

As of yesterday, 24 suspects had been arrested and more were thought to be at large. Officials declined to specify a number, but suggested that a plot to blow up 10 planes would likely involve about 50 terrorists.

The scheme sought to cause maximum psychological damage by using TATP -- the material thought to have been used in the July 2005 attacks on London's mass transit -- to explode the planes in flight and make the recovery of bodies difficult.

"The psychological impact of not knowing where your loved ones are is devastating," the official said. "The goal was to curtail international commerce because people would be so scared to fly internationally."

The introduction of TATP (triacetone triperoxide) to the aviation arena is a new development in the terrorist arsenal, the official said.

"It could cause catastrophic failure. Rest assured, these guys did their homework on where to place it," the official said.

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  3. Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner
  4. Grade-schooler unearths fossil at dinosaur park
  5. D.C. sports icon, Wizards owner Pollin dies
More Top Stories »
  1. List of W.H. state dinner guests
  2. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
  3. The global-cooling cover-up
  4. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general
  5. Conservatives seek test for RNC funds

Most Shared

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. EDITORIAL: The duty of a nation to obey God
  3. Grade-schooler unearths fossil at dinosaur park
  4. The global-cooling cover-up
  5. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
More Top Stories »
  1. VAN CLEAVE: A Thanksgiving message from Russia's spy agency
  2. The United Socialist States of America
  3. EDITORIAL: A call to prayer and repentance
  4. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  5. White House logs point to donor access

Most Commented

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  3. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
  4. Obama to attend Denmark climate summit
  5. Ky. hanging, ruled a suicide, leaves bloggers at loss for words
More Top Stories »
  1. A-listers, fundraisers at W.H. state dinner
  2. EDITORIAL: The duty of a nation to obey God
  3. Obama taking emissions goal to summit
  4. EDITORIAL: Kennedy vs. Catholicism
  5. 9/11 families sharply split on civilian court trials

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • Hot Button Blog

    RNC: Breast cancer recommendations may lead to 'rationing'

  • Belief Blog

    Evangelicals OK civil disobedience

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • Redskins 360

    Redskins matchup

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.