Threat Level To Highest Level (Red) for Trans Atlantic Airlines, Orange for Rest.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Airlines and airports across the country in a degree of chaos this AM after at least 21 people arrested in Britain.

-------------------------------------------------------------
British police thwart aircraft bomb plot
By DANICA KIRKA, Associated Press Writer 7 minutes ago

LONDON - British authorities said Thursday they had thwarted a terrorist plot to simultaneously blow up several aircraft heading to the U.S. using explosives smuggled in carry-on luggage. Britain's Home Secretary John Reid said 21 people had been arrested in London, its suburbs and in Birmingham, including the alleged "main players" in the plot.

Huge crowds formed at security barriers at London's Heathrow airport as officials searching for explosives barred nearly every form of liquid outside of baby formula.

Officials raised security to its highest level in Britain and banned hand-carried luggage on all trans-Atlantic flights.

The extreme measures at a major international aviation hub sent ripple effects throughout the world. Heathrow airport was closed to most flights from Europe.

The U.S. government responded by raising its threat alert to its highest level for commercial flights from Britain to the United States amid fears the plot had not been completely crushed. The alert for all flights coming or going from the United States was also raised slightly.

In Washington, two U.S. counterterrorism officials said the terrorists had targeted United, American and Continental airlines. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

A U.S. intelligence official said the plotters had hoped to target flights to major airports in New York, Washington and California, all major summer tourist destinations.

CONT (http://tinyurl.com/mpfcj)

----------------------------------------------------------------
New airport security rules being issued. No liquids of any kind are now admitted, de-clutter your carry on bag or expect every item to be individually inspected.

.

[defenseman]

they appear to have a pretty good handle on it...dman

[Bronco_Beerslug]

they appear to have a pretty good handle on it...dman They do? I heard there are maybe 50 or more people that are wanted.

So now it's no liquids, gels or lotions allowed on any flights, including toothpaste, perfume, etc.. Terrorism expert on CNN saying he thinks we'll find these people have ties to Pakistan.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

So they're saying now that baby formula and milk will be allowed if you test it first. Medicine also allowed although I'm not sure how you test it.

------------------------------------------------------
Security increases at U.S. airports
By DAVID B. CARUSO, Associated Press Writer 40 minutes ago

NEW YORK - U.S. air travelers poured out liquids, opened their bags for inspection and endured long waits Thursday as airports heightened security and some flights were canceled or delayed after the discovery of a terror plot aimed at airlines traveling from Britain to the United States.


http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20060810/capt.3e8fcdab99a44811bdb5507c7664ae8e.us_terror_pl ot_passengers_nyha106.jpg?x=380&y=246&sig=N4.B1k7QtCa_EnqjGmPWZg--
New restrictions, prohibiting any liquids in carry-on luggage, are posted at a United Airlines check-in line at JFK Airport, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2006 in New York. U.S. air travelers poured out liquids, opened their bags for inspection and endured long waits Thursday as airports heightened security and some flights were canceled or delayed after the discovery of a terror plot aimed at airlines traveling from Britain to the United States. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)


The airlines targeted included United Airlines, American Airlines and Continental Airlines Inc., two counterterrorism officials said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

"This is very, very serious, this is the real deal," said Rep. Peter King (news, bio, voting record), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

King said he was briefed on the case late Wednesday by Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff, and "it was the most concerned I have ever heard him."

CONT (http://tinyurl.com/gfgwe)

[Hotrod]

One thing that sticks out to me is the fact they went overseas to pull this one. Im not saying anything but maybe our airport security is working???

This is a good news/bad news thing IMO. The good news is they are atleast a step ahead on this one but the bad news is just barely a step ahead. Also shows how Al-pucka is still working on our destruction. Does not seem they are exactly destroyed or hampered.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

One thing that sticks out to me is the fact they went overseas to pull this one. Im not saying anything but maybe our airport security is working??? Nah, Britain has a HUGE population of Muslim radicals. Airport security is no different there or here. They were hoping for a global impact economically.

This is a good news/bad news thing IMO. The good news is they are atleast a step ahead on this one but the bad news is just barely a step ahead. Also shows how Al-pucka is still working on our destruction. Does not seem they are exactly destroyed or hampered. Their numbers are increasing from every intelligence source. Invading Iraq re-energized them.

[SteveTensi13]

Their numbers are increasing from every intelligence source. Invading Iraq re-energized them.

No, 9-11 re-energized them. Man, what is up with you libs. it's almost like you guys have completely forgotten 9-11, unbelievable! You have made yourselves believe that after 9-11 the terrorists would have just stopped and been satisfied with that!

[Bronco_Beerslug]

No, 9-11 re-energized them. Man, what is up with you libs. it's almost like you guys have completely forgotten 9-11, unbelievable! You have made yourselves believe that after 9-11 the terrorists would have just stopped and been satisfied with that!
No, the Iraq invasion and occupation did says the CIA, NSA, British Intelligence, etc...

[Hotrod]

No, the Iraq invasion and occupation did says the CIA, NSA, British Intelligence, etc...

Unfortunatly again Slug-o is correct. Information does tend to point to the rise of terrorists AFTER we went into Iraq. Im certainly not shifting myself to the left but even I can see this.

Think about it most Muslim countrys were either 100% ok with the Afgan war or at the very least stayed neutral. Thats simply not the case with the Iraq war. Im not saying its correct/good/bad just simply a fact.

[Old Dude]

Transcript of briefing:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060810/NEWS99/60810014

Holy moley.

[bendog]

Come on, the brits pretty much admit, except for Blair who's tap dancing away from it, that the underground bombing was really a result of idiots being po'd about the Brits being in Iraq. Our own homegrown idiots, like the ones i Fla, are prolly pretty much the same.

Now the airliner thing today .... that sounds more like al queda.

[defenseman]

No, 9-11 re-energized them. Man, what is up with you libs. it's almost like you guys have completely forgotten 9-11, unbelievable! You have made yourselves believe that after 9-11 the terrorists would have just stopped and been satisfied with that!

Exactly. Yep, they had their fun so, they'll stop on thier own, just ask lamont. Lay down your arms and they'll quit also. GET A CLUE LIBS, the terrorists will not stop till YOU are dead. Pretty tough negotiating with an AK 47 sticking in your ear. Liberals=victims of terrorists. .....dman

[Hotrod]

Exactly. Yep, they had their fun so, they'll stop on thier own, just ask lamont. Lay down your arms and they'll quit also. GET A CLUE LIBS, the terrorists will not stop till YOU are dead. Pretty tough negotiating with an AK 47 sticking in your ear. Liberals=victims of terrorists. .....dman

IMO both sides in this thread are correct.

The one side knows that the pure # of terrorist has increased (most likely to Iraq) yet wants to "talk to them" which is simply not going to work.

The others side knows that "talking to them" = death...

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Exactly. Yep, they had their fun so, they'll stop on thier own, just ask lamont. Lay down your arms and they'll quit also. GET A CLUE LIBS, the terrorists will not stop till YOU are dead. Pretty tough negotiating with an AK 47 sticking in your ear. Liberals=victims of terrorists. .....dman
Don't you republican extremistists' ever get tired of spewing the same company line that has been abandoned by even most of the republican party?

IMO both sides in this thread are correct.
The one side knows that the pure # of terrorist has increased (most likely to Iraq) yet wants to "talk to them" which is simply not going to work.
The others side knows that "talking to them" = death... WhoTF wants to talk to them?

[TailgateNut]

No, 9-11 re-energized them. Man, what is up with you libs. it's almost like you guys have completely forgotten 9-11, unbelievable! You have made yourselves believe that after 9-11 the terrorists would have just stopped and been satisfied with that!


Keep believing that BS. Our operations in Iraq have "energized" them. They are breeding exponentially due to our actions. If we were being "occupied" by a foreign entity non-military resistance would also grow on a daily basis. It's human nature! Although these terrorists have existed long before 9-11, the are more determined than ever before due to our actions in the ME and our support of the Isreali conflict and actions!

[enjolras]

The London->USA flights have the tightest airport security I've ever passed through (my job takes me to Europe quite a bit). You literally go through 3 big security checkpoints to get to the gate, with the gate itself being a security checkpoint.

They seemed to be going after the MOST secure flights in the world...

[enjolras]

WhoTF wants to talk to them?

While not really 'talking' to them per-se, a common thread has been various forms of appeasement. That if we stopped supporting Isreal, pulled everyone out of the ME, and 'played nice' that the terrorists would somehow just stop...

[Bronco_Beerslug]

While not really 'talking' to them per-se, a common thread has been various forms of appeasement. That if we stopped supporting Isreal, pulled everyone out of the ME, and 'played nice' that the terrorists would somehow just stop...
That sure isn't my position. If we moved away from oil (which we could do in a decade or so) we would have no reason to interact with the religious radicals of the ME.

[Hotrod]

While not really 'talking' to them per-se, a common thread has been various forms of appeasement. That if we stopped supporting Isreal, pulled everyone out of the ME, and 'played nice' that the terrorists would somehow just stop...

Thats what I was trying to say. One side wants to take the fight to them the other wants to find other ways of dealing with them I guess. IMO the problem with option #2 is the "left" dont seem to understand that these "people" dont think like we do. They are not after peace and a nice house & car....they simply want all non believers dead. You cant do much with someone like that except stop them from reaching their goal.

[Hotrod]

That sure isn't my position. If we moved away from oil (which we could do in a decade or so) we would have no reason to interact with the religious radicals of the ME.

I guess its what your actually believe then Slug. You feel that the only reason they hate us is because were in the ME. I on the other hand believe that they hate us because its their religious duty to see us converted or dead.

Like most issues the truth is most likely mixed/mashed and in the middle somewhere.

[bendog]

Thats what I was trying to say. One side wants to take the fight to them the other wants to find other ways of dealing with them I guess. IMO the problem with option #2 is the "left" dont seem to understand that these "people" dont think like we do. They are not after peace and a nice house & car....they simply want all non believers dead. You cant do much with someone like that except stop them from reaching their goal.
There's never been a statement by a demo, that I know of, saying we need to "talk" with terrorists. However, I don't see how anyone can say the neocon foreign policy we've followed since 9-11 is working. The Arabs have LEGITIMATE beefs with us over things such as giving Israel the green light to build settlements and our political machinations in places like Iraq (even before bushii's war) and Iran to get the spice.

[W*GS]

While not really 'talking' to them per-se, a common thread has been various forms of appeasement. That if we stopped supporting Isreal, pulled everyone out of the ME, and 'played nice' that the terrorists would somehow just stop...

That's the trick, isn't it? Changing our ME policies to reduce the threat from terrorism without making it look like we're caving to the terrorists...

[Hotrod]

There's never been a statement by a demo, that I know of, saying we need to "talk" with terrorists. However, I don't see how anyone can say the neocon foreign policy we've followed since 9-11 is working. The Arabs have LEGITIMATE beefs with us over things such as giving Israel the green light to build settlements and our political machinations in places like Iraq (even before bushii's war) and Iran to get the spice.

Things certainly are not working out in a positive maner IMO but can someone actually tell me what the dems plan is??? do they even have a plan??? that has been my beef with them from day one. All I hear from them is "the right is screwing up" "were breading terrorists" but not one word on what they would do. Im certainly open to some new ideas/new blood in power but Im not going to buy their product unseen...

[Bronco_Beerslug]

I guess its what your actually believe then Slug. You feel that the only reason they hate us is because were in the ME. I on the other hand believe that they hate us because its their religious duty to see us converted or dead.
Like most issues the truth is most likely mixed/mashed and in the middle somewhere.

I feel there are many reasons and excuses they use to direct their hate at us. The only way possible to kill all Muslim terrorists is total annihilation of every country that hosts them. But then what would the world look like without the ME, the Philippines, most of Western and eastern Europe, most of the former Soviet union, Canada, Australia, the U.S., Southeast Asia, etc...?

[bendog]

Things certainly are not working out in a positive maner IMO but can someone actually tell me what the dems plan is??? do they even have a plan??? that has been my beef with them from day one. All I hear from them is "the right is screwing up" "were breading terrorists" but not one word on what they would do. Im certainly open to some new ideas/new blood in power but Im not going to buy their product unseen...
I agree. I don't see a coherent plan. Of course Hillary's the "front runner," and she's a neocon just as Lieberman and Bushii. I'm not sure the dems have to have a plan before 08. But Lamont's response struck me as on pt. I only saw a little on hardball yesterday, and that's only cause I was jogging on the trainer and there was NO SPORTS but team tennis on. Essentially he said bushii's taken resources away from the WOT for Iraq, and he abandoned our allies. I think that's undeniably true. He OUTED A CIA AGENT. Look at the state of the CIA today. Moral's terrible. Goss quit. We need a CIA operating. Homeland Security ... ah, Katrina. Rumsfeld's crying for more money cause the humvees are wearing out.

I'd take WJC's second term for policy over this, any day. Push for a Palestine settlement; reduce consumption. And a dem senate to fund what he wanted for NK. Gore's interesting because bushii bashed him over nationbuilding aspirations, and Gore had them, no doubt. But I'm not sure there's a choice. Gore advocated moving the military from lots of tanks and artillary to special forces and rapid deployment, and that's exactly what Rumsfeld's been forced to do, which certainly wasn't his plan coming in. The plan had been to reduce boots and flyboys for really expensive hardware to be built by bushii contributors. We've actually cut back on new toys, and we need more boots.

[W*GS]

One interesting tidbit - watching "Mythbusters" on the Discovery Channel last night, there was an employment ad for the CIA. It's a good show to have that sort of ad on, but it was kinda weird. I don't recall ever seeing a "Come work the CIA, cuz' we're cool" ad on TV before...

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Fallout from this news today.... Oil slides down over $2.30 a barrel because of beliefs that airlines will suffer.

[Ninjafied]

Fallout from this news today.... Oil slides down over $2.30 a barrel because of beliefs that airlines will suffer.
This obviously is just an extension of the great corporate America conspiracy – massive consumer goods companies, sick of seeing all the energy companies sit back and rake it in, have finally lobbied the neocons to do something. ;)
Now excuse me while I go buy some P&G stock.

[Ninjafied]

they appear to have a pretty good handle on it...dman
It looks like al Qaeda is starting to slip – assuming this is one of their plots b/c is really stinks like one of theirs.
The 9/11 attack changed the world. The Madrid train attacks changed a government. This latest plan only succeeded in closing an airport temporarily. Outside the Middle East it looks like their ops have really fallen down (at least I’m hoping so).
If the cell behind this last attempt truly has around 50 people and 21 have already been detained then al Qaeda took another major hit on their Western front, or at least in the UK.
And here’s hoping that the only thing we have to worry about from them in the future is having to endure media coverage of their latest grainy video release showing some nut-job holed up in a cave.

[bendog]

It looks like al Qaeda is starting to slip – assuming this is one of their plots b/c is really stinks like one of theirs.
The 9/11 attack changed the world. The Madrid train attacks changed a government. This latest plan only succeeded in closing an airport temporarily. Outside the Middle East it looks like their ops have really fallen down (at least I’m hoping so).
If the cell behind this last attempt truly has around 50 people and 21 have already been detained then al Qaeda took another major hit on their Western front, or at least in the UK.
And here’s hoping that the only thing we have to worry about from them in the future is having to endure media coverage of their latest grainy video release showing some nut-job holed up in a cave.
Actually, this looks like a copycat of something tried back in 1995.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Actually, this looks like a copycat of something tried back in 1995.
That's what they're saying now. Copycat young religious radical Muslims perhaps?

[Ninjafied]

Actually, this looks like a copycat of something tried back in 1995.
Something on this level should be defined as more than “copy-cat”.
I don’t think 21 to 50 radicals with explosives small enough to fit in a coke can but sufficient to bring down an airliner is a simple copy-cat. That’s expensive work, as was the Bojinka plot.
Plus anything more than one airplane at a time takes major coordination. That takes serious thinking. And Ramsey Yousef was nothing short of a diabolical genius - not easily replicable.
This was a major op for them.

[bendog]

I didn't mean to diss the plot, and I'm not so sure al queda's getting less "good." I'd say that it appears the brits have infiltrated them, and the brits have always been better than US with human intell.

[Rohirrim]

Sounds like the Pakistanis tipped off the Brits.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/10/us.security/index.html

[bendog]

damn, so much for Mocks' red bull and vodka wake me ups on overnite flights.

[Ninjafied]

...I'm not so sure al queda's getting less "good." I'd say that it appears the brits have infiltrated them, and the brits have always been better than US with human intell.
Maybe yes, maybe no.
Could have been someone at the last second who decided blowing one’s self up isn’t all that great. Could be phone records, a traffic stop, surveillance, etc…
There’s also this ->

Investigators in southeast Ohio said they were working to unravel how two Michigan men charged with supporting terrorism came to have airplane passenger lists and airport security information.
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/15237015.htm

And there’s 8 Egyptian “school boys” running around somewhere in the US.
The US and UK have been know to work together on stuff like this in the past.
At this point let’s just mark one up for the good guys.

[Crushaholic]

That's the trick, isn't it? Changing our ME policies to reduce the threat from terrorism without making it look like we're caving to the terrorists...

We should move away from ME oil whether or not the terrorists exist. In my mind, that's not caving into the terrorists. Caving into the terrorists would be pulling out WITHOUT a change in US foreign policy towards the Middle East...

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Sounds like the Pakistanis tipped off the Brits.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/10/us.security/index.html

Congrats to the Brits for breaking this one up!!!

An undercover British agent infiltrated the group, giving the authorities intelligence on the alleged plan, several U.S. government officials said.

The men had not bought plane tickets, the officials said, but they were in the process of perusing the Internet to find flights to various cities that had similar departure times.

The suspected terrorists had been under surveillance in Britain since last December, Channel 4 reported.

A senior congressional source said it is believed the plotters planned to mix a British sports drink with a gel-like substance to make a potent explosive that could be ignited with an MP3 player or cell phone.

http://tinyurl.com/mtfxr

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Unfortunatly again Slug-o is correct. Information does tend to point to the rise of terrorists AFTER we went into Iraq. Im certainly not shifting myself to the left but even I can see this.

Think about it most Muslim countrys were either 100% ok with the Afgan war or at the very least stayed neutral. Thats simply not the case with the Iraq war. Im not saying its correct/good/bad just simply a fact.

Thank you! ^5

More inconvenient facts for SteveCoulter13 to ignore.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

So it sounds like Team Smirk & Sneer knew about this plot as early as Sunday.

No wonder they were playing the "oppose Bush's Iraq war = soft on terror" card like mad in response to JoeMentum getting his pink slip. :D

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Like I thought, a bunch of younger twenty somethings (including from 17 on to one 36 year old). The pool of recruitment for these guys grows every day with our continued occupation and policing of Iraq.

--------------------------------------------------


'Air plot' suspects: Names released
The assets of 19 people held on suspicion of plotting to blow up passenger planes have been frozen. Their details appeared on the Bank of England's website as:

ALI, Abdula, Ahmed
Date of birth (DOB): 10/10/1980
Address: Walthamstow, London, E17

ALI, Cossor
DOB: 04/12/1982
Address: Walthamstow, London, E17

ALI, Shazad, Khuram
DOB: 11/06/1979
Address: High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

HUSSAIN, Nabeel
DOB: 10/03/1984
Address: London, E4

HUSSAIN, Tanvir
DOB: 21/02/1981
Address: Leyton, London, E10

HUSSAIN, Umair
DOB: 09/10/1981
Address: London, E14

ISLAM, Umar
DOB: 23/04/1978
Address: High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

KAYANI, Waseem
DOB: 28/04/1977
Address: High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

KHAN, Assan, Abdullah
DOB: 24/10/1984
Address: London, E17

KHAN, Waheed, Arafat
DOB: 18/05/1981
Address: London, E17

KHATIB, Osman, Adam
DOB: 07/12/1986
Address: London, E17

PATEL, Abdul, Muneem
DOB: 17/04/1989
Address: London, E5

RAUF, Tayib
DOB: 26/04/1984
Address: Birmingham

SADDIQUE, Muhammed, Usman
DOB: 23/04/1982
Address: Walthamstow, London, E17

SARWAR, Assad
DOB: 24/05/1980
Address: High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

SAVANT, Ibrahim
DOB: 19/12/1980
Address: London, E17

TARIQ, Amin, Asmin
DOB: 07/06/1983
Address: Walthamstow, London, E17

UDDIN, Shamin, Mohammed
DOB: 22/11/1970
Address: Stoke Newington, London

ZAMAN, Waheed
DOB: 27/05/1984
Address: London, E17
http://tinyurl.com/pmb9w

.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Like I thought, a bunch of younger twenty somethings (including from 17 on to one 36 year old). The pool of recruitment for these guys grows every day with our continued occupation and policing of Iraq.


Yep.

The court-appointed pinhead's Iraq debacle has done more to grow organizations like al Qaeda than Bin Laden ever imagined in his wildest wet dream.

[defenseman]

I didn't mean to diss the plot, and I'm not so sure al queda's getting less "good." I'd say that it appears the brits have infiltrated them, and the brits have always been better than US with human intell.

Yep, nothing like "human" intel. We gave away all of ours during the nineties. Big mistake..dman

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Yep, nothing like "human" intel. We gave away all of ours during the nineties. Big mistake..dman
Want to explain this statement?

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Yep, nothing like "human" intel. We gave away all of ours during the nineties. Big mistake..dman

Ah, the 90s - that decade when the republicans worked tirelessly to assure us that a stained dress was more important to America than any security concern or other priority.

A simpler time when the GOP was more concerned with the whereabouts and activities of Clinton's wiener than with those of al Qaeda and Bin Laden.

BTW, the statement that we "gave all of our human intel away in the 90s" is a bold-face lie.

Bush sabotaged and/or round filed just about every piece of intel - human or otherwise - that was painstakingly gathered during the Clinton administration.

Then he replaced them with NOTHING until AFTER 9/11.