UK Terror Plot Investigation - News Roundup - July 2
By Jeffrey Imm
Monday news roundup on the ongoing UK terror plot investigations:
-- Eighth Person Arrested - Abroad. BBC is reporting that an eighth person has been arrested in connection with the plots - "Police have not specified in which country the arrest took place".
-- Race to break terror cell with terrorists still at large. London Guardian reports that there are "Members of al-Qaida group run by 'Mr Big' still at large"
-- Controlled blasts at Glasgow hospital - CNN reported that bomb disposal performed at least two controlled blasts at hospital where suspect being treated.
-- Further Attacks Anticipated - Links to Al-Qaeda-related Groups Per Govt. The London Times is reporting that one of its sources with Scotland Yard's counterterrorism group is stating: "In our judgment it is very likely there will be further attacks." The International Herald Tribune reports the "British government called the work of terrorists linked to Al Qaeda".
-- New Arrests. BBC is reporting that UK police have arrested two "men aged 28 and 25...in the Paisley area west of Glasgow on Sunday night. They are not thought to be of British origin" - this brings the total arrested to 7 thus far. Prior to these arrests, news media indicated that UK police were hunting a sixth car-bombing suspect. It is not known if this "6th" suspect has been arrested yet.
-- Glasgow and London Bombing Activities Linked. The Daily Telegraph reports that the same two men may have been responsible for all three car bombs. CNN also is reporting this in story "Sources: Glasgow suspects planted London bombs". And the Mercedes car bombs were supposed to be detonated by cell phone calls, "but the devices failed to detonate the mixture of gas canisters and nails in the two Mercedes cars..."
-- British Jihadist terror suspects include five doctors. Sky News is reporting that "Five Doctors Held Over Attacks". "one is an Iraqi doctor who trained in Baghdad.Sky sources named him as Iraqi Bilal Abdulla - he was left relatively unscathed in an attack on Glasgow airport, in which two men drove a flaming jeep into the airport terminal. Two doctors were arrested in Paisley, Glasgow, another in Liverpool and one on the M6 on Saturday night." AFP has reports that two of the terror suspects arrested are a Jordanian doctor (Mohammed Jamil Abdelkader Asha) and his wife. Daily Telegraph is also reporting this. AFP reported that Mohammed Asha was of Palestinian descent; International Herald Tribune confirmed his arrest and is reporting that he is of "Iranian-Kurdish" descent. Birmingham Post also confirms that a doctor's house was being searched in Staffordshire. One of the Glasgow arrestees has been identified as an "Iraqi-trained doctor," according to Sky News. According to the Evening Standard, the doctor has been named as Bilal Abdulla, who is said to have completed his medical training in Baghdad, and Asha is described as "a brilliant neurologist working for the NHS."
-- Tracing of Glasgow Bombers Before Attack. UK and US news media are reporting that UK police were trying to reach a Scottish rental agency prior to the Glasgow bombing, suggesting that UK police were already on the trail of such bombers on Saturday. BBC states: "it has emerged that police tried to contact a Paisley letting agency before the Glasgow attack. The agency, Let-It, said officers had traced it from phone records in London."
-- Glasgow Attack Pre-Intelligence. The Daily Telegraph is reporting that US warnings of the Glasgow airport attack were not distributed to local law enforcement, and US DHS is stating that it passed the information on to the UK authorities immediately after receiving it.
-- UK's New Cold War and Travel Restrictions. The Daily Telegraph is reporting UK PM Gordon Brown's position on "Terrorism fight is our Cold War". BBC reporting that "Travel security raised amid alert".
-- British Islamist says more London bombings on way. WorldNetDaily reported an interview with British Islamist Anjem Choudary, stating "There is no doubt whatsoever that there will continue to be attacks against the British government...and that "There are many in Britain who take their ideology from Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida and are ready to carry out many more attacks". Choudary led the banned groups Al Muhajiroun and Al Ghurabaa, and "currently presents himself as an Islamic lecturer and a leader of Britain's Shariah Islamic court".
-- Muslim Council of Britain: "Avoid Presumptions". Muslim Council of Britain stated stated on Saturday that it backed police efforts against terrorists and"Let's avoid presumptions…it can be the work of Muslims, Christians, Jews or Buddhists."
Sources:
London Times: Hunt for terror cell
BBC: Two more held over bomb attacks
London Times: Two more arrests in hunt for terror cell
Sky News: 'Doctors Among Terror Suspects Held'
AFP: Suspect in Britain bomb plots 'a Jordanian doctor'
Daily Telegraph: Terror crackdown as doctors among arrests
Sky News: Car Bombing Suspects: Who Are They?
CNN: Sources: Glasgow suspects planted London bombs
Birmingham Post: Doctor's home searched by anti-terror police - in Staffordshire
Daily Telegraph: 'Intelligence warned of airport attacks'
Australia News: Police hunt sixth car-bombing suspect
International Herald Tribune: In intense hunt for bombers, Britain sees Qaeda link
Daily Telegraph: Terrorism fight is our Cold War, says Brown
BBC: Travel security raised amid alert
WorldNetDaily: More London bombings on way, warns Anjem Choudary - UK Islamist leader claims Brits ready to carry out 'many attacks'
Muslim Council of Britain: UK Muslims Back Police in Bomb Probe
Ynet News: Al-Qaeda's car bomb guide - London terror analysis: Online manual on car bombs instructs terrorists 'not to park illegally
BBC: Eighth arrest in terror inquiry
Sky News: Five Doctors Held Over Attacks
Evening Standard: 'Terror ringleader' is brilliant NHS doctor
London Guardian: Race to break terror cell
CNN: Controlled blasts at Glasgow hospital - bomb disposal performed at least two controlled blasts at hospital where suspect being treated
Additional News Sources - Monday PM