Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 11, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press Friday August 11, 2006 a3 Chris Radburn / associated press passengers wait at the Check in for their flights at London a Stansted Airport. The arrest of alleged bombing conspirators threw British aviation into turmoil yesterday. Ten airliners were targets bombs would have been assembled in flight attacks were imminent say investigators by Ian Macleod and Steven Shukor l Ondon ? Twenty four mostly Young and Well educated British men were plotting imminent suicide bombings aboard at least 10 transatlantic flights to the United states in what authorities yesterday portrayed As the most ambitious terror plot since the sept. 11, 2001 attacks killed More than 2,700 people. In a reminder of the threat posed by sophisticated terrorists British and . Authorities believe liquid explosives hidden in drink containers were to be smuggled in carry on Luggage aboard -bound flights leaving London a Heathrow Airport. The per oxide based liquid explosives were to be assembled in flight with detonators disguised As electronic devices such As camera flashes. It is believed the suspects planned to inflict a maximum loss of life by blowing up the aircraft in three simultaneous Waves Over the Atlantic or pos Sibly Over major cities including new York Washington and los Angeles. Britain a sky news reported some planes also were to be destroyed Over British soil. This was intended to be mass murder on an unimaginable scale said Paul Stephenson Scot land Yards Deputy commissioner. . Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the thwarted plot bore some of the Hallmarks of Al Aida which has called on sup porters to renew attacks against both nations. Three major . Airlines ? United american airlines and Continental ? Are believed to have been among the intended targets. International airports remain on attack footing today As British police continue Hunting for five More suspects though British Home Secretary John Reid said yesterday the main players have been apprehended. The times of London reported that the assets of 19 of the suspects had been Frozen and that a so called martyrdom video had been found allegedly featuring one of the suspects. Britain raised its terror Alert status to critical while the . Has gone to red its highest for flights from Britain and Orange the next highest for All other flights. It also dispatched . Air marshals to Britain to provide increased Security on .-bound flights. The arrests in Britain triggered Security alerts at airports across Europe the United states and Canada. Emergency Security measures provided a Stark vision of the possible future of air travel. Mothers tasted baby food in front of Airport Secu Rity guards to prove it contained no liquid explosives. Liquids were banned from flights. Travellers repacked their Luggage in airports stowing All but the most necessary items in the hold and carrying meagre belongings through Security in Clear Plas tic bags. Long lines snaked through the terminals of airports As screens showing some of the hundreds of flights that were cancelled. In Canada passengers were told not to carry any liquids on Board aircraft departing from Canadian airports destined to the United states and the United kingdom. The Canadian air transport Security authority said the Only exceptions were baby formula breast milk or juice if a baby or Small child is travelling. Prescription Medicine with a name that matches the passengers ticket and non prescription medi Cine such As insulin were also permitted. Passengers boarding flights to the . Were also requested to remove footwear for additional screen ing. Footwear of passengers with disabilities and elderly passengers who cannot remove their footwear were to be checked by Trace detection equipment. The changes will affect up to 160,000 passengers who Board dozens of flights in Canada on a typical August Day ? the Peak of the summer travel sea son transport minister Lawrence Cannon said. Tens of thousands of vacation and business Pas sengers were stranded As hundreds of flights were cancelled across Britain. Lack of Tarmac space meant that inbound Short haul flights could not land disrupting european airports As Well. Thousands More . Passengers were also delayed. British prime minister Tony Blair on Holiday in the Caribbean was in constant Contact and had briefed . President George w. Bush overnight wednesday. Bush said the plot was a Stark reminder that this nation is at War with islamic fascists who will use any Means to destroy those of us who love Chertoff elaborated this was not a handful of people sitting around coming up with dreamy ideas about terrorist plots. The Conception the Large num Ber of people involved the sophisticated design of the devices that were being considered and the sophisticated nature of the plan All suggest that this group was very determined and very skilled and very Public safety minister Stockwell Day also invoked the name of Al Aida Leader Osama bin Laden and warned that canadians Are not Safe from terrorists. We know that Canada is not immune to the threat of terrorism he said in Vancouver. One month from today the . Will Mark the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The 24 British suspects in custody were arrested in Early morning raids yesterday after British officials determined a dry run for the alleged plot was to be executed within 48 hours. If successful they said it was to be followed by the actual attacks within Days. The group had been under surveillance by British police and mi5 Security services agents since at least december but authorities Only Learned flights to the United states were allegedly to be attacked within the past two weeks. Many of those being questioned Are believed to be britons of pakistani origin although police have not confirmed that. Several live in and around Lon Don others in neighbouring cities and towns As Well As Birmingham to the North. An unspecified number of other suspects were reportedly arrested in Pakistan. Pakistani authorities said its intelligence agents helped foil the plot. Pakistan played a very important role in uncovering and breaking this International terrorist net work foreign ministry spokesman Tasnim Aslam told the associated press. The economic effects of the plot were Felt almost immediately. Shares in airlines fell Early in the Day but recovered some of their value later. Oil fell to below $76 a barrel on fears the Security threat might slow growth worldwide and Cut Oil demand. Among the suspects arrested in Britain were the son of a former conservative party worker and the sons of an architect and an accountant. Several had studied at University and came from families that owned multiple properties or ran their own Busi Nesses. At least one converted to islam Only recently. Their backgrounds have once again shocked britons who just marked the first year anniversary of the London suicide subway and bus bomb Ings last july by four Young British muslims believed to have been inspired by the Al Aida terrorist networks Call for jihad against Western nations. Those blasts killed 56 people including the suspected bombers and revealed an emerging threat that Western nations including Canada Are now facing ? Young Muslim men who despite being raised in comfortable surroundings and with deep Community roots Are quickly embracing islamic radicalism and Al Aida Post-9/11. ? can West news service with files from Canadian press Cox news service ;