Blair forewarned Bush of terror threat to US airlines

[cal04]

· Decision to sanction raids took ministers by surprise
· First Cobra meeting took place late on Wednesday

Downing Street admitted Tony Blair would not have left the country on Monday for his Caribbean holiday if he had known the police would need to swoop so quickly to disrupt a terrorist plot. He has known about it in general terms for months, and has spoken to President George Bush about it on a number of occasions. The two leaders discussed it in more detail on Sunday, during a conversation on a secure line in which the prime minister outlined what he knew of the British cell being monitored by the security services.

Downing Street officials said he had also mentioned the specific surveillance operation. Mr Blair warned the president that it showed there was a specific threat to US airlines and urged total secrecy, warning premature leaks would destroy the monitoring of the group.

From his holiday home, he spoke again to Mr Bush on Wednesday around 8pm UK time, again mentioning the security threat, but primarily discussing fresh plans to break the deadlock at the UN on the Middle East. Hours later police and security services were in contact with their US partners to say a specific threat was being acted upon.

The decision to sanction the raids took ministers by surprise. Douglas Alexander, the transport secretary, was on holiday in Mull on Wednesday when he was told by security officials he needed to be briefed on a threat to UK aviation. The official flew to Mull, and he was told there was a plot to blow up planes simultaneously.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,1842320,00.html

[tanyev]

1. Months, eh?

They must love plots that give them so much time to plan the strategic media response.

[godai]

2. Apparently they were just going to start checking flights

to see what flights would leave for various cities at a similar time. This would be the best time to expose the 'plot'? Seems that this was timed for other reasons, although both Blair and the shrub on vacation kind of lessens the scare impact of it all. If there was a real threat, do you think they'd both go on vacation? It got everyone in the msm not talking about Lebanon. Maybe that's at least part of the timing. Maybe it was timed to begin scaring Americans as a runup to the elections.

So, no liquids on airplanes until the end of time but only on flights to/from/in the US, as I understand it. Hardly a foolproof plan, more foolish it seems. Can't someone tape a baggie filled with the liquid to their body and walk on a plane? How would this be detected?

[biscotti]

3. Slimy bastards!

Think of all the weak minded sheep or the elderly that are confused anyway that believe this crap. Are, Pat Robertson freaks that repeat this drivel.
* and the poddle are cretins and monsters.

[maddezmom]

4. took them by surprise?

right :eyes: