"An undercover British agent infiltrated the group..."

[Career Prole]

I was wondering if there was going to be an undercover aspect in this one.
Now I'm wondering if he bought them boots.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Terrorists were in the "final stages" of a plot to simultaneously blow up as many as 10 jets leaving Britain for the U.S., sending the planes and thousands of passengers into the Atlantic Ocean, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday.

British and Pakistani authorities teamed up to thwart the attacks, and 24 men were arrested in overnight raids in Britain, authorities said.

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.

[Drum]

1. Minority Report. n/t

[Career Prole]

2. Really?

I went by the last CNN "breaking news" e-mail I got here...

"-- U.S. officials say British agent infiltrated alleged airline terror cell, and cell members met suspected Al Qaeda operative in Pakistan."

[Norrin Radd]

3. Was it James Bond, or Austin Powers,

or Father Christmas? King Arthur?

[magellan]

4. The British counter-terrorism forces

...are more professional and far better trained in such matters than their US counterparts, so I doubt this will turn out to be a case of influence or entrapment.

I've lived in the UK and it isn't at all hard to believe that a bunch of disaffected youths -- particularly of Pakistani/muslim descent -- would turn to extremism. And I think insinuating that every threat is a conspiracy theory is counterproductive to our argument that in order to stop or at least slow terrorism, we need to look at WHY such people turn to violence.

[MallRat]

5. You mean, an undercover agent... like...

Valerie Plame?

No amount of wiretapping or privacy invasion can replace good, solid, human intelligence. The British are showing us how it's done... and no civil liberties were trampled upon, either.

The Democrats should hold up the British as the exemplars of effective anti-terrorism... and compare and contrast with the Republicans... OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER AGAIN.

We're farting around with duct tape and bottled water. They're catching terrorists.

-MR

[sweetheart]

6. The final stages

with bomb plans for
civilian weddings in afganistan,
explosives delivered for,
more dead children in lebannon,
send some better bullets to,
the invasion forces in iraq,
and keep the army ready for
another case of zia al haq.

Blossom krishna's world war 3,
when everyone who ever insulted rama is burned alive,
Lord Rama died in war himself you see,
like we all will when the flames of time revive.

[bigdarryl]

8. So how does this help the repubs.

Just curious because there jumping with joy over this.

[sweetheart]

9. vicariously they are overjoyed

at the prospect of british labour's downfall because of *their* policies... its a rich laugh indeed... one'
i'm a little to raw to find funny, but any blaring klaaxon will inform you the blaring forever for
the infiltrator....

I feel a lot of distrust and concern, but not a political change. The UK has survived 1000's of years
of terrorist attacks, many from its own crown forces, and everybody knows its smarter to try
another way, even the conservatives realize this... i don't know what they're celibvrating, the
end of the special relationship perhaps.

[Norrin Radd]

13. Maybe a "see-saw" backup plan? Conservatives go down on one

side of the Atlantic, and rise up on the other.

[MoseyWalker]

7. and I fart in technicolor

How many confusing stories will they put out there? It's like Landis and the Tour de France. Will they believe this one???????

[soothsayer]

10. is this like when the fbi busts a 'terra ring' which it turns out they

CREATED by luring some lunatic who rants on street corners and his ragtag band of followers into trying to sign up with al qaeda---then proudly busts them for trying to sign up with al qaeda and claims a victory! whee!

Or is this actual law enforcement at work (not goofy entrapment of nutso nobodies)

[jpkenny]

11. I think I smell the "entrapment" tactic all over again. Like the before

this will probably go nowhere and cost the airlines an asshole full of money. I just wish the real truth surfaces.

[MoseyWalker]

12. think of all the money

the thousands of travelers lost by having to throw away their damn toothpaste, and makeup, and bottled water................

for a fucking lie.