The Bush Assministration’s eagerness to frighten everyone before the fifth anniversary of 9/11 really fucked-up British antiterrorism efforts and allowed one group of alleged plotters to roam free.
A team of suspected terrorists involved in an alleged UK plot to blow up trans-atlantic airliners escaped capture because of interference by the United States.
An investigation by MI5 and Scotland Yard into an alleged plan to smuggle explosive devices on up to 10 passenger jets was jeopardised in August, when the US put pressure on authorities in Pakistan to arrest a suspect allegedly linked to the airliner plot.
As a direct result of the surprise detention of the suspect, British police and MI5 were forced to rush forward plans to arrest an alleged UK gang accused of plotting to destroy the airliners. But a second group of suspected terrorists allegedly linked to the first evaded capture and is still at large, according to security sources.
The escape of the second group is said to be the reason why the UK was kept at its highest level – “critical” – for three days before it was decided that the plotters no longer posed an imminent threat.
[snip]
The operation was one of the largest undertaken by the police and MI5, yet two counter-terrorism sources suggested that the intervention of the Americans was due to “inexperience and naivety” and that they were after a “short-term success”.
Hat-tip to mmm-sultry.