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London Braces for Attack; 'Miracle' If There Isn't One
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ShareDecember 21, 2006 10:42 AM
British intelligence and law enforcement officials have passed on a grim assessment to their U.S. counterparts, "It will be a miracle if there isn't a terror attack over the holidays in London," a senior American law enforcement official tells ABCNews.com.
British police have been quietly carrying out a series of key arrests as they continue to track at least six active "plots" tied to what they call "al Qaeda of England."
Officials said they could not cite any specific date or target but said al Qaeda had planned previous operations during the Christmas holidays that had been disrupted.
THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS
"It is not a matter of if there will be an attack, but how bad the attack will be," an intelligence official told ABCNews.com.
Authorities say they are seeking at least 18 suspected suicide bombers.
Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.
"They hope they are one step ahead, but they seriously fear they may be one step behind," the senior American official said.
British law enforcement and intelligence officials say the ongoing plots have been in the planning stages for at least three years. The officials say the plots are all connected and track back to al Qaeda commanders in Pakistan who have been recruiting and training British citizens of Pakistan descent.
A report by "Newsweek" says that American al Qaeda figure Adam Gadahn has served as a translator of a 12-member team of Western recruits, the "English brothers," said to be preparing an attack that would be much bigger than last year's attack on the London subway system.
Watch ABCNews' undercover video of the active al Qaeda recruitment efforts inside Pakistan.
U.S. officials say the "Newsweek" report is, in many respects, parallel to intelligence reports they have been receiving.
British Home Minister John Reid recently told reporters that it was "highly likely" that terrorists would attempt an attack before the first of the year.
December 21, 2006 | Permalink | User Comments (387)
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Surely the liberals understand the "good" people of the world must prevail. Negotiations with these brainwashed thugs is not the answer. Kill them!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Richard | Dec 21, 2006 11:09:38 AM
Maybe its time we drop the bomb and show them that we mean business when it comes to terrorism. It ended WW2 and it would either end terrorism or at least make them think of the consequences before they take action. Look at it this way; we should strike first before they use a dirt bomb on us. All the intelligence available will not work and one day we will be hit again. As the 9/11 indicated, it’s inevitable.
Posted by: Joe | Dec 21, 2006 11:46:02 AM
Good plan, Joe. It's precisely that type of rational thought that the terrists lack.
Posted by: G Walker | Dec 21, 2006 12:53:06 PM
Take note that the "The officials say the plots are all connected and track back to al Qaeda commanders in Pakistan who have been recruiting and training British citizens of Pakistan descent." This is the same country that is supposedly a partner in the fight against terrorism. Not only is Pakistan the home base for Terrorism, it is also a country with nukes and a demonstrated willingness to export the technology. Just not enough oil there for it be a concern to the US in the war on terror. Hmmmm.
Posted by: BooMan | Dec 21, 2006 12:55:16 PM
I live in NYC, breathed the smoke of 9/11, and I'm a lot more afraid of the commenters to this story than I am of any terrorists.
Posted by: Ken | Dec 21, 2006 12:57:58 PM
Ok, but here's the rub ... "who" do you propose killing, and "where" do you suggest dropping your bomb? I guess we could invade another random country to "send a message." I think that message is already getting through.
Posted by: James | Dec 21, 2006 12:58:56 PM
Richard and Joe,
Kill who?
Drop a bomb where?
Posted by: Stan | Dec 21, 2006 1:00:57 PM
Ummm...where exactly do you propose to "drop the big one"? Unlike WW2, we are not fighting a nation. We are tilting at terrorist windmills. It's not like you are suggesting that we bomb London to get these guys. Are you?
Posted by: graciee | Dec 21, 2006 1:03:12 PM
Ummm, and I suppose England should have nuked Northern Ireland back in the day to prevent more attacks from the IRA?!?! Exactly where would you "drop the bomb", Joe? And a "dirt bomb"? Sounds messy, but I'm sure Tide and All-Temperature Cheer would sell like hotcakes...
Posted by: Anita Beer | Dec 21, 2006 1:05:50 PM
Man, with all this craziness happening in Pakistan and Afghanistan, all I can say is thank god we've got 140,000 troops in, um, Iraq.
Why is that again?
Posted by: Dave J. | Dec 21, 2006 1:09:49 PM
Maybe we should wise up one day and realize we are being wickedly manipulated by our own governments. Drop the bomb where exactly?
What would happen to oil transport then? And how would we ever rationalize non-proliferation fter that?
Use your brain for something like rational thinking!
Posted by: sonja | Dec 21, 2006 1:14:15 PM
The enemy is within our own gates, and it is our own fault for blindly letting them in, all in the name of the almighty dollar. The Democrats have let us down with their liberal social policies, and the Republicans have let us down with their liberal economic policies. The result of each is the United States has been flooded with millions of people.
Posted by: Geoffrey Syme | Dec 21, 2006 1:17:57 PM
Oh yeah... drop the bomb. That'll solve everything. And they'll LOVE us after that.
Posted by: Rick | Dec 21, 2006 1:31:02 PM
Where do you plan on dropping the bomb? They live amongst us, worldwide. They live in London and New York and Paris and everywhere else. To bomb them you may find that you are, in fact, bombing yourself or someone you love. Good luck.
Posted by: Katy | Dec 21, 2006 1:36:57 PM
Yes, but who do we drop the bomb on?
Posted by: Joe | Dec 21, 2006 1:41:32 PM
OK, where would you like to drop this bomb?
Posted by: SwampYankee | Dec 21, 2006 1:42:13 PM
Drop it where, Joe? Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, England all have terrorist activity. Even the United States. So where would you like to start with the brutal killing of thousands of innocent people in order to kill a few dozen terrorists?
Posted by: Matt | Dec 21, 2006 1:42:52 PM
Christmas cheer.
Posted by: mike | Dec 21, 2006 1:43:47 PM
I am sick to death of the "political correctness" that's putting so many people in danger. So what if it's not "politically correct" to profile? It's one of the most practical ways to begin to get this horrific situation under control. I never thought that I would actively advocate the singling out of religious group for closer scrutiny, but radical Islamics have made it abundantly clear that are absolutely unwilling to give everyone else the religious and secular freedom they want for themselves--and that they will do anything they deem necessary to crush those who oppose them. Enough already...If violent Islamic fundamentalists cannot play well with others, it is time to remove them from the playground altogether.
Posted by: Cat | Dec 21, 2006 1:43:57 PM
Re: Drop the bomb.
Where do we drop it? al-Quedastan?
Posted by: Will | Dec 21, 2006 1:44:29 PM
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