Chin Up: British Papers Poke Fun at Terror

July 06, 2007 3:18 PM

Dana Hughes Reports:

Keeping with the tradition of a "stiff upper lip," newspapers in the United Kingdom are publishing cartoons, poking fun at the circumstances surrounding the foiled terrorist attacks in London and Glasgow last week.

The Daily Mail published a cartoon showing a man on an operating table asking a doctor, who's reading a manual on how to perform an appendectomy, "Before you start, Bernard, are you absolutely sure all the NHS doctors are terrorists?"

Another cartoon shows a patient on an operating table being told by a doctor, "I'm afraid there's been a slight mix-up -- the surgeon has inserted a detonator instead of a pacemaker."

Michael Clarke, a terrorism expert from King's College London, says using humor to address scary national security situations is part of British tradition.

"Black humor has always been part of the culture here. If something is regarded as being beyond humor, it's too serious," says Clarke.

He draws a parallel of al Qaeda and terrorism in the U.K. to the threat of Hitler.

"During World War II, we always regarded Hitler as funny. There were newsreels and cartoons poking fun at him," says Clarke.

Clarke says the cartoons that are being published following the most recent attacks are not surprising.

"The British use humor as a way to cope, to say, 'Let's get on with it.'"

Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.

July 6, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (40)

Glasgow Muslims Fear Extremism Has Arrived in Scotland

July 05, 2007 10:34 AM

Dana Hughes Reports:

As more details into the latest terror attacks in London and Glasgow emerge, fear that radical extremism has come to Scotland is growing amid the Muslim community.

"Relationships between communities has been so good, no-one was expecting anything like this to happen in Scotland," said Bashir Mann, the president of the Glasgow Central Mosque, the largest mosque in the city. "Things happen in London and England, but not here."

This is not the first time, however, that concerns about extremism have hit Glasgow. There was a recent controversy surrounding the Madressa Al Arabia Al Islama Mosque, right outside of Glasgow. An Islamic school across the street from the mosque was shut down three years ago amid allegations that it was teaching extremists views. Now the mosque runs its own private school. A leader at the mosque refused to comment to ABCNews.com or allow any of its teachers or employees to comment, saying that the media has "twisted the words" and statements of the mosque leadership and members in the past, but he did say that Islam is a "a peaceful religion."

Bashir says the majority of the Muslim community in Scotland is moderate. "We have no radical young people, no extremists," he said. "The community is very well-educated, well-to-do, and most are professionals."

British authorities have also said that they don't believe that the suspects originated from Scotland, but rather traveled there to work and plan the terror attacks. That scares members of the community as much as the prospect of home-grown terrorism. 

"You don't know who to trust and who not," said Soran Ali, an Iraqi-Kurd immigrant who came to Scotland seven years ago and now runs a barber shop. "You talk to a guy, he talks to you about his dreams, his life, and seems like a normal person, and you don't know he's ready for suicide."

Several Iraqi-Kurds voiced horror  at the thought that Iraqi suspect Bilal Abdullah could have been amongst them. "We come here for opportunity," said one man. "Scotland is a good and peaceful place, why would you want to kill people?"

Many in the community told ABC News that they would never believe that the alleged suicide bombers came from Scotland. "It's rubbish, and I won't comment further," said one shopkeeper. Still others said they had been told by community leaders not to comment to anyone on the issue.

Ali says that though the Scottish and British authorities have a responsibility to continue to monitor and crackdown on radical extremism, ultimately the Muslim community itself will have to take responsibility and speak out, if these attacks are going to end. "We ourselves have got to be very vigilant to see that no radicalization is allowed of our young people here," he said. "We have to also be vigilant that people from abroad do not come here to create any trouble."

Do you have a tip for Brian Ross and the Investigative Team?

July 5, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (5)

U.S. Warned of Glasgow Threat Two Weeks Ago

June 30, 2007 4:37 PM

Richard Esposito and Rhonda Schwartz Report:

U.S. law enforcement officials received intelligence reports two weeks ago warning of a possible terror attack in Glasgow against "airport infrastructure or aircraft," a senior U.S. law enforcement official tells the Blotter on ABCNews.com.

The intelligence reports also warned that airports and aircraft in the Czech Republic could be the targets of al Qaeda-connected terrorists.

The warnings were kept secret for operational reasons, according to officials. 

In public, the White House and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff have continued to maintain they know of no specific or credible threats involving the United States, even though the intelligence reports specify U.S. aircraft as possible targets.

Video Click here for Brian Ross report on WN

A U.S. official told ABCNews.com that the intelligence reports led to the assignment of federal air marshals to flights into and out of both Glasgow and Prague.

Air marshals had been added to flights into and out of Germany late last month based on similar warnings.

Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.

June 30, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (111)

Sleeper Terror Cell on the Loose in U.K.

June 30, 2007 3:26 PM

Brian Ross and Richard Esposito Report:

Counterterrorism analysts estimate that the apparently coordinated attacks in Great Britain are the  work of a sleeper cell that could include as many as 20 individuals.

"You would need that many to pull off three different vehicle-borne explosions," said one former CIA official who requested his name not be used.

A massive manhunt is now underway across Great Britain for at least three suspects who officials say have been positively linked to the Friday attacks by surveillance photographs and forensic evidence, including fingerprints.

"The Brits simply are not ahead of this cell, and they know it," he said.

The two failed car bomb attacks in London Friday appear to be connected to today's attack on the Glasgow Airport terminal, although British officials have yet to declare so officially.   

Adding to the intelligence failure, analysts said, is the fact that the driver of one of the failed car bombs had been arrested three years ago and released for lack of evidence. 

The two men arrested in the wake of the Glasgow attack today are likely to face intense interrogations from British officials who are desperate to learn the names of other cell members.

"The Brits may talk with a fancy accent, but when it comes to this kind of thing, the gloves will be off," the former CIA official said, citing the techniques used to go after the Irish Republican Army.

June 30, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (30)

Officials: Car Bomb Plot Bears Al Qaeda's Trademark

June 29, 2007 6:26 PM

Brian Ross and Richard Esposito Report:

Al Qaeda's mantra, "If at first you don't succeed, try again," appears, according to officials, to be behind today's foiled car bomb plot in London with the same kind of bombs aimed at the same kind of targets by, officials say, apparently some of the same kind of people.

British authorities tell ABC News a "crystal clear" surveillance photo of the driver of the silver Mercedes, discovered early Friday morning, bears "a close resemblance" to one of the associates of an al Qaeda operative now behind bars.

Photos Police Investigate Car Bombs in London

Officials say a surveillance camera caught the suspect "staggering from the Mercedes" shortly after parking it outside the Tiger Tiger nightclub in Piccadilly Circus at the heart of London's nightclub and theater district.

Last year, al Qaeda operative Dhiren Barot was convicted by a British court for a plot to use limousines to carry similar bombs as those defused today to similar targets as the nightclubs allegedly targeted today.

In his own personal manual, Barot described how the cylinders, "if carefully orchestrated can be as powerful as exploding TNT," and "are easily available to the general public," designed for a "synchronized, concurrent (back-to-back) execution on the same day and time."

Videos posted on al Qaeda Web sites also show in full detail how to rig propane and butane cylinders as powerful bombs.

Video Al Qaeda Lesson in Bomb Making

And today's explosive device -- composed of five or six propane and butane cylinders as well as 33 gallons of gasoline, all rigged to detonate with calls to two cell phones -- followed Barot's manual and the al Qaeda videos closely.  Officials say the cell phones failed to initiate the explosions, even after each phone had been called twice, preventing a shrapnel-filled fireball from launching and killing people in the surrounding area.

The associate, to whom the silver Mercedes driver bears "a close resemblance," was initially arrested three years ago but later released for lack of evidence.

Barot's associates reportedly carried out surveillance of banks and corporate headquarters in London, Washington, D.C., and the New York area. 

In particular, Barot described how a coordinated explosion might bring down the huge Citicorp skyscraper in New York.

Today in New York, police said they were stepping up security patrols on mass transit and at major landmarks.

"We've increased the deployment of critical response vehicles, focusing on tourists sites: Times Square, Herald Square, theater district," New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.

All of this comes just three weeks after what was described as al Qaeda "graduation" ceremony for suicide bombers at a training camp in Pakistan.

A videotape obtained and first reported by ABC News shows commanders sending teams of 50 to 60 men to launch suicide attacks in the United States, Canada, Germany and Great Britain. 

The fact that British police had one of the suspects in custody and then let him go will no doubt be hugely embarrassing, but officials say British authorities are overwhelmed with possible terror suspects and have been conducting constant surveillance of some 200 people.

In addition to the tension in London, German officials say they are equally concerned they could be a target soon.

Officials tell ABC News at least two men have been arrested inside Germany who came directly from the Pakistan training camp.

This post has been updated.

June 29, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (23)

Terror Plot Involves Islamic Extremists; Police Have 'Crystal Clear' Picture of Suspect

June 29, 2007 2:56 PM

Brian Ross and Richard Esposito Report:

British police have a "crystal clear" picture of the man who drove the bomb-rigged silver Mercedes outside a London nightclub, and officials tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com he bears "a close resemblance" to a man arrested by police in connection with another bomb plot but released for lack of evidence.

Officials say the suspect had been taken into custody in connection with the case of al Qaeda operative Dhiren Barot (pictured), who was convicted of orchestrating a vehicle bomb plot involving targets in London, New York, Newark, N.J. and Washington, D.C.

Officials say a surveillance camera caught the suspect "staggering from the Mercedes" shortly after parking it outside the Tiger Tiger nightclub.

Special Report Video Multiple Bombs in Foiled Plot

U.S. and British law enforcement officials tell ABC News it is increasingly clear Friday's bomb plot in London involves multliple vehicles, and is described by a senior official as a "terror plot involving lslamic extremists."

The silver Mercedes sedan discovered early Friday morning outside the Tiger Tiger nightclub in Piccadilly Circus appears to have been stolen in early June and was spotted in the last two days, first in Scotland and then in Birmingham, England, according to law enforcement officials.

Photos Police Investigate Car Bombs in London

The car contained five or six propane and butane gas cylinders as well as 33 gallons of gasoline, all rigged to detonate with calls to two cell phones.  Officials say the cell phones failed to initiate the explosions, even after each phone had been called twice.

June 29, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (196)

London Web Threat Not From al Qaeda

June 29, 2007 2:31 PM

Hoda Osman Reports:

The statement, "London shall be bombed," posted on a jihadi Web site last night and first reported by CBS News is unlikely an official claim of responsibility by an al Qaeda group.

While the message was found on a popular password-protected jihadii Internet forum, "al Hesba,"  it was found in the general section not known to be used for a major public statement. 

Messages from al Qaeda and other groups are usually posted in the "statements" section of the Web site by its administrators.

The message was posted by a frequent writer who has never previously acted as a spokesperson for any al Qaeda group or been the source of al Qaeda material.

The user who posted the note identifies himself as "Abu Osama al Hazin," i.e. the sad Abou Osama. According to the Web site's available information, he joined the forum in November 2005 and has 500 postings. Judging by his previous participations, it's clear that "Abou Osama" is supportive of terrorist groups, but unlikely that he has direct connections to any.

His postings mostly include comments on other current events or message posted by other users. In one message, he asks forum members for technical advice about updating his computer's Windows operating system. In another, he responds to a message about the Arab news channel al Arabiya showing footage of insurgents infighting in Iraq, by suggesting a car bomb could destroy the station's buidling.

The focus of yesterday's message was criticizing Britain for awarding author Salman Rushdie knighthood recently.   

The message is entitled "Is Britain Longing for al Qaeda's Explosions?" Towards the end, the writer says, "The question is: Is London longing for al Qaeda's bombings? We tell Britain: Sheikh Osama bin Laden, the prince of al Qaeda, threatened and carried out his threats in the past. I say, rejoice, by God, London will be hit God willing."

This post has been updated.

June 29, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (3)

A Most Lethal Anti-Personnel Bomb Defused: Anatomy of a Bomb in London

June 29, 2007 2:09 PM

Richard Esposito Reports:

London bomb technicians' first move early Friday in Piccadilly Circus in the heart of London's nightclub and theatre district was to send in a robot to inspect the bomb-rigged car. 

But sources tell ABC News fumes inside the car were so thick that the robot's camera could not pierce them and send back a worthwhile image for the technicians to view.

With robotic technology ruled out, law enforcement officials say, a bomb technician fell back on the oldest and riskiest technique in the manual -- hand entry.

Donning an approximately 90-pound Kevlar suit , one technician took "the long walk" from his armored response van to the Mercedes  E 300 sedan and found a carefully constructed, large vehicle bomb with a complicated fuse.  The bomb technician defused the device by hand, officials in London said.

ABC News has learned the bomb was composed of tanks of propane, butane and 125 liters of gasoline (33 U.S. gallons), roofing nails and a fuse that initial reports indicated was constructed of simple light bulb or flashbulb filaments and designed to be triggered by a mobile telephone. 

Click here for the previous posting on the London plot.

London authorities investigating the case and U.S. authorities monitoring it say the Mercedes car bomb,  if correctly made, could have sent a shrapnel-filled fireball into the air, maiming and killing people in a several hundred yard radius that included a popular nightclub.

Based on an initial forensic investigation, authorities say they believe the cell phone triggers failed. 

Authorities in New York and other major U.S. cities have stepped up visible police anti-terrorist patrols, and the U.S. government noted it was closely monitoring the situation in London.

"We have been in close contact with our counterparts in the U.K. regarding the suspected explosive device discovered in a vehicle in the London Haymarket area," said Michael Chertoff, the head of the Department of Homeland Security. "Our law enforcement and intelligence officials are closely monitoring the ongoing investigation. At this point, I have seen no specific, credible information suggesting that this incident is connected to a threat to the homeland. We have no plans at this time to change the U.S. threat level."

New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the London case was reminiscent of the July 2004 case, in which terrorists planned to use gas and bomb-laden vehicles to blow up financial targets in New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.

"This looks similar to the plans that were uncovered then. But there is no indication at this time that there is a link to al Qaeda or any organized terrorist group," Kelly said. "Our Joint Terrorism Task Force chief is in London now, talking to British authorities, and we're going to continue to monitor over the weekend. We will have additional resources in place until we have a better understanding of what is transpiring. "

Kelly said in the aftermath of the London discovery, New York police stepped up patrols at Times Square, Herald Square, the Theater District and inside subways and instituted vehicle stops at bridges and tunnels.

Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.

June 29, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (32)

Car Bomb Found in London 20 Days After al Qaeda Suicide Bomber 'Graduation Ceremony'

June 29, 2007 7:02 AM

Brian Ross Reports:

The discovery of a massive car bomb set to detonate in central London comes just three weeks after what was described as an al Qaeda graduation ceremony of suicide bomb teams to be dispatched to Europe and the United States.

A videotape obtained by ABC News from a Pakistani journalist shows  groups of dozens of men al Qaeda says have gone through a terror training camp somewhere in Pakistan.

Photos: Inside the al Qaeda 'Graduation'

Teams of 50 to 60 men were supposedly dispatched to the United States, Canada, Germany and Great Britain.

On the tape, the leader of the British team speaks of the mission in broken English, "Let me say something about why we are going along with my team to tell a suicide attack in Britain."

That was just 20 days ago, and the existence of the tape first reported by ABC News put British and German security experts on edge.

It was also just last year that al Qaeda operative, Dhiren Barot, was convicted in a London court of planning suicide attacks in London and the U.S., using limousines and other vehicles, not unlike the bomb-rigged silver Mercedes discovered in London this morning.

Based on the early sketchy details, the car bomb was potentially powerful but relatively crude.

The great concern now is that if it is an al Qaeda operation, something that is still not known, but if it is, there would likely be other vehicle bombs in the works.

Today British officials are continuing a program begun earlier this month to check gas and chemical trucks, cement trucks and limousines and all vehicles coming and going from the famed Wimbledon tennis tournament now underway outside London.

Do you have a tip for Brian Ross and the Investigative Team?

June 29, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (24)