Newsgroup: it.politica.polo
Titolo: [IMMIGRAZIONE]: Musulmani pianificano grave attentato in UK

www.telegraph.co.uk
Sunday 24 August 2003     
Al-Qaeda plot to bring down plane over UK
By David Bamber, Home Affairs Editor
(Filed: 24/08/2003) 
The FBI has uncovered intelligence that al-Qa'eda terrorists are 
plotting to hijack an aircraft in Britain over the next two months 
and fly it into an important building.
British Airways and other leading airlines operating in and out of 
Britain have been put on alert after the warning was passed to the 
security services. The most likely targets are aircraft taking off 
from Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
The FBI and the American department for homeland security 
circulated a warning to American and British airlines on July 30, 
saying that terrorists working in teams of five were likely to try 
to hijack aircraft using "common items carried by travellers", such 
as cameras, to disguise weapons.
The warning, which has been seen by The Telegraph, said: "Recent 
reporting on al-Qa'eda from intelligence sources indicated that 
terrorists might try to modify electronic items for use as weapons 
in order to circumvent improved security screening."
During the hijack they intend to tell passengers that it is an 
old-style hijacking and ransom operation, not a suicide mission, in 
order to prevent a heroic attack by a passenger, such as the one 
that brought down a hijacked aircraft on September 11, 2001, in 
Pennsylvania, before it could reach its target - thought to be the 
White House.
The specific targets of the hijackers are not known, although 
al-Qa'eda has in the past targeted the Houses of Parliament in an 
abortive plot. American officials said the intelligence was 
collected during a raid on an overseas al-Qa'eda residence in recent 
months.
A suspect in the May bombings in Saudi Arabia is understood to be 
behind the warnings. Ali Abd al-Rahman al-Faqasi al-Ghamdi (also 
known as Abu Bakr al-Azdi), described by US counter-terrorism 
officials as "a leading al-Qa'eda operative in Saudi Arabia", 
surrendered to Saudi authorities on June 26 and has been 
interrogated by the CIA.
Intelligence officials said that intercepted terrorist 
communications have corroborated his claims.
Al-Ghamdi is believed to have co-ordinated the suicide bombings on 
residential compounds inhabited by Westerners and other foreigners 
in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Thirty-four people, including nine bombers, 
died in the attacks.
During a raid on his house, agents found that he had a special 
interest in converting camera flash attachments into stun guns or 
explosive devices. Another al-Qa'eda experiment focused on 
disguising a detonator and explosive inside a camera.
One British security service official said: "This is a real threat 
and shows we have to be vigilant."
An FBI spokesman said that information about potential attacks had 
also identified Italy, Australia and America. ground targets. He 
said: "At least one of these attacks could be executed by the end of 
the summer. Recognising changes in aviation security measures since 
September 11, 2001, al-Qa'eda is looking for new ways to circumvent 
enhancements in aviation security screening and tightening 
immigration requirements."
Britain is thought to be a particular target because of its support 
for the war in Iraq and because many aircraft stop here to refuel or 
transfer passengers to other flights.
It is known that al-Qa'eda believes that it is easier to get into 
Britain or America by booking flights that stop here but do not 
require passengers to pass through immigration controls.
© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2003.
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