British terror
: The Observer confirms that British Air refused to fly with sky marshals.
I was about to write that in that case, I’ll refuse to fly with British Air.
But I read the story again and see another interpretation: Is it instead that British Air thinks an air marshal is inadequate to protect a flight where there is a known terror risk? BA says it will not put jets into the air when they are linked to such a reported risk.
Well, here’s my advice from the back of the plane: However you play safer, that’s the only way to fly.
: The Observer also reports that authorities are tracking terrorists believed to have legitimate passports in Britain.
Intelligence officials hunting Islamist terrorists suspected of planning attacks on British Airways flights believe they may be carrying legitimate American, UK or other European passports to try to beat airport security….
The alert comes amid compelling new evidence of determined efforts by jihadist groups to recruit suicide bombers in the UK and Europe both for operations against the American-led coalition in Iraq and against domestic targets.
Intercepts from a Western intelligence agency seen by The Observer reveal that jihadists regard London as a key financing and recruiting centre for their efforts.
: UPDATE: The Sunday Telegraph reports that two terrorists were believed ready to pull off a shoe-bomb attack:
More flights from British airports are expected to be cancelled this week as MI5 and Special Branch hunt two al-Qa’eda terrorists thought to be planning a shoe-bomb attack on an airliner….
Officials from the security service MI5 believe that two Islamist terrorists are at large in Britain and planning to detonate a bomb in a lavatory of an aircraft.
: Reuters says:
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said British security services had information supporting U.S intelligence on a risk to the canceled BA flights.
“The threat that we now face is likely to endure for many years,” he added in a BBC interview, without giving more details
: MEANWHILE the good ol’ Australians have sky marshals and they’re armed.
