All flights in and out of London cancelled after after Britain foils a major terror plot to blow up six or seven UK planes bound for the United States, Europe and the Middle East
August 10, 2006, 1:01 PM (GMT+02:00)
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=3090
All flights to the UK from Tel Aviv cancelled. US raises terror alert to orange.
Belgium, Lufthansa, Air France, Iberia and KLM cancel flights to UK. Two people still sought by police after 21 overnight arrests. The suspects are all British-born of Pakistani origin. Heathrow cancels all incoming flights amid chaotic queues in the terminals and disruptions at all British airports.
The US alert was raised to one short of maximum after Prime Minister Tony Blair briefed President George Bush on the security threat to the planes.
UK police say this attack could have been bigger than 9/11, encompassing 20 attacks with substantial loss of life, had the plot not been thwarted by a British covert anti-terror operation very close to its execution.
The British national security alert was raised from severe to critical to thwart any further threats. The planes were to have been blown up in mid-air by suicide bombers over cities in the US, Britain and other "allied" countries - possibly also Tel Aviv - by explosives smuggled aboard in hand luggage in liquid form to evade detection. Hand luggage is banned on flights departing British airports, except for essentials in transparent plastic bags such as medication, passports or baby food.
Terror Plot To Blow Up Planes Over UK & U.S. Cities Thwarted
London Police Disrupt Terrorist Plot to Blow Up Aircraft in Mid-FlightLONDON — Authorities in Britain disrupted a "serious" terrorist plan to blow up as many as six airplanes simultaneously in mid-flight on their way from Britain to the United States, FOX News learned Thursday.Plot To Blow Up Planes Foiled
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4778575.stm
British Police Thwart Major Terror Plot
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/08/10/D8JDD9LG0.html
US-Bound Flights Targeted in Foiled Bomb Plot
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200608/NAT20060810c.html