Slain Qaeda terrorist targeted European hotels

By: Pat Milton
Topics: Terrorism ,; News

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The logo and ironwork over the entrance of The Ritz Hotel is seen Feb. 17, 2011, in London.

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CBS News has confirmed that U.S. officials have been advised that Harun Fazul, the third top ranking al Qaeda terrorist killed last week in Somalia, had in his possession documents outlining a potential plot to attack luxury hotels in London and mainland Europe.

The source told CBS News that authorities do not believe the potential plot was in motion but that it was aspirational, something Fazul was contemplating. The source said that while officials have known that hotels in Europe and the United States are at risk as possible terrorist targets, the information obtained is deemed excellent intelligence to be used in the fight against terrorism.

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The detailed plan provided for al Qaeda operatives to check into guest rooms on various floors of upscale hotels and then set the rooms ablaze, according to the source. One of the hotels identified in the documents was the Ritz Carlton in London.

Another target mentioned in the documents was Eton College, the storied boys' boarding school near Windsor.

Fazul, who was the head of al Qaeda in Africa, is the alleged mastermind behind the 1998 terrorist attack on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 200 people, including many Americans.

He is also suspected of being involved with the bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya in 2002, in which 15 people were killed, and of a simultaneous attempt to shoot down a passenger jet carrying Israeli tourists from the resort town of Mombasa on the Kenyan coast.

He was killed last week at a roadblock in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.

He was among the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists with a $5 million bounty on his head.

Pat Milton
Pat Milton is a CBS News investigative producer

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by presidentelect2012 April 27, 2012 11:33 PM EDT: TERRORIST DEFINED: a person, usually a member of a group, who uses or advocates terrorism. a person who terrorizes or frightens others. Do you think the way police act in urban communities are acts of terrorist... I been a victim of profiling in various states... NJ, VA, NC, SC, AZ and NY and all the results turn out the same even though the COPS are racially motivated the courts agree with them. THAT'S MORE THEN 10% OF THE STATES IN USA... OR BETTER TERM NORTH AMERICAN UNION... presidentelect2012.net....; Reply to this comment


by rickenaz June 18, 2011 9:28 PM EDT: I think it is a mistake to advertise the fact that we even found any furhter information on the operative we downed. Next thing you know they will start to carry fake information so we will spend all of our time chasing shadows. If it were me I would not have even mentioned that we had any data from Bin Ladens computer either. In fact I would have said that he destroyed anything that had to do with information gathering we would have otherwise enjoyed. Who is running the show in our capitol for our human intel???? We have become careless and sloppy!; Reply to this comment


by wdh3007 June 18, 2011 4:01 AM EDT: One less coackroach to kill..; Reply to this comment


by bigsk8fan June 17, 2011 8:36 PM EDT: i am not saying the usa had anything to do with this al qaeda killing; but boy, i bet these terrorists long for the 'peaceful' days of george w bush and the republicans being in charge.; Reply to this comment


by askagain June 17, 2011 8:12 PM EDT: Assasination is in vogue. The only solution is to hunt for these terrorists and kill them. Others will soon get the message and avoid becoming targets.; Reply to this comment


by you_MAY_be_right June 17, 2011 5:25 PM EDT: So, no one thought of this prior to his killing, but now the media has put the idea out there for all terrorists to think about and consider.; Reply to this comment