Two Men Linked To Both U.K. Plots
Sources Tell CBS News Suspects Recruited By Leader Of Al Qaeda's Iraq Branch
-
Play CBS Video
Video
Glasgow Remains On High Alert
The bombing suspects now in British custody were able to enter the U.K. easily because of their status as medical professionals. Mark Phillips reports from Glasgow, where the tension is still high.
-
Video
U.K. Plot Probe Goes Global
With the detention of an eighth suspect in Brisbane, Australia, British authorities believe they now have all the major players in custody in the recent terrorist plot. Sheila MacVicar reports.
-
Video
Expert On Arrested Doctors
Only On The Web: Former British intelligence analyst Crispin Black discusses how doctors arrested in connection with the U.K. terror plot were able to get into the country.
-
-
Photo
Dr. Bilal Abdullah, a suspect in the U.K. car bombings plot, is seen being led away by security services from Glasgow Airport on Saturday, June 30. He was arrested after a gas-packed Jeep Cherokee he was in crashed into the airport's main entrance. (CBS/The Mirror)
-
Photo
A badly burned suspect is arrested after he was stopped by police at Glasgow Airport in Glasgow, Scotland on June 30, 2007. (WPN)
-
Photo
A blazing Jeep Cherokee crashes into the main terminal building at Glasgow Airport in Glasgow, Scotland on June 30, 2007. (WPN)
-
Photo
Police arrest a suspect at Glasgow Airport in Glasgow, Scotland on June 30, 2007. Two men tried to escape, with one being badly burned. They were stopped by police and passer-bys. (WPN)
-
Photo
Mohammed Asha's mother holds a picture of him in Amman, Jordan, Monday July 2, 2007. Asha and his wife were among those arrested by British antiterrorism police hunting those who were behind the attempted car bombings, a police source said on Monday. Asha qualified as a doctor in 2004 in Jordan and is also a registered medical practitioner in Britain. British media said Asha worked at a hospital in central England. (AP Photo/Mohammad abu Ghosh)
-
-
Interactive
U.K. Bomb Scares
Failed car bombings in London and Scotland put United Kingdom on high alert.
-
Photo Essay
Scotland Airport Attack
Two men ram flaming Jeep into Glasgow Airport terminal.
-
Photo Essay
London Bomb Scare
Police thwart apparent terror attack, defusing car bomb in heart of city.
British intelligence services also believe that the failed car bombings in London and Glasgow bear the fingerprints of al Qaeda in Iraq.
Intelligence sources tell CBS News that the people behind the attempts were directly recruited by Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, the present leader of the terror group's Iraq franchise.
Sources say that al-Muhajir recruited people for the plot between 2004 and 2005, while they were living in the Middle East, upon orders from then-al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
Al-Muhajir was told to recruit young men who could easily move into Western countries, assimilate and lay low until the time came to attack. Britain has a fast-track visa program for medical students which makes it easier for them to enter the country.
The belief that this small cell of militants was recruited purposely by a major terror organization for their specific qualifications differentiates the group from the cell of "homegrown" attackers who were behind the bloody July 7, 2005 attack that left 52 people dead on London's transport network.
All the suspects now being held are foreign doctors, or health workers who have worked in Britain, reports CBS News foreign correspondent Mark Phillips. For potential terrorists, it was a useful cover.
Not only was it frighteningly easy for the bombers to get into the country, getting the ingredients for their bombs was surprisingly easy as well. They just drove about five miles to their local home improvement store, where they could buy the gas cylinders for about $60 each.
Iraq's national security advisor has been warning American and British authorities that al Qaeda has been infiltrating operatives in Europe, reports CBS News foreign correspondent Sheila MacVicar. And he said that al Qaeda is changing its style, seeking the highly intelligent and well educated — just like the doctors involved in this terror plot.
Sources close to the investigation tell CBS News that two or three arrests were likely to be seen in Britain by the end of the week and that some of the arrests will be of British nationals.
There have been a number of security scares since the failed car bombings, the latest coming Tuesday afternoon with authorities evacuating Terminal 4 at London's Heathrow Airport for five hours.
"A suspect bag was identified shortly before midday in Terminal 4," said a statement released by the British Airports Authority.
"As an extra precaution, it was decided to perform secondary searches on all departing passengers at the aircraft gate," which necessitated the evacuation of the terminal, the statement added. Authorities "stood down" the security situation five hours later and reopened the terminal, according to a later statement from the BAA.

No explosives were found and morning rush hour traffic was soon allowed back through the area.
The eighth arrest confirmed as part of the bomb plot investigation was made Monday in Brisbane, Australia. The 27-year-old man is also a doctor who had been working in Liverpool, England until a few months ago, according to CBS News sources.
Britain's Sky News identified the man as Mohammed Haneef, and reported that was arrested at Brisbane's airport as he attempted to board a flight with a one-way ticket. Sky said officials had refused to confirm reports that Haneef was bound for India, via Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- next
See all 203 CommentsSources Tell CBS News Suspects Recruited By Leader Of Terror Group's Iraq Branch
......... Hears a "classic" example of how America's corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack usese propaganda to move their agenda.
In this case CBS (Corrupt Broadcasting Station) is using the ?? (question marks) after the "propaganda statement" to "LINK" the attacks in Great Britain to the war in Iraq.
The corrupt liberal wolfpack does this in order to increase the "hatred" for our President.
.......... Really sad.
Would these individuals not have made this attempt regardless of Iraq? They are all educated and yet are submitting to violent acts. Where was the hatred born in these individuals and at what age?
THIS ATTACK PUBLICATION IN THE NEWS IS MEANT TO PROMOTE BUSHS PLAN FOR IRAQ!
HE DONT KNOW IF THESE PEOPLE ARE AL QAEDA IN IRAQ OR JUST SOME ARAB LOCALS WHO HAVE HAD IT WITH BRITISH POLICIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST!
IT SOUNDS GOOD TO SAY THEY ARE FROM IRAQ AL QAEDA!
STEP AWAY FROM THE KOOL AID!
US immigration policy must be shaped to avoid the disaster that is now looming over Europe as a result of PC-driven massive Muslim immigration.
Let Muslims stay in "Muslim lands," for all our safety.
Turn on your television this evening and you will likely get an ear full from any of the predominantly conservative talking heads now dominating the airwaves: Michael Savage, Glen Beck, Bill O%u2019Reilly, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Michelle Malkin, Patrick Buchannan, John Stossel, Joe Scarborough, Bill Kristol, Fred Barnes, Chris Matthews, Brit Hume, Chris Wallace, John Gibson, Greta Van Susteran, Neal Cavuto and of course all of Fox News%u2026 What is amazing is that inspire of reality, the right wing ditto heads continue to spout this %u201CLiberal media line.%u201D Why? Because they represent a spoiled mentality. Tell it the way I want to hear it or I%u2019ll hold my breath and stomp my feet. Liberal media bias is anything that may call into question the motives or competence of the Big Brother corporate machine. Katrina coverage was liberal bias, Iraq war coverage is liberal bias, haven forbid we actually see those flag-draped coffins, any story on the Valerie Plame scandal is liberal media bias, and so on%u2026 Reactionaries will not be satisfied until all news is reported through an intensely conservative, corporate interest filter.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200501210001
http://mediamatters.org/items/200611070001
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0416-06.htm
Good work.
The reported results of the attack were that the loathsome Prime Minister Brown's popularity soared and the 'fear factor' of the population in the US and UK was increased. 'History repeats itself...first as tragedy, then as farce' someone said. But in the final analysis, more people died at Rye Playland last month than the CIA's proprietary--al Qaeda, Inc--managed to bag all year in the UK. Hopefully, Playland will never launch a jihad as they seem to be a bit better at it than this batch of terrorists.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6261988.stm
As for Al Qaeda or whoever is behind this madness--talk about exploit our weaknesses*
*greed, and the desire to steal talent cheaply from all over the world for our own use.
Would we? Why do we think when we harm others (like invading Iraq or giving cluster bombs to Israel to use on civilians) that it is all in good fun and the survivors will join us for a beer later?
Wake up. We are creating enemies for life. Even if they pretend to forgive us now--really...why would they? How could they? When they look at us, grinning or even living around them--obviously unaffected and uncaring about the horrific pain our actions caused? I suspect lurking in many a ME heart is a stone full of grief, anger, rage, and resolve. Who knows how long someone holds stuff like that in before becoming very receptive to the concept of payback?
No surprise - we'll be seeing alot of this in the future -
let's call it THE BUSH LEGACY
let's call it THE BUSH LEGACY
Posted by neoconRcrazy at 09:46 AM : Jul 03, 2007
............
And you can bet that Bush and his family will never be found/seen in the same subway, bus terminal, airport, or shopping mall that the next terrorist attack will occur. So what does he have to worry about?! NOTHING!
Posted by Prinzowhales
Is a person shoots at you but misses you, are they any less dangerous. Of couse not. The act of trying is what matters. Sooner or later these people will see successes. Even if we foil 1000 attempts to blow something up, the thousand and one attempt could be successful.
Posted by johnkick
Great point! Unfortunately, these people do not care if faith is lost in other Muslim doctors. Their cause trumps everything else. My wife questioned whether it is safe to be treated by Muslim doctors last night.
let's call it THE BUSH LEGACY Posted by neoconRcrazy at 09:46 AM : Jul 03, 2007
If it had been an Al Qaeda attack, no doubt we would have been counting bodies. the method, the organization and the planning all smack of people with a beef, who stewed about it, decided to do something BUT--did not have a true clue of the logistics of getting from A to B.
Perhaps the Madrid and other bombing was Al Qaeda, this was too amateurish and sloppy, they did not even managed to blow up anything. Just some really angry Moslems--that were sick of this war--and "mad as hell and not going to take it anymore". There will be more---pray they do not get instructions from Al Qaeda. there is no way to stop every single terrorists. The smart ones will NOT be on the internet, will destroy the cell phones (or not even use one)and other data and will not leave a paper trail.
The profile appears to be anyone of ME descent. Be they doctors or lawyers, etc. Wait until they recruit Euro-WASPs with no ties to Islam, then the job will really get hard.
My Muslim Doc had more than a chip on his shoulder, or cheap, or a screw loose, he was evil.
Posted by acauble1 at 09:58 AM : Jul 03, 2007
Days after 9/11 the President strode confidently to the mound of Yankee Stadium to throw out the first pitch of the world series. This was only a few miles from ground zero. The tension of all watching was palpible, not knowing if terrorists would strike again. THIS WAS A TRULY BRAVE MOMENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY! The message was live your lives, or else the terrorista gain a victory.
Constant problems with the 'publish' button working correctly and issues with page updates within the 'comments' section...
...it's quite obvious that the website managers/designers at CBS must have graduated from some two-bit IT training school.
Posted by rhs648 at 09:55 AM : Jul 03, 2007
do schools have to teach this hate? You don't think they can't just look at what we did in Iraq and what we allowed to happen in Lebanon and come to that conclusion on their own? I remember the first gulf war and I have a lot of Pakistani friends. By the virulence and anger they expressed during the 1991 invasion, you'd have thought their own country and families were being attacked. I said as much then--and was told that to Moslems--those in Iraq ARE their family. When I asked about the ones in Kuwait (that Saddam harmed) they threw up their hands and said that I was an American and therefore would never understand.
The terror and destruction that the BUSH WAR has inflicted on millions of innocent human being will not go unanswered.
Our refusal to heed the basic moral principle of universality - to do to others as you would have them do to you - will eventually lead us to our own destruction. It's written in the histories of every failed "empire-building" nation.
LOL. Maybe Bush was confident that day, because he knew he and Cheney had not planted any bombs there, so there would be no "attack".
Posted by neoconRcrazy
Bush has not created terrorist. It is no secret where these people got their indoctrination. They received their hate from Mosques, religious schools, and their parents. These terrorist acts have been going on for years under Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and others. To blame Bush for terrorist is irresponsible and dishonest.
Posted by acauble1 at 10:16 AM : Jul 03, 2007
Nope, during the down time, the posts are being sifted, screen and researched and turned over to the FBI. Paranoia aside, it stands to reason that if they are accruing posts from dissidents to find people of interest those who blog will be one of the main sources trolled by the government. When you see a site disabled, it is because something was said, that they feel cannot be allowed to stand. So they disable the site. They know many will just think it a glitch or incompetence. It is neither. YOUR COMMENTS ARE BEING WATCHED AND ANALYZED. LOL
Posted by toldyouso21 at 10:13 AM : Jul 03, 2007
Gee, you must work at the CIA. Your amateurish analysis of terrorism and terrorists leaves me to believe you are just another LIB with an opinion. Just as dangerous as Al-Quaida
Posted by Casper10X
really liked your "story" -
I had a muslim doctor in burma who saved my life from a gangrene infection - we still write today 15 years later - great human being - even refused any payment.
Posted by Casper10X at 10:22 AM : Jul 03, 2007
Yep. Very American. With ancestry that goes back centuries, right here--before we were even the USA. I live in the midwest. I'm just not a neo con. (or a democrat) lmao. Where do YOU live? Are you an American?
Posted by mbcsmith at 10:25 AM : Jul 03, 2007
And you....your're from the club that lied about WMD, made up information, invaded another country, killed thousands then told them they should all be grateful because we are there to give them freeeeeeeeedom, right? The same kind that just wants to stay and stay and stay, and kill, and kill and kill and die and die and die just as long as it isn't you, right?
Part of the cowardly "We fight them there, because we are too scared ********** to fight them here crowd--right? Lmao.
Posted by mbcsmith at 10:25 AM : Jul 03, 2007
Ahhhh. So THAT's what the CIA is....just a bunch of libs with opinions--and in the case of Iraq --no wonder Bush (and you neo cons) discounted their opinion!!! LOL And who is more dangerous--Al Qaeda? or the people who are such busy bodies and war mongers that they create the environment and mindset and unleash them everywhere. (neo cons--most dangerous virus on earth) lmao
Posted by rhs648
like your syntax and grammer - as Casper so discreetly asks; are you american???? Maybe israeli?
anyway, truth is there was no Al-Qaeda in iraq b4, now there is. There were no 2 million iraqi refugees, now there are. There were no 120'000 dead iraqis, now there are and more each day. And there were no 3600 dead Americans - now we've buried them all, with more to come.
who is responsible for this? who is responsible for all these dead people, destroyed families, penniless iraqi refugees prostituting their teenage children? sounds like a terrorist to me.
Posted by Casper10X at 10:14 AM : Jul 03, 2007
..and then there was that white male doctor, who they just discovered had been raping his handicapped patients for years...and all those nurses, who killed patients in hospitals for kicks--all white .....we see your point though--that evil can come in every shape, color, race, etc and so we should all be vigilant but not overly paranoid--because one person or even 1000 people cannot indict a race of people. gotcha.
If the surveillance cameras help identify the suspects that attempted to set off the previous two car bombs in London, then it will be clear that the U.S. will need to implement surveillance cameras in ALL MAJOR PUBLIC GATHERING SPOTS.
Public surveillance cameras have been proven to reduce, if not completely eliminate, crime in the areas where they're used. Tests have been done in specific locations in various cities in America with great success. The problem that keeps many of these crime-fighting tools from being used are the paranoid (and somewhat ignorant) people who claim that their "rights" and "privacy" are being violated.
'Privacy' being 'violated' in a PUBLIC place? How stupid can people be!
Posted by rhs648
True. Bush did not create terrorism, but he certainly creates environments and sanctions actions that eventually foments more of it and creates more of it. A lot of terrorists may be driven by simple revenge. Consider that a man whose home and family is killed as a result of our invasion, may not feel he has anything to lose and may not want to live anymore....Such a person would not think twice about not only taking his own life--but taking a representative or 3 of the authors of his misery with him.
I agree in a way. Public surveillance cameras are what helped to catch Kelsey's Smith's potential killer. They are used to solve or help solve many crimes--and it is a public space.
I think the problem is...anytime you start giving the government carte blanche in something like this--they almost always abuse it and end up doing things they should not. Like trolling for non pertinent info, like cameras in places that ARE private. Most of the resistance is due to many knowing the lesson of government intrusion and the slippery slope. How much do YOU give up for safety?
Besides, once people KNOW they are being watched--they adapt and develop more surreptitious ways of communicating. No cell phones, no paper trails, no talking on phones at all--courier, meetings and doing things in code. It was done during each resistance in every world war and in every repressive society. If people want to communicate--there are numerous ways to do so that will reveal nothing on camera. Groups have to be infiltrated or someone has to be captured and made to talk.
Posted by neoconRcrazy at 10:39 AM : Jul 03, 2007
Exactly, his name is Saddam Hussein. You are either a really mad Muslim or a self-defeating LIB who just loves to BASH AMERICA FIRST! No thanks.
Are you American ? Where do you live ?
You never answered. Did you leave the blog? Can a neo con truly be an American? lmao.
Posted by mbcsmith
i don't remember anything about 2 million iraqi refugees, or 120'000 dead iraqi, or 3600 dead americans, during Saddams time. Did you?
Good job, idiots.
Exactly, his name is Saddam Hussein. You are either a really mad Muslim or a self-defeating LIB who just loves to BASH AMERICA FIRST! No thanks.
Posted by mbcsmith at 10:53 AM : Jul 03, 2007
Saddam Hussein is indeed responsible for a lot of deaths--but for the ones that came after our voluntary invasion and war of choice and after his capture--are all the United States. Grow up and take responsibility for the things we cause. We did this. We unleashed this. We were warned and we did it anyway.
The fact is, Bush is a failure for never having enough honor to own up to the things he caused (if you never acknowledge them--then you can't ever fix them) but the neo cons are also culpable, everyone who managed to survive Saddam only to fall since 2003--the blood is on our hands--but more specifically on all neo cons and the Bush Administrations hands--since they refuse to course correct.
Posted by toldyouso21
good question. as americans we can believe practically anything we fancy. in that sense even neocons are american.
but when it comes to using our country's military to go off empire-building, or "exporting" democracy - no, they are not American.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- next
See all 203 Comments