Timeline of the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot

The following is the timeline of events linked to the British terror alert

2006 transatlantic aircraft plot

The 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board at least 10 airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada...

on 10 August 2006.
Mid August
10 August

The arrested British authorities arrested 24 suspects in a suspected plot to blow up as many as 10 passenger jets leaving Britain United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... for New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... , Washington D.C. and California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... . The plot involved Continental Airlines Continental Airlines Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc... , United Airlines United Airlines United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental... , and American Airlines American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport... , according to an administration official who noted that the list was not exclusive. While the investigation continues, the government officials say the primary players are in custody. The men detained had not bought plane tickets, the officials said, but they had been perusing the Internet to find flights to various cities that had similar departure times. The British suspects planned to mix a "British version of Gatorade Gatorade Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries... " with a gel-like substance to create an explosive that could then be triggered with an iPod IPod iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle... or cell phone, a senior congressional source told. All of those items could have been carried on board without raising suspicions. The original information about the plan came from the Muslim community in Britain, according to a British intelligence official. Paul Stephenson Paul Stephenson (police officer) Sir Paul Robert Stephenson, QPM was the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, 2009-2011, the most senior police officer within the United Kingdom.... said 21 people had been arrested by London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... and Thames Valley Thames Valley The Thames Valley Region is a loose term for the English counties and towns roughly following the course of the River Thames as it flows from Oxfordshire in the west to London in the east. It includes parts of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, North Hampshire, Surrey and west London... police overnight in an ongoing operation. "This is about people who are desperate ... who want to do things that no right-minded citizen of this country or any other country would want to tolerate," Stephenson said. Britain's Home Secretary John Reid John Reid (politician) John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary and then Home Secretary... said police were confident the main players involved in the plot had been accounted for, adding the operation was ongoing and further arrests might be made. Asked if Britain's Muslim community was involved in the investigation, Reid would not comment. "We are involved in a long wide and deep struggle against very evil people," Reid said. "This is not a case of one civilization against another, one religion against another." The Metropolitan Police confirmed they evacuated an undisclosed number of houses in High Wycombe High Wycombe High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town... , north of London, in connection with the raids. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, Head of the Metropolitan Police Service Anti-Terrorist Branch, said the arrests followed an "unprecedented level of surveillance" over several months involving meetings, movements, travel, spending and the aspirations of a large group of people. Among those arrested were a Muslim Muslim A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable... charity worker and a Heathrow Airport employee with an all-area access pass, according to Britain's Channel 4 Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel... . The suspected terrorists had been under surveillance in Britain since December 2005, the channel reported. Information gathered after the arrests in Pakistan convinced British investigators to act urgently, sources said. Two of the suspects left "martyrdom tapes," according to sources familiar with the details of the British investigation. Two of the suspects held in connection with the alleged plot to blow up jetliners had contact with a Pakistani suspected of being an al Qaeda operative, U.S. and British officials said. The officials allege that Matiur Rehman Matiur Rehman Matiur Rehman is a Pakistani militant who has been identified as al Qaeda's planning director. He was thought to have frequent contacts with Ayman al-Zawahiri and to be in contact with Rashid Rauf. It was suggested at one point that Rehman and Rauf were one and the same, but this was dismissed by... , described as an explosives expert in Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan... who is now at large, met two of the British suspects in Pakistan. Officials said they do not know whether Rehman was involved. However, the officials said the suspected plot displays signs of al Qaeda participation, and investigations into that angle continue. Speaking on the tarmac of an airport in Green Bay Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,... , George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... thanked British Prime Minister Tony Blair Tony Blair Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007... -- a close ally—and his government for "busting this plot." Bush and Blair had conversations concerning the terror plot investigation 12 August and 13 August and the leaders have spoken several times since, including overnight when the arrests were made, officials say. In a statement, Blair said: "I would like to pay tribute to the immense effort made by the police and security services who for a long period of time have tracked this situation and been involved in an extraordinary amount of hard work. I thank them for the great job they are doing in protecting our country. "There have been an enormous amount of co-operation with the U.S. authorities which has been of great value and underlines the threat we face and our determination to counter it."
British Airports Crowds and lines logjammed British airports. In Britain, airline passengers were not allowed to take hand luggage Hand luggage Hand luggage or cabin baggage is the type of luggage that passengers are allowed to carry along in the passenger compartment of a vehicle instead of moving to the cargo compartment... onto planes, said British Airports Authority Chief Executive Stephen Nelson.
British plots The 7 July 2005, train and bus bombings that killed 52 London commuters and four bombers was an attack staged by British-raised extremists. The alleged terror plot comes nearly five years after Briton Richard Reid Richard Reid (shoe bomber) Richard Colvin Reid , also known as the Shoe Bomber, is a self-admitted member of al-Qaeda who pled guilty in 2002 in U.S. federal court to eight criminal counts of terrorism stemming from his attempt to destroy a commercial aircraft in-flight by detonating explosives hidden in his shoes... attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his trainers on an American Airlines American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport... flight from Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... to Miami in December 2001. Passengers thwarted his plan, and the plane landed safely in Boston Boston Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had... . Reid pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in October 2002 and is serving a life sentence at the nation's super-maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... .

11 August

The arrested The Financial Sanctions Unit Financial Sanctions Unit The Financial Sanctions Unit of the Bank of England administers financial sanctions in the United Kingdom on behalf of HM Treasury. It has been in operation since before 1993 when it applied sanctions against the Government of Libya... of the Bank of England Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world... froze the accounts of 19 suspects who were arrested in connection with the plot, a British treasury spokesman said. While police have not identified any of those arrested, 19 of them were identified by the Bank. Mudassar Irani, the lawyer for two of the suspects, was only able to meet with her clients for five minutes. The men—who are 22 and 23 years old—told her they are being held in cold cells, and requests for blankets were refused. One of those arrested in the overnight raids 10 August was released "with no further action by police," according to the Metropolitan Police Service Metropolitan Police Service The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police... . The police said it is common to release someone who has been arrested and keep others in custody, especially "in large and complex criminal enquiries where a number of arrests have taken place."
British airports Flight schedules in Britain were improving. Still several cancellations, including 30 percent of all short-haul flights out of London Heathrow Airport London Heathrow Airport London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe... , said Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander Douglas Alexander Douglas Garven Alexander is a British Labour Party politician, who is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the shadow cabinet of Ed Miliband. He has held cabinet posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of State for Scotland and... . In Britain, airline passengers were not allowed to take hand luggage onto planes, said British Airports Authority Chief Executive Stephen Nelson. Air passengers across Europe faced a second day of delays. However, the situation had eased from the previous day, when London's Heathrow Airport was closed to many incoming flights.
Threat The United Kingdom remained at its highest threat level. Home Secretary John Reid John Reid (politician) John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary and then Home Secretary... said the government wanted to "err on the side of caution," according to Britain's Home Office. Reid, the home secretary, said Britons faced a "common threat" and appealed for tolerance and resilience.
Pakistan Reid acknowledged the Pakistani role in breaking the case. "We are very grateful for all the help and cooperation we have received from our international partners, including Pakistan, and I would like to thank them for the assistance they have given us," he said.

12 August

The arrested The lawyer for two of the suspects criticized their treatment at the hands of British police. In an exclusive interview, Mudassar Irani listed a series of complaints, including the allegation that one of her clients had not received food and water for 26 hours. Matiur Rehman Matiur Rehman Matiur Rehman is a Pakistani militant who has been identified as al Qaeda's planning director. He was thought to have frequent contacts with Ayman al-Zawahiri and to be in contact with Rashid Rauf. It was suggested at one point that Rehman and Rauf were one and the same, but this was dismissed by... , who remains at large, has not been linked to the plot, the Government officials said. He was not one of the seven individuals arrested on 10 August in Pakistan. U.S. and British sources said one of the men in custody in Pakistan, Rashid Rauf Rashid Rauf Rashid Rauf was an alleged Al-Qaeda operative. He was a dual citizen of Britain and Pakistan who was arrested in Bhawalpur, Pakistan in connection with the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot in August 2006, a day before some arrests were made in Britain... , had a key operational role in the alleged plot. Rauf, a British citizen, appeared before magistrate, according to Pakistan's Interior Ministry. Rauf is believed to have left the UK after his uncle was killed in 2002. He was not charged over the murder, which has never been solved. In the U.S., a Department of Homeland Security memo said that a message from was intercepted in the days before police made their arrests which advised the alleged plotters to "do your attacks now." The U.S. security memo also shed light on the backgrounds of the 23 suspects being held by British police: All were born in Britain, and most were of Pakistani descent. They had good reputations in their neighborhood and did not express radical sentiments. Among those arrested were a biochemistry student, a worker at Heathrow Airport and a 17-year-old who recently converted to Islam. While the teen had grown a beard and started wearing traditional Muslim clothes, he did not appear to be radicalized. British police believe the key players are in custody but cannot be sure that "unknown or unexpected elements do not exist." A tip from a member of the British Muslim community about suspicious behavior by an acquaintance alerted authorities to the alleged conspiracy, and a neighbor of the alleged plotters helped confirm those suspicions, the memo said. Counterterrorism officials used telephone records, e-mails and bank records to connect the suspects and build a detailed picture of the conspiracy, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said. Their spending habits and bank accounts also were traced by a unit that monitors the flow of money to provide evidence of association, the memo said. Intelligence received within the past five days by MI-5, the British security agency, led officials to conclude that the plan was in its execution phase, the memo said. The fact that U.S.-bound aircraft were to be targeted was learned only about two weeks ago, U.S. homeland security said. The alleged plotters planned to bring "some type of liquid or power explosive" on board the aircraft in drink or toothpaste containers, then explode it with detonators hidden in cell phones or MP3 players, the memo said. In a new development, it was claimed that plot suspects "apparently" had contacts with Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... . "Apparently there were some contacts by the suspected attackers with Germany -- we are checking these contacts," August Hanning August Hanning August Hanning is a former president of the Bundesnachrichtendienst who served from 1998 to December 2005.-References:... , a deputy interior minister, told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper in a preview of an article to be printed Sunday.
Raid of Internet cafes British police confirmed that they had raided a series of Internet cafes in their investigation into an alleged plot to blow up as many as 10 trans-Atlantic aircraft. There was no confirmation of any arrests in the raids in London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... and the Thames Valley Thames Valley The Thames Valley Region is a loose term for the English counties and towns roughly following the course of the River Thames as it flows from Oxfordshire in the west to London in the east. It includes parts of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, North Hampshire, Surrey and west London... region, west of the capital. The raids came as links to suspected terror operatives in Pakistan—possibly connected to al Qaeda—were emerging as key elements of the investigation. Suspects in the UK received a coded message from Pakistan to "attack now" as authorities there closed in on terror suspects, security sources have told.
Anger in Britain's Muslim community The arrests have led to increased pressure on Britain's Muslim community, prompting leaders to publish an open letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair Tony Blair Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007... , blaming his foreign policy for inciting extremist anger. "It is our view that current British government policy risks putting civilians at increased risk both in the UK and abroad," the letter said.
British airports Budget carrier Ryanair Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport.... , which has its British base at Stansted Airport London Stansted Airport -Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures... , northeast of London, said it had complied with BAA orders to cancel more than 60 of its Stansted flights. British Airways British Airways British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations... was forced to cancel 25 percent of its short-distance flights because of the airport's failure to cope with the situation, told British Airways CEO Willie Walsh.
Pakistan After the arrests were made in Pakistan, one of the alleged terrorist operatives there gave the "go" signal for the plot to go forward, a British official said.

13 August

The arrested Britain has foiled four major terrorist plots since deadly 7 July bombings last year, British Home Secretary John Reid John Reid (politician) John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary and then Home Secretary... said. In comments made in a television interview and confirmed by the UK Home Office, Reid said there could be others still at large linked to alleged air terror plot. Asked about an Observer The Observer The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,... newspaper report that "up to two dozen" terror investigations were operating across the country, he said: "I'm not going to confirm an exact number, but I wouldn't deny that that would indicate the number of major conspiracies that we are trying to look at." Police, meanwhile, were still probing the homes and backgrounds of 23 men arrested on 10 August. Most of the men held in custody in Britain and Pakistan are Pakistanis in their 20s. Meanwhile, a lawyer for two of 23 suspects in custody accused police of denying her full access to her clients. The attorney, Mudassar Arani, said British suspects' families had been moved to hotels. According to a British intelligence official, the planned near-simultaneous attacks—which one top U.S. official said were intended to be "a second September 11th September 11, 2001 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation... " -- were foiled when a member of the country's Muslim community contacted authorities after noticing an acquaintance acting suspiciously. An undercover British agent then infiltrated the group to gather information, U.S. government officials told.
British airports UK airports entered a fourth day of chaos as the fallout from the plot continued to cause cancellations, major delays and anger from flight operators. At Heathrow London Heathrow Airport London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe... , one of the world's busiest airports, almost one third of flights were cancelled as tough new screening for passengers and luggage caused problems. after the discovery of an apparent plan to smuggle liquid explosives onto planes in hand luggage. But with airlines struggling to get passengers to their destinations days after the new measures were introduced, several have hit out at airport operator British Airports Authority for failing to provide adequate facilities. "BAA is unable to provide a robust security search process and baggage operation at London Heathrow and as a result we are being forced to cancel flights and operate some others from Heathrow without all the passengers on board," British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh said. At least one major airline complained about the way the British Airport Authority, which oversees Heathrow airport, was handling the intense security. "BAA has failed to allow us to operate 100 percent of our schedule," said British Airways CEO Willie Walsh. "British Airways, along with other airlines, is ready and able to operate a full schedule. The weakness in the system today is getting the passengers processed and through the airport. Budget carrier Ryanair, which has its British base at Stansted Airport London Stansted Airport -Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures... , northeast of London, said it had complied with BAA orders to cancel more than 60 of its Stansted flights. It demanded that the overloaded security situation be fixed by 14 August "Ryanair and other major UK airlines cannot keep canceling flights and disrupting the travel plans of tens of thousands of British passengers and visitors solely because the BAA cannot cope with the new body-search requirements," chief executive Michael O'Leary Michael O'Leary (Ryanair) Michael O'Leary is an Irish businessman and the Chief Executive Officer of the Irish airline Ryanair. He is one of Ireland's wealthiest businessmen.-Early life:... said, according to The Associated Press Associated Press The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists... . BAA's chief executive for Heathrow, Tony Douglas Tony Douglas Tony Douglas is a retired professional football forward from Trinidad & Tobago. He spent his professional career in the United States, playing in the North American Soccer League, American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League... , defended the airports' efforts. I think the aviation community has actually come together remarkably well. We will continue to work closely with the government because public safety and security is important to us." British and American passengers underwent a third day of trip delays and stricter security measures because of heightened travel fears. Some flights were delayed up to four hours, and passengers carried plastic bags with necessities. Liquids and gels are prohibited unless it can be shown they are necessary, and on British-originated flights, all carry-on luggage is banned. Airlines warned the British government that air travel was threatening "to grind to a halt" because of the restrictions in place at airports. A temporary ban on mobile phones resulted in a British Airways flight from London to New York being returned to Heathrow "as a precautionary measure" late in the day after a phone was found aboard the plane, the airline said. None of the passengers on the flight claimed the phone, BA said. "We apologize to customers for the inconvenience, but their safety is our No. 1 priority, and we will always err on the side of caution," the airline reported.
Raid of Internet cafes As police widened their investigation into the bomb plot suspects, detectives raided a series of Internet cafes, including one near Heathrow, where the plotters were believed to be planning to start their operations.
Pakistan Pakistan authorities said that the arrests of two British citizens and five Pakistanis last week directly contributed to terror arrests made 10 August in Britain. Most of the men held in custody in Britain and Pakistan are Pakistanis in their 20s.
Threat The terror threat level in Britain remained "critical" -- its highest designation.

14 August

Threat Britain has lowered its terrorist threat level from "critical" to "severe". Home Secretary John Reid John Reid (politician) John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary and then Home Secretary... said the change in the alert level—which indicates a terrorist attack is no longer imminent -- "does not mean that the threat has gone away." "There is still a very serious threat of an attack," Reid said in a statement accompanying the announcement. "The threat level is at severe, indicating the high likelihood of an attempted terrorist attack at some stage, and I urge the public to remain vigilant." Security sources said it is unlikely that the level will soon drop further. They said there is great concern about "copycats" attempting similar attacks.
British airports London's Heathrow Airport, the world's busiest international airport, struggled to restore normal service after delays and cancellations caused by heightened security measures. "Flights that do operate remain subject to delays," British Airways British Airways British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations... said in a statement. Authorities in Britain and the United States imposed tight security on trans-Atlantic flights, sharply restricting what passengers could carry onto aircraft. Under the reduced threat level, passengers boarding aircraft in Britain are still banned from bringing most liquids, gels or pastes aboard aircraft, Britain's Transport Department said. The only exceptions are for prescription medicines that have been verified as authentic and baby milk or formula, provided the accompanying passenger tastes the substance. But there is some good news for passengers in the UK, who can now bring one mid-sized bag aboard an aircraft. The government is also allowing laptop computers and items such as hair dryers to be brought on board, provided they are visible at security checkpoints. Air traffic at Heathrow remained snarled, with airlines canceling as many one in five short-haul flights. British Airways said it planned to cancel five of its scheduled 76 long-haul flights from Heathrow and 39 of a planned 202 short-haul flights, Reuters Reuters Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data... reported. At Gatwick London Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport... , London's second largest airport, BA canceled all domestic flights from for the second consecutive day. However, all BA flights to Europe and beyond were expected to operate. Smaller regional airports, such as Liverpool's John Lennon airport Liverpool John Lennon Airport Liverpool John Lennon Airport is an international airport serving the city of Liverpool and the North West of England. Formerly known as Speke Airport, RAF Speke, and Liverpool Airport the airport is located within the City of Liverpool adjacent to the estuary of the River Mersey some southeast... and Leeds-Bradford Leeds Bradford International Airport Leeds Bradford International Airport is located at Yeadon, in the City of Leeds Metropolitan District in West Yorkshire, England, northwest of Leeds city centre itself... airport in northern England, said services were almost back to normal, The Associated Press reported. Airport operators said 68 flights were canceled from Heathrow, according to The Associated Press Associated Press The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists... . There was new concern about security after a 12-year-old boy managed to board a plane at Gatwick Airport on Monday without a passport, ticket or boarding pass. Ryanair temporarily waived its 2.50 euro ($3.20, £2.95) fee for each carryon bag that unexpectedly had to be checked, but has since reintroduced it. O'Leary said that the airline had no plans to end the policy.
Pakistan Detectives are known to be investigating the links between the detainees and suspected terror suspects apprehended in Pakistan.
The arrested A security source close to investigations told that some of the 23 suspects were expected to be released without charge due to lack of evidence. One person has already been released. He also poured doubt on the links to Rauf Rashid Rauf Rashid Rauf was an alleged Al-Qaeda operative. He was a dual citizen of Britain and Pakistan who was arrested in Bhawalpur, Pakistan in connection with the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot in August 2006, a day before some arrests were made in Britain... in Pakistan, Rivers said. A court ruled that police could hold one of the 23 suspects for questioning until 16 August.

15 August

The arrested Early, British anti-terror investigators were given another day—until 16 August—to hold 22 of the suspects; an extension for the 23rd person was granted 15 August, a statement from New Scotland Yard said. The extensions are procedural; police can hold terror suspects up to 28 days without filing formal charges. "In all operations, some people may be released early without charge while others may remain in custody for further investigation," according to the statement. British investigators have searched for evidence of explosive tests in woods in High Wycombe High Wycombe High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town... , west of London, near where they arrested the 24 suspects 10 August. The British security sources told they are confident evidence of explosives will be found, even as police conducted a detailed forensic examination of one suspect's residence. Photographs taken by a neighbor showed police removing plastic containers from the flat. The security sources said the alleged plotters intended to use an electrical charge to detonate liquid explosives in planes as they flew at maximum cruising altitude over the Atlantic Ocean, thereby ensuring that investigators would have a tough time retrieving evidence. In a separate development in the case, another man was arrested in connection with the alleged plot to blow up commercial jetliners over the Atlantic, bringing the number in custody to 24, according to London's Metropolitan Police. The Metropolitan Police said the new suspect was detained about 1 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) 15 August in the Thames Valley Thames Valley The Thames Valley Region is a loose term for the English counties and towns roughly following the course of the River Thames as it flows from Oxfordshire in the west to London in the east. It includes parts of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, North Hampshire, Surrey and west London... area near London. He was taken into custody under the Terrorism Act 2000 Terrorism Act 2000 The Terrorism Act 2000 is the first of a number of general Terrorism Acts passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It superseded and repealed the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1989 and the Northern Ireland Act 1996... , which allows arrests of anyone suspected of being involved in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. The British security sources said the foiled plot was one of about a dozen that investigators were following, and that it got their undivided attention six weeks ago, when they determined that the attack plans were advanced. MI5 officers who were following the movements of the suspects have already been redeployed to monitor dozens of other suspected terror cells around Britain, sources said. The security sources estimate there are more than 1,200 individuals of concern across Britain. British investigators believe some of the money raised to help victims of the Pakistan- earthquake of 2005 2005 Kashmir earthquake The 2005 Kashmir earthquake was a major earthquake centered in Pakistan-administered Kashmir known as Azad Kashmir, near the city of Muzaffarabad, affecting Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It occurred at 08:52:37 Pakistan Standard Time on 8 October 2005... may have been used to fund the alleged airliner terror plot. The funds are believed to have come from a front group for the Pakistani charity Jamaat al-Dawat network in Britain, and was not sent from Pakistan, British and U.S. investigators said. A U.S. official also said it was his understanding that the charity being investigated by the British is a front for Jamaat al-Dawat, previously known as Lashkar-e-Toiba Lashkar-e-Toiba Lashkar-e-Taiba – also transliterated as Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Lashkar Taiba or LeT – is one of the largest and most active militant Islamist terrorist organizations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan.It was founded by Hafiz Muhammad... . Jamaat al-Dawat provided aid and relief camps for victims of the 8 October earthquake that killed more than 73,000 in northwest Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir Kashmir Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range... . Lord Nasir Ahmed Nasir Ahmed Nasir Ahmed is a former Bangladeshi cricketer who played in 7 ODIs from 1988 to 1990. He is one of the three best wicketkeeprs to play for Bangladesh, Shafiq-ul-Haq and Khaled Mashud being the other two. After the retirement of Haque, the selectors tried a number of young keepers, and Nasir ... , a leader among British Pakistanis and a member of Britain's Parliament, told that at least four of the alleged plotters traveled to Pakistan, telling their families they were going to help the quake victims. When questioned, the relatives denied that any members of their families had links to any extremist group, Ahmed said.
Pakistan The source described Rashid Rauf Rashid Rauf Rashid Rauf was an alleged Al-Qaeda operative. He was a dual citizen of Britain and Pakistan who was arrested in Bhawalpur, Pakistan in connection with the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot in August 2006, a day before some arrests were made in Britain... , who is being held without charge in Pakistan, as a leader of the group, and said that others being held in Pakistan played lesser roles. It said it may extradite Rauf to Britain, although no request had been received, according to The Associated Press Associated Press The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists... .
British Airports Airport delay problems stretched into their fifth day in Britain, prompting further frustration among airlines which accused the British government and airport authorities of mishandling the new security measures.

16 August

British Airports As cancellations and delays gripped Britain's major airports for a sixth day, the head of British Airways British Airways British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations... threatened to sue BAA BAA plc BAA Ltd. is the Spanish-owned operator of six British airports and Naples Airport in Italy, making the company one of the largest transport companies in the world. BAA stems from British Airports Authority and is owned by a consortium led by Grupo Ferrovial, a Spanish firm specialising in... , the country's largest airport operator, for financial compensation. Meanwhile, air service nudged closer to normal at major London airports, but British Airways said it canceled 35 flights from Heathrow and another 11 at Gatwick. Britain's Home Secretary John Reid John Reid (politician) John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary and then Home Secretary... is to host a meeting with a number of European Union interior ministers in London to talk about how the foiled plot on 10 August will affect airline security and anti-terror policies across the continent. Reid is also expected to urge closer cooperation between nations to deal with the increasing danger. The removal of two young British Asians from a holiday flight because fellow passengers were suspicious of them has been condemned by British parliamentarians. The men, thought to be in their 20s, were on a Monarch Airlines Monarch Airlines Monarch Airlines, often shortened to and trading as Monarch, is a British charter and scheduled airline based at London Luton Airport in Luton. It is one of the United Kingdom's largest charter airlines, operating to Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, India and Africa, serving mainly leisure... flight from Málaga Málaga Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe... , Spain to Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... . Some passengers refused to board the plane unless the two were removed, according to the UK Press Association. The UK Islamic Human Rights Commission chairman Massoud Shadjareh said there was "ever-increasing Islamaphobia" and the incident was "exactly the type of thing we've been so concerned about," the PA reported. Birmingham MP Khalid Mahmood Khalid Mahmood Khalid Mahmood is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Perry Barr since 2001.-Political career:... said he thought what happened "is hugely irrational and people need to get their senses back into order." A Monarch Airlines spokesman told Britain's Guardian newspaper the two men attracted attention because they apparently were acting suspiciously. He declined to say what they had done. "The flight attendants were sufficiently concerned to alert the crew, who in turn informed the security authorities at Málaga airport," the spokesman said. The flight was delayed for three hours after Spanish police removed the two men and searched the aircraft and luggage for explosives. The pair flew to Manchester on a later flight. The incident coincided with a warning from Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent Ali Dizaei that Britain was in danger of creating a new offence of "traveling whilst Asian," the PA reported. Dizaei, one of the UK's most senior Muslim police officers, said intelligence based on ethnicity, religion and country of origin was "hugely problematic." But the UK's Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file police officers, said profiling had already been used to stop football hooligans traveling to Germany for the World Cup in June, the PA reported.
The arrested British judge has allowed police to continue holding 23 of the 24 suspects through next week, Metropolitan Police said late in the day. The ruling gives police the authority to hold two of the suspects until 21 August, and the rest until 23 August. Afterwards, Scotland Yard Scotland Yard Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became... said that a person arrested on 15 August as part of its investigation was released without charge, The Associated Press Associated Press The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists... reports. Today's ruling was largely a procedural move. Under British anti-terrorism laws, police can hold suspects for up to 28 days without filing charges, but they must put the detention before a judge periodically. The hearing was held behind closed doors and attended only by the suspects' lawyers, investigators and government officials, The Associated Press reports. Experts say the primary reason police could use nearly a month to complete a probe is because of the complexity of investigations into the alleged plot to smuggle liquid explosives hidden in hand luggage aboard flights. "You've got laptops. You have to bring in translators to translate all the documents in there. And sometimes it's inopportune to release all your suspects -- particularly terrorism suspects -- while all that is being downloaded and translated," Cliff Knuckey, a retired police detective who has worked on terrorism investigations, told the Associated Press. "Terrorism investigations are different, simply because you're dealing with people who will do their best not to compromise their plans and who will do anything not to be compromised." Previously, police were able to detain people suspected of terrorism offences for 14 days only. But the new legislation, which became law earlier in 2006, also created new offences, including preparing a terrorist act, giving or receiving terrorist training, and selling or spreading terrorist publications. Prime Minister Tony Blair Tony Blair Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007... failed to receive parliamentary approval for his own plan to interrogate terrorist suspects for up to 90 days. Authorities said the suspects plotted to use liquid explosives to blow up as many as 10 trans-Atlantic flights, using commercial electronic devices as detonators. Home Secretary John Reid John Reid (politician) John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary and then Home Secretary... , Britain's top law-and-order official, acknowledged that some suspects would likely not be charged with major criminal offences but said there was mounting evidence of a "substantial nature" to back the allegations. His comments came after meeting with the French, German and Finnish interior ministers, Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier.... , Wolfgang Schäuble Wolfgang Schäuble Wolfgang Schäuble is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union , currently serving as the Federal Minister of Finance in the Second Cabinet Merkel.... and Kari Rajamaki Kari Rajamäki Kari Juhani Rajamäki is a Finnish politician from the Social Democratic Party and a former Minister of the Interior.Rajamäki has been MP since 1983 and represents Southern Savonia... , respectively, and EU Commission Vice President Franco Frattini. They later announced the allocation of $235,000 (€220,000 or £200,000) to research the best ways to detect liquid-based explosives. Two top Pakistani intelligence agents said that the would-be bombers wanted to carry out an al Qaeda-style attack to mark the fifth anniversary of the September 11 strikes but were too "inexperienced" to carry out the plot, AP reports. The agents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that if the terror cell members arrested in Pakistan and Britain had appropriate weapons and explosives training, they could have emulated attacks like the ones on September 11, 2001. The detainees in Britain and Pakistan had not attended terror-training camps in Pakistan or Afghanistan and had relied on information gleaned from text books on how to make bombs, the officials said, according to AP.
Aviation related terror alerts A 59-year-old woman caused a security scare when she allegedly passed notes to crew members, urinated on the floor and made comments the crew believed were references to al Qaeda and the September 11 attacks on the London-to-Washington flight. United 923, with 182 passengers and 12 crew members, was diverted to Boston Boston Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had... and landed safely—with two fighter jets escorting it—after the pilot declared an emergency on board.

17 August

Pakistan The alleged UK airport terror plot was sanctioned by al Qaeda's No2, Ayman al Zawahri, according to Pakistani intelligence. The latest investigations by Pakistan also indicate that a British national arrested in Pakistan, Rashid Rauf Rashid Rauf Rashid Rauf was an alleged Al-Qaeda operative. He was a dual citizen of Britain and Pakistan who was arrested in Bhawalpur, Pakistan in connection with the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot in August 2006, a day before some arrests were made in Britain... , was the planner of the alleged attacks. "We have reason to believe that it was al Qaeda sanctioned and was probably cleared by al Zawahri", said a Pakistani official. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation.
The arrested Police said they were searching 14 homes and businesses and had searched 49 locations since the 10 August raids in London, High Wycombe and Birmingham, central England, The Associated Press reports. British police reported to have found a suitcase containing items which could be used to construct a bomb, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation. The suitcase is reported to have been found in woodlands in High Wycombe High Wycombe High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town... , about 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) north-west of London. BBC quotes an anonymous police source as saying a suitcase holding "everything you would need to make an improvised device," had been found. The wood is near the home of one of two dozen suspects arrested on 10 August. The Metropolitan Police have refused to comment on the BBC report, saying it could not discuss anything found during the searches.
British Airports Service returned almost to normal at British airports. British Airways British Airways British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations... , the worst-affected airline, said it had almost cleared a backlog of 5,000 pieces of luggage separated from their owners amid hundreds of delayed and canceled flights. The airline canceled 19 short-haul services from Heathrow Airport London Heathrow Airport London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe... .
Aviation related terror alerts West Virginia West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east... airport terminal was evacuated after two bottles of liquid found in a woman's carryon luggage twice tested positive for explosives residue. Chemical tests later turned up no explosives in the bottles, and the airport was reopened after nearly 10 hours.

18 August

British Airports British Airways British Airways British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations... said it planned to operate a full service. A British passenger plane to Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... diverted to a southern Italian airport after the pilot reported that a bomb was suspected to be on board, Italian aviation officials said. Authorities searching the plane found a handwritten note in English that said there was a bomb on the plane, Salvatore De Paolis, a spokesman for border police at the airport, told SKY TG 24 television news. All 280 passengers were safe and had exited the plane, state police at the airport said. The Excel Airways Excel Airways XL Airways was a British low-cost charter and scheduled airline, which ceased operations when it went into administration on 12 September 2008. Its headquarters were in Crawley, West Sussex, near London Gatwick Airport. It was part of the XL Leisure Group. XL Airways is a trading name for XL... Boeing 767 requested an emergency landing in Brindisi Brindisi Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city... because of what was described as a suspected bomb, the Italian air traffic agency ENAV said. The plane was flying from London's Gatwick airport London Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport... to Hurghada Hurghada Hurghada is a city in the Red Sea Governorate of Egypt. It is a main tourist center and second largest city in Egypt located on the Red Sea coast.- Overview :... , Egypt, ENAV said. Italy's Air Force said it had sent an F-16 to intercept the plane before it landed. Excel spokeswoman Jane Sebuliba said the landing was "a precautionary diversion" and declined further comment, saying Excel planned to say more soon. Budget airline Ryanair threatened to take legal action against the British government unless it meets three demands for relaxing airport security and improving staffing at overstretched airports within the next seven days. The airline, which canceled scores of flights and suffered a 10 percent drop in weekly bookings because of the terror alert that raised security levels on 10 August, wants the government to return passenger search requirements to pre-alert levels. It also wants the government to restore the hand luggage allowance for passengers leaving British airports and an assurance that military and police personnel would be released to help with airport security checks next time there is a major security alert. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary Michael O'Leary (Ryanair) Michael O'Leary is an Irish businessman and the Chief Executive Officer of the Irish airline Ryanair. He is one of Ireland's wealthiest businessmen.-Early life:... said the carrier has sent a letter to Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander Douglas Alexander Douglas Garven Alexander is a British Labour Party politician, who is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the shadow cabinet of Ed Miliband. He has held cabinet posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of State for Scotland and... informing him of its demands. The Transport Department said that the current security regime was necessary because of the level of the security threat, which remains at high, and is kept under constant review. "We have no intention of compromising security levels nor do we anticipate changing our requirements in the next seven days," it said. The department added that the action taken last week was under the Aviation Security Act 1982, so Ryanair wouldn't be entitled to any compensation. Ryanair says that wasn't made clear and it intends to use the Transport Act 2000 Transport Act 2000 The Transport Act 2000 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It provided for a number of measures regarding transport in Great Britain, most notably, the first major change in the structure of the privatised railway system established under the Railways Act 1993... for legal action if it goes ahead. O'Leary declined to say how much compensation the airline would seek from the government, but said the alert had so far cost the carrier "a couple of million" euros in canceled flights and lost bookings. He rejected analyst forecasts that Ryanair faced a €10 million($12.8 million, £9.5 million) hit, saying the short-term cost was likely to be "a couple of million euros" and the long-term impact would be immaterial. "If the security procedures are returned to normal within another seven days, then Ryanair will not make any claim against the government," he added. In another blow, the GMB Union said Swissport Swissport Swissport International Ltd. is a Swiss company headquartered in Glattbrugg, Opfikon, Switzerland. Owned by PAI, Swissport International Ltd. provides ground services for around 100 million passengers and 3.2 million tonnes of cargo a year on behalf of some 650 client-companies in the aviation... baggage handler Baggage handler In the airline industry, a baggage handler is a person who loads and unloads baggage , and other cargo for transport via aircraft... s and check-in staff plan to strike during the end of August holiday weekend at Stansted airport London Stansted Airport -Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures... . Swissport provides services to Ryanair and easyJet and some charter airlines operating at Stansted—representing about 80 percent of the passenger traffic at Britain's third-busiest airport. O'Leary was particularly critical of the fact that passengers may now carry a large briefcase, but not a small wheeled case, which he claimed was just 20 percent larger than the allowed briefcase. The issue is a problem for Ryanair because the carrier began charging customers in January for each bag they checked as part of a plan to get passengers to take only what they could carry. The airline temporarily waived its €2.50 ($3.20, £2.95) fee for each carryon bag that unexpectedly had to be checked, but has since reintroduced it. Virgin Atlantic, which is jointly owned by Richard Branson Richard Branson Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies.... 's Virgin Group Virgin Group Virgin Group Limited is a British branded venture capital conglomerate organisation founded by business tycoon Richard Branson. The core business areas are travel, entertainment and lifestyle. Virgin Group's date of incorporation is listed as 1989 by Companies House, who class it as a holding... and Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets... , said it was asking the British government to pay for airport security in Britain, although it is not considering suing the government. Paul Charles, a spokesman for the airline, said the government already pays for transport police to patrol Britain's railways and therefore it should also pay for airport security. Currently, the bill for security is taken by the airport operators and airlines, and some of the cost is likely passed on to passengers.

19 August

Pakistan Rashid Rauf Rashid Rauf Rashid Rauf was an alleged Al-Qaeda operative. He was a dual citizen of Britain and Pakistan who was arrested in Bhawalpur, Pakistan in connection with the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot in August 2006, a day before some arrests were made in Britain... , whose detention in Pakistan was the trigger for the arrest of 23 suspects in Britain, has been accused of taking orders from Al Qaeda’s ‘No3’ in Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world... and sending money back to the UK to allow the alleged bombers to buy plane tickets. But after two weeks of interrogation, an inch-by-inch search of his house and analysis of his home computer, officials are now saying that his extradition is ‘a way down the track’ if it happens at all. It comes amid wider suspicions that the plot may not have been as serious, or as far advanced, as the authorities initially claimed. Analysts suspect Pakistani authorities exaggerated Rauf’s role to appear ‘tough on terrorism’ and impress Britain and America. A spokesman for Pakistan’s Interior Ministry last night admitted that ‘extradition at this time is not under consideration’.

20 August

British Airports Airport security restrictions are to be made more "manageable" within days, according to ministers. The Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling Alistair Darling Alistair Maclean Darling is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 1987, currently for Edinburgh South West. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010... said the Government would ensure restrictions were "proportionate" to the threat level. He added that the Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander Douglas Alexander Douglas Garven Alexander is a British Labour Party politician, who is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the shadow cabinet of Ed Miliband. He has held cabinet posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of State for Scotland and... would meet the airports operator BAA to resolve outstanding security issues within "the next week or so". "Unfortunately it was necessary because of the intelligence we received to step up security. "But I hope that in the next few days we can make sure that the system is manageable, is proportionate," he told the BBC. Mr Darling, a former transport secretary, said it was important to strike a balance between security needs and allowing people to go about their business. "Yes, there has been a lot of disruption over the last week but I'm pretty sure we can sort out these problems," he said. "But I am bound to say that the problem we have got is that we do have these threats and we've got to act proportionately, we've got to deal with them." Mr Darling also dismissed a report that air passengers could face a new surcharge on tickets to pay for upgraded security. "The cost of security is met by the industry," he said. "It always has been and that will continue."
Pakistan Rauf’s arrest followed a protracted surveillance operation on him and his family which, The Mail has established, dates back to the 7/7 bomb attacks on London. The possible link between 7/7 and the alleged plot emerged when the Daily Mail Daily Mail The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982... spoke to Rauf’s uncle, Miam Mumtaz, in Kashmir Kashmir Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range... . Mumtaz was approached by two members of ISI Inter-Services Intelligence The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan... , the feared Pakistani security service, as he nervously denied any knowledge of his nephew’s alleged activities. One ISI man said it had been monitoring all movement by Mumtaz and the rest of Rauf’s relatives since the 7/7 attacks. It is the first official acknowledgement of any suspected link between the London bombings and the plot to blow up planes flying from Britain to America. But it comes against a welter of claims made by Pakistani security sources about Rauf, who is being interrogated by British and Pakistani agents in Rawalpindi Rawalpindi Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad... . The sources believe Rauf went to Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world... twice, where he made contact with senior Al Qaeda commanders. They also say he visited the border city of Quettain, where Taliban and Al Qaeda have a heavy presence. They believe that at least seven of the suspects in custody in Britain travelled to Pakistan while planning the bombings. Rauf left for Pakistan 2002 after another uncle was stabbed to death in Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... following an alleged dispute over an arranged marriage. Meanwhile, Rauf’s 54-year-old father Abdul was held at Islamabad Islamabad Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011... airport as he tried to leave the country 18 August. He was involved in setting up Ilford Ilford Ilford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail... -based Crescent Relief, which is being investigated by the Charity Commission Charity Commission The Charity Commission for England and Wales is the non-ministerial government department that regulates registered charities in England and Wales.... over claims that money donated for victims of the Kashmir earthquake October 2005 could have been diverted to extremist groups.

21 August

The arrested Eleven of the 23 people arrested over an alleged plot to bomb trans-Atlantic airliners have been charged in the UK with terrorism offenses as police revealed they have found bomb-making equipment and martyrdom videos. Eight of the suspects were charged with two offenses of conspiracy to murder and a new offense of preparing acts of terrorism contrary to section five of the Terrorism Act 2006 Terrorism Act 2006 The Terrorism Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that received Royal Assent on 30 March 2006, after being introduced on 12 October 2005. The Act creates new offences related to terrorism, and amends existing ones. The Act was drafted in the aftermath of the 7 July 2005... .The three others were charged with other offenses under the Terrorism Act 2000 Terrorism Act 2000 The Terrorism Act 2000 is the first of a number of general Terrorism Acts passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It superseded and repealed the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1989 and the Northern Ireland Act 1996... . Eleven others remain in custody and a woman has been released, the Crown Prosecution Service Crown Prosecution Service The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the... announced at a news conference in London. The eight men charged with conspiracy to murder and intent to commit acts of terrorism are: Ahmed Abdullah Ali, also known as "Abdullah Ali Ahmed Khan"; Tanvir Hussain; Umar Islam, aka "Brian Young"; Arafat Waheed Khan; Assad Sarwar; Adam Khatib Adam Khatib Adam Khatib is one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England. He has three siblings... ; Ibrahim Savant; Waheed Zaman.The two suspects charged with failing to disclose material assistance in preventing an act of terrorism are: Cossor Ali Cossor Ali Cossor Ali is one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England.-Charges:... (female), specifically charged with failing to disclose information about Ahmed Abdullah Ali, between January 2005 and August 2006; Mehran Hussain, specifically charged with failing to disclose information about Nabeel Hussain Nabeel Hussain Nabeel Hussain was one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England.-References:... , one of those originally arrested, between September 2005 and August 2006. An unnamed 17-year-old male was also charged with possessing "a book on improvised explosives devices, some suicide notes and wills with the identities of persons prepared to commit acts of terrorism and a map of Afghanistan containing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism." Susan Hemming, head of the Crown Prosecution Service Counter Terrorism Division, told reporters: "We have been carefully examining and assessing the evidence against each individual with the assistance of anti-terrorist officers in order to come to charging decisions at the earliest practicable opportunity." Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke added that bomb-making equipment, including chemicals and electrical components had been found during police searches. Clarke said: "First there is evidence from surveillance carried out before 10 August. "This includes important, indeed highly significant, video and audio recordings. "Since 10 August we have found bomb-making equipment. There are chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide, electrical components, documents and other items. "We have also found a number of video recordings. These are sometimes referred to as martyrdom videos." British authorities have carried out a total of 69 searches of residences, businesses, vehicles and open spaces, which have netted bomb-making equipment and chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke said. "As well as the bomb-making equipment, we have found more than 400 computers, 200 mobile telephones and 8,000 items of removable storage media such as memory sticks, CDs and DVDs," he said. "So far, from the computers alone, we have removed some 6,000 gigabytes of data."It will take "many months" for investigators to analyze all of the data, he said. CNN CNN Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States... 's Robin Oakley Robin Oakley Robert Francis Leigh Oakley OBE is a British journalist who is the European Political Editor at CNN International. He was formerly Political Editor at the BBC.... said the sheer amount of material seized by police indicated that it would be some time before a trial starts. Oakley said he believed police had revealed so much information partly to assure the public that the terror threat remained high more than a year after the London bombings that killed 52 people and the four bombers. He added that Scotland Yard was probably also keen to show it was avoiding mistakes it had made in previous terror investigations.

22 August

The arrested Court hearings for 11 suspects charged in the alleged plot to bomb trans-Atlantic airliners have been taking place in London. Today's hearings at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London marked the first time the suspects, all of whom were charged 21 August, have been seen in public since they were arrested on 10 August. Amid heavy security, vans carried the suspects to the court, where eight people charged with conspiracy to commit murder and preparing acts of terrorism were the first to appear before Chief Magistrate Timothy Workman Timothy Workman Senior District Judge Timothy Workman CBE is a leading British judge, a long-term stipendiary magistrate who serves as Senior District Judge and Chief Magistrate for London.... . Before the court adjourned for lunch, Tanvir Hussain, 25, Ahmed Ali Ahmed Ali Ahmed Ali was an Indian novelist, poet, critic, translator, diplomat and scholar, who was responsible for writing Twilight in Delhi. Born in Delhi, India, he was involved in progressive literary movements as a young man... , 25, Umar Islam, 28, and Arafat Waheed Khan, 25, were ordered to be remanded in custody until a second court appearance at the Old Bailey Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court... on 4 September. A person is charged with possessing articles that could be used to prepare a terrorist act, and two others are charged with failing to disclose information that could help prevent a terrorist act. 11 persons are still being held without charge.
Pakistan In Pakistan, law enforcement authorities continued to interrogate Rashid Rauf Rashid Rauf Rashid Rauf was an alleged Al-Qaeda operative. He was a dual citizen of Britain and Pakistan who was arrested in Bhawalpur, Pakistan in connection with the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot in August 2006, a day before some arrests were made in Britain... , a Briton of Pakistani descent, over his alleged key role in the plot, officials told The Associated Press. Pakistani Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao said British police were conducting inquiries in Pakistan but were not involved in questioning Rauf.

23 August

Netherlands Dutch Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... police said that 12 passengers were in custody after a Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world... flight bound for Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... , returned to Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... with a fighter jet escort, Dutch police said, when several people on board aroused concern. They have not been formally charged, police said. But an airport policeman said authorities have enough information to hold the 12 for at until 26 August. The passengers who were arrested were looking into plastic bags and were busy with their cell phones, an airline source in Amsterdam said. The spokesman said the 12—whose identities have not been made public—face preliminary charges, but did not elaborate. Flight 42 returned to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Amsterdam Airport Schiphol ) is the Netherlands' main international airport, located 20 minutes southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. The airport's official English name, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, reflects the original Dutch word order... after "a couple of passengers displayed behavior of concern," according to Northwest Airlines. Some of the passengers pulled out cell phones during the flight and appeared to be trying to pass the cell phones to other passengers, a U.S. government official said. In addition, some passengers unfastened their seatbelts while the light requiring they be fastened was still illuminated, the official said. That was enough for U.S. air marshals aboard the DC-10 to break their cover. Flight attendants ordered the passengers to heed the orders of the marshals, the official added. There was no intelligence indicating the flight was at risk, and authorities are still evaluating how much of a threat the passengers posed, officials said. In a recording of communications between the pilot and air traffic controllers circulated among Dutch media, the pilot is asked if he wants fire trucks on the runway when he lands, The Associated Press reported. "No, sir," he replied, according to the AP. "Northwest is cooperating with the appropriate government officials," the company's statement said. The flight, which originated in Northwest's main hub of Minneapolis-St. Paul Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the five-state upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.-Overview:... 22 August, landed at Schiphol around noon (6 a.m. ET), about half an hour after it had left, TSA said. "The flight returned to Amsterdam and landed normally. Northwest is cooperating with the appropriate government officials," the Northwest statement said. There were 149 passengers on board, Northwest said. A spokeswoman for Schiphol Airport said the pilot had made the request to return to Amsterdam. A team of U.S. federal air marshals was on board and, along with the crew members, observed suspicious activity shortly after take-off, according to an unnamed U.S. government official. The official would not elaborate on the nature of the activity. According to the official, the crew told passengers to follow the instructions of the air marshals after at least one member of the team identified himself as a marshal. At that point, the pilot diverted the plane. As a matter of security, the Federal Air Marshal Service Federal Air Marshal Service The Federal Air Marshal Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the supervision of the Transportation Security Administration of the United States Department of Homeland Security... does not confirm which flights are patrolled by air marshals. In general, federal air marshals do not identify themselves to passengers if they believe the crew can handle a situation without assistance.

24 August

Netherlands The same flight departed for Mumbai, India's financial hub, in the morning after the rest of the passengers spent the night in hotels. Dutch authorities will release all 12 passengers arrested on a U.S. Northwest Airlines plane bound for India later, prosecutors said. "From the statement of suspects and witnesses, no evidence could be brought forward that these men were about to commit an act of violence," a prosecution statement said, adding police had searched for explosives on the plane, but found none. Indian junior foreign minister Anand Sharma Anand Sharma Anand Sharma is the present Union Cabinet Minister for Commerce and Industry of the Government of India. He took charge after outgoing Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi fell into a critical condition due to a cardiac arrest. He was also given the portfolio for Ministry of Textiles on July 12 2011... told reporters all 12 were born in Mumbai. Mumbai has also been on high alert after commuter train bombings on 11 July that killed 186 people."It does not appear to be terror related," Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner Piet Hein Donner Jan Pieter Hendrik "Piet Hein" Donner is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He is the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Cabinet Rutte since October 14, 2010.... told journalists in The Hague The Hague The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam... . A spokeswoman for the Dutch counter-terrorism office added: "There is no indication of a terrorist threat on the plane that returned to Schiphol." An Indian Foreign Ministry official said all 12 were men of Indian origin, although some apparently held other passports. Dutch authorities had granted consular access to those who are Indian nationals. The return of the Northwest plane to Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... did not lead to heightened security and did not affect other flights at Schiphol, Europe's third largest cargo airport and fourth biggest passenger hub, an airport spokeswoman said. There have been several scares since the British plot was uncovered, including at the Tri-State Airport Tri-State Airport Tri-State Airport , also known as Milton J. Ferguson Field, is a public-use airport in Wayne County, West Virginia, United States. The airport is located three nautical miles south of the central business district of Huntington, West Virginia, near the cities of Ceredo and Kenova... in Huntington Huntington, West Virginia Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at... , West Virginia West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east... 17 August; on a Pacific Blue flight from Fiji Fiji Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island... to Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... ; and on a British plane from London to Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... diverted to Italy 18 August.

25 August

The arrested A British judge has remanded in custody another of the 24 suspects arrested. Umair Hussain Umair Hussain Umair Hussain is one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England.... , 24, is charged with his brother Mehran with failing to disclose information that could help prevent an act of terrorism. District Court Judge Daphne Wickham denied Hussain bail and ordered him to appear in court on 1 September. A date for a committal hearing was set for 19 September. Hussain spoke only to confirm his name and age during a brief appearance in court. Hussain's lawyer, Timur Rustem, told reporters outside City of Westminster Magistrates Court in central London he was surprised by the charge, which relates to disclosing information about Hussain's younger brother Nabeel. He said he also believed there were questions about its legality. British media say Nabeel Nabeel Hussain Nabeel Hussain was one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England.-References:... is one of eight people still in custody who have not been charged with any offense. Rustem said he had lodged a complaint with the Independent Police Complaints Commission Independent Police Complaints Commission The Independent Police Complaints Commission is a non-departmental public body in England and Wales responsible for overseeing the system for handling complaints made against police forces in England and Wales.-Role:... about the conditions in which Hussain was held while being questioned at Paddington Green Police Station Paddington Green Police Station Paddington Green Police Station is located in Paddington, central London, England. The station is operated by the Metropolitan Police Service, and is a conventional police station, open to members of the public twenty-four hours a day. It also serves as the most important high-security station in... in north London. "He's a cheerful soul, he's taking it quite philosophically," Rustem said. "He knows it is a serious investigation."
Manchester An American Airlines flight from Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... , England, to Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... was diverted to Bangor, Maine Bangor, Maine Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine... , for security reasons, authorities said. FBI spokeswoman Gail Marcinkiewicz declined to discuss the nature of the problem.
British airports Ryanair Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport.... Holdings made good on its threat to sue the British government, asking for damages from cancellations and lost bookings after security moves taken in wake of a failed plot to blow up planes flying out of the UK to the U.S. Ryanair's (RYAAY) move, however, didn't appear intended to bolster the coffers—it's asking for £3 million ($5.7 million, €4.95 million), which it would donate entirely to a charity that works to prevent blindness. Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost airline, said it's seeking the amount of damages incurred from Aug. 10 to Aug. 16. The British government, in turn, said Ryanair doesn't have the right to seek compensation, according to a government spokesman quoted by BBC BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... News. "The purpose of this claim is to encourage the Department for Transport to restore UK airport security to the effective International Air Transport Association International Air Transport Association The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to... norm, and to prevent similar breakdowns at UK airports during future security scares by putting in the necessary police and army personnel to carry out the extra security checks whenever the government decides to double or quadruple them again, without notice," the company said. Dublin-based Ryanair has been the most outspoken of the airlines operating from the UK to criticize the UK government rules, though British Airways British Airways British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations... (BAB) executives also have criticized the government's response. Ryanair charges that the new procedures adopted after the plot had been foiled are "nonsensical and ineffective." It cited as examples: Reduced carry-on luggage limits only apply to flights departing the UK, and not inbound flights. The reduction of luggage limits to a large briefcase when the internationally accepted carry-on bag is only 20% greater doesn't improve security. The body searching of every second passenger coming through X-ray machines instead of one in four means that families, elderly couples and young children are searched as potential terrorists. Bottles, cosmetics and toiletries are being confiscated, even though passengers can buy them in duty free and bring them aboard outbound flights. "It is a pity that the UK government has so far failed to adopt the same rock-solid approach it took when it successfully restored the London Underground to normal within two days of the 7 July attacks," said CEO Michael O'Leary. Ryanair also has used the new security risks as a marketing ploy, offering seats at a discount "to defeat terrorism." Ryanair shares were little moved, rising 0.2% in European trading.

26 August

Pakistan Interior minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao said Rashid Rauf Rashid Rauf Rashid Rauf was an alleged Al-Qaeda operative. He was a dual citizen of Britain and Pakistan who was arrested in Bhawalpur, Pakistan in connection with the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot in August 2006, a day before some arrests were made in Britain... had “wider international links” and was in touch with an Afghanistan-based al Qaida leader. He did not offer any evidence to back up his claim. Pakistan has withheld information about at least seven suspects, whom security officials say were arrested on Rauf’s information. Pakistan has no extradition treaty with Britain, but Mr Sherpao said they would consider deporting Rauf to London if any such request was made to them. Rauf, in his mid-20s, is believed to be being interrogated by Pakistan agents near the capital, Islamabad. He had ties by marriage to Masood Azhar, leader of an al Qaida-linked Pakistani militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammed Jaish-e-Mohammed Jaish-e-Mohammed is a Pakistani-based, militant Islamic group established by Maulana Masood Azhar in March 2000... . Azhar has lived in Bhawalpur, a city in eastern Pakistan where Rauf had also settled. However, Pakistan has said the group had no links to the plot. Sources said that Britain had approached the foreign affairs ministry in Islamabad seeking the deportation of Rashid Rauf, the main suspect. “The request is pending with the foreign office,” the sources said, adding that it would be processed when it was passed on to the interior ministry. All that Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao could say was that his ministry had not received any such request. Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said she was unaware of any request for Mr Rauf’s deportation, but said that arrangements between Pakistan and Britain provided for such a possibility. “There is mutual legal assistance arrangement through the joint judicial cooperation working group which provides for such a possibility and cooperation. Yes, the possibility (for Rauf’s deportation) exists. It can not be ruled out”, she told. The sources, requesting anonymity, said the 26-year-old suspect, who had been picked up from Bahawalpur, had been charged with forging documents. He has not been charged with any terrorism-related offences. An FIR was registered against him at the Islamabad Airport police station in Rawalpindi. He was produced before a magistrate in Rawalpindi again 25 August after his 14-day remand had ended. He was remanded for another 14 days. The sources said it might take four to five weeks to process the case for Mr Rauf’s deportation back to England. They said Mr Rauf had been charged with another offence. Though they did not specify the charge, they made it clear that the new charge was also not related to terrorism. “He was needed for further investigation and hence the request for further remand,” the sources said. The sources said that Mr Rauf had been under surveillance for over a month but his movements were closely watched and monitored a week before his arrest. They said that Mr Rauf had made several calls to plotters in England hastening his arrest. A computer and some computer disks were recovered from his possession. The sources did not say what those phone calls were all about but said that the British investigators, despite having initial differences with the US and Pakistan on when to proceed against the plotters, concurred to arrest them once the main suspect was in custody. The sources claimed that Mr Rauf was not only a key suspect, who had met the Al Qaeda mastermind, but was also instrumental in directing finances to the plotters through South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... .
Netherlands Peter Bennink, reader of the Asian Age has written the following sentences:Sir, In their news report on the NWA flight that returned to Amsterdam instead of flying to Mumbai, your reporters suggest that the Dutch authorities had racist motives in detaining the 12 Indians (‘Dutch were racist,’ 26 August). For some reason people assume the Dutch are to blame for this whole regrettable course of events. I disagree. Firstly, the Indian "victims" should have simply cooperated with the aircrew. Apparently, the Mumbai businessmen behaved in a rather obnoxious manner. As frequent flyers, they should know how tight security measures are these days and that everyone on board is expected to stick strictly to the procedures. To me it seems that they simply paid the price of their ignorance. Secondly, it was the American staff of an American airline that decided to return to Amsterdam. If ever there was any racism involved in this whole episode, it would be in judging whether the 12 men should have been seen as a threat. This decision was made by the American crew and air marshals. On the return of the aircraft, the 12 were handed over to the Dutch authorities as suspects. Of course they were detained and interrogated. The authorities of any responsible country would do just that. And yes, they were handcuffed. As the investigation had not even started yet what else was the police to do? For all they knew they were dealing with potential terrorists. It is not every day that an airplane returns because of a potential threat from passengers. Would not the Mumbai police use handcuffs when they take suspected people from an airplane? As a frequent reader of your newspaper and a Dutch citizen I was surprised to read this rather unbalanced news report.

30 August

The arrested Another three men were charged with conspiracy to murder and preparing an act of terrorism: Mohammed Yasar Gulzar Mohammed Yasar Gulzar Mohammed Yasar Gulzar is one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United KingdomAlong with two others, on August 30, 2006 was charged with conspiracy to murder and commit acts of terrorism.... , Nabeel Hussain, and Mohammed Shamin Uddin. They are to appear in the Old Bailey on 18 September.

4 September

The arrested Eight British Muslims were remanded in custody for a further two weeks after appearing in court in connection with a suspected plot to blow up transatlantic airliners at the Old Bailey Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court... . The men, aged between 19 and 28, are accused of conspiracy to murder and preparing an act of terrorism. They are: Tanvir Hussain, 25, of no fixed abode; Umar Islam, 28, of east London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... ; Arafat Waheed Khan, 25, from Walthamstow Walthamstow Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross... , east London; Ahmed Abdullah Ali, 25 from Walthamstow; Ibrahim Savant, 25, from north London; Waheed Zaman, 22, from Walthamstow; Assad Sarwar, 26, from High Wycombe High Wycombe High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town... , Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe.... , and Adam Khatib Adam Khatib Adam Khatib is one of the suspects arrested in the UK in connection to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, and one of the nineteen whose accounts were frozen by the Bank of England. He has three siblings... , 19, from Walthamstow. They are each charged with one offence of conspiracy to murder. They are also charged with a new offence contrary to the Terrorism Act 2006 Terrorism Act 2006 The Terrorism Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that received Royal Assent on 30 March 2006, after being introduced on 12 October 2005. The Act creates new offences related to terrorism, and amends existing ones. The Act was drafted in the aftermath of the 7 July 2005... , alleging that they were preparing to smuggle the component parts of improvised explosive devices on to aircraft and assemble and detonate them on board. The will appear at the Old Bailey for a preliminary hearing via video link from Belmarsh high security jail Belmarsh (HM Prison) HM Prison Belmarsh is a Category A men's prison, located in the Thamesmead area of the London Borough of Greenwich, in south-east London, England. Belmarsh Prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service... . Prosecutor Colin Gibbs told a packed courtroom that due to the mountain of evidence, including forensic material, he expected the men to face "a very long trial of (between) five and eight months." The trial, he said, would not realistically start until at least January 2008.

7 September

European Union Aviation Aviation Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:... experts agreed on EU-wide rules on scanning laptop Laptop A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit... computers taken into aircraft Aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although... cabins, but they delayed a decision on restricting liquids in hand luggage. A decision to follow Britain United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... and the United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... in banning carry-on liquids will only be taken after more technical discussions September 11, 2006 in London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... and Montreal Montreal Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America... , the European Union European Union The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958... said in a statement. "A common European response to address this threat is urgent," said the EU's committee on civil aviation security. The EU statement said the two-day meeting had made "considerable progress" toward drawing up new rules. However officials said more technical talks would be needed before they agree on whether to ban all liquids in carryon luggage or restrict the amount of liquid that could be carried on planes. Officials said they needed more information to decide how much liquid could be carried without constituting a possible risk. European technical specialists will meet in London on September 11, 2006, and a five-day meeting of international experts will open on the same day in Montreal. Pending those talks, the EU nations also held off on any decision on new limits to the size of permitted hand luggage.
European airports Many European airports already ask passengers to remove laptop computers to be scanned separately, but until now there has been no EU-wide regulation. The EU statement said the decision to make separate scanning mandatory would "increase the ability of screeners to detect capability of concealed dangerous items." The experts also agreed on the need to phase in higher performance scanners. A spokeswoman for an organization representing several of Europe's biggest airlines welcomed the decisions. "It's a very good idea, we're glad its been implemented swiftly," said Francoise Humbert, communications manager of the Association of European Airlines Association of European Airlines The Association of European Airlines is a non-profit industry organisation, bringing together 36 major European Airlines as the voice of the European Airline Industry for more than 50 years... . She was also pleased the EU was seeking more international consultation before introducing restrictions on liquids. The AEA, which represents 31 European carriers, said it would support strict restrictions on carrying liquids and gels onto passenger planes, but oppose a complete prohibition. "We don't want a total ban, that would be unrealistic," Humbert said in a telephone interview. "It will cause huge operational problems and hassle for passengers." She said the association would accept a size limit of around 150 milliliters - around the size of a toothpaste tube or small deodorant.

14 September

Britain The M40 motorway M40 motorway The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05... was closed near High Wycombe High Wycombe High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town... by the Metropolitan Police as explosives officers investigated several bags and bottles found in the nearby woods. The police refused to confirm whether it was related to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot.

10 October

Britain The Chancellor of the Exchequer Chancellor of the Exchequer The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the... refers to his department's part in the foiling (via the Financial Sanctions Unit Financial Sanctions Unit The Financial Sanctions Unit of the Bank of England administers financial sanctions in the United Kingdom on behalf of HM Treasury. It has been in operation since before 1993 when it applied sanctions against the Government of Libya... ) of the alleged plot in a major speech to delivered at Chatham House Chatham House Chatham House, formally known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in London whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs. It is regarded as one of the world's leading... , calling it "the most expeditious and most comprehensive asset freeze the Treasury has undertaken." He added that in relation to the case, "nearly 70 homes, business and open spaces have been searched... [A]s well as bomb making equipment, 200 mobile phones, 400 computers, and a total of 8,000 CDs, DVDs and computer disks, containing 6,000 gigabytes of data have been seized." He also explained that, given that the police had to intervene early before the terrorist act, they may need an investigation regime that allows for more 28 days of pre-charge detention than was brought in by the Terrorism Act 2006 Terrorism Act 2006 The Terrorism Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that received Royal Assent on 30 March 2006, after being introduced on 12 October 2005. The Act creates new offences related to terrorism, and amends existing ones. The Act was drafted in the aftermath of the 7 July 2005... .

1 November

The Arrested The City of Westminster City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary... Magistrates' Court released two suspects, Mehran Hussain and Umair Hussain, due to insufficient evidence
British airports The Department for Transport Department for Transport In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved... announces that the restrictions on the carriage of liquids onto the planes are to be relaxed slightly on 6 November, and that passengers will be allowed to carry containers up to 100 ml into the plane in a resealable bag

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