2007 UK terrorist incidents

Two major terrorist incidents took place in 2007, in the UK, with significant national and international repercussions.

Incidents and alerts

London

On 29 June 2007, two unexploded car bombs were discovered in London. The first device was found in a car parked near the Tiger Tiger nightclub in Haymarket and two large gas canisters and a large number of nails were found in the car.cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,70131-1272910,00.html | title=Two Bombs Were Set To Blow In London |date=2007-06-29| work =Sky News] [cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/picture_gallery/picture_gallery/0,,70131-1272919,00.html | title=Sky News Pictures - London bomb scare|date=2007-06-29| work =Sky News] The second device was left in a blue Mercedes-Benz saloon in nearby Cockspur Street,cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6255960.stm | title=Two car bombs found in West End|date=2007-06-29| work =BBC] but was not discovered until after the car had been towed away as it was found to be illegally parked.cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/29/nbomb1029.xml | author=Duncan Gardham and Sally Peck
title=Second car bomb found in London's West End|date=2007-06-29| work =Telegraph]

Glasgow International Airport

On 30 June 2007 a dark green Jeep Cherokee, registration number L808 RDT,cite news|title = Appeal over Jeep used in attack|publisher = BBC News|date = 2007-07-01|accessdate = 2007-07-01|url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6259032.stm] was driven into the glass doors of the main terminal of Glasgow International Airport, and burst into flames. A suspected car bomb failed to detonate, and the driver of the car, Kafeel Ahmed,cite news|title = Driver talked of confidential job|publisher = The Australian|date = 2007-07-07|accessdate = 2007-07-07|url =http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,22031643-601,00.html] on fire after allegedly dousing himself in fuel, together with a second suspect Bilal Abdulla, accused of being the Jeep's passenger, attacked the police. Fire extinguishers were used to put Ahmed out, and he was subsequently tackled by two police officers and bystanders.cite news|title = Policemen tell how they foiled alleged airport car bombers|publisher = The Guardian|date = 2007-07-06|accessdate = 2007-07-07|url =http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,2120138,00.html]

Alerts

* 30 June - during the evening, Liverpool John Lennon Airport was closed for eight hours, whilst a vehicle was removed and taken away for forensic testing, reopening at about 04:40 on Sunday morning.Cite news|title = Airport re-opens after car alert| publisher = BBC News|date = 2007-07-01|accessdate = 2007-07-01|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6258074.stm]
* 3 July - due to a suspect package being discovered, around midday Heathrow Terminal 4 was closed until the early evening.cite news|title = Security alert at London Heathrow |publisher = BBC news|date = 2007-07-03|accessdate = 2007-07-03|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6265674.stm ]

Intelligence and investigation

Warnings

On 30 June, "ABC News" reported that United States law enforcement officials were informed two weeks prior to the Glasgow incident of possible attacks on "airport infrastructure or aircraft" in Glasgow leading to the placement of Federal Air Marshals on flights into and out of Glasgow.cite news|title = US Warned of Glasgow Threat Two Weeks Ago|publisher = ABC News|author=Richard Esposito and Rhonda Schwartz|date = 2007-06-30|accessdate = 2007-07-05|url = http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/06/us-warned-of-gl.html]

On 4 July, "The Times" reported that an al-Qaeda leader in Iraq boasted, to Canon Andrew White, before the failed bombing, that his group was planning to attack British targets and that "those who cure you will kill you". White passed this information onto the British government, but without the specific wording, in mid-April 2007. [cite news|title = "Those who cure you will kill you" |publisher = The Times|date = 2007-07-04|accessdate = 2007-07-04|url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2023024.ece]

Investigation

The UK Government blamed the events on al-Qaida [cite news|title = PM defiant over "al-Qaeda threat"|publisher = BBC News|date = 2007-07-01|accessdate = 2007-07-05|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6258062.stm] and the two incidents were linked, by police, to the same two men. [cite news|title = Investigators: Scotland and London Bomb Attempts Linked to Same Two Men |publisher = ABC News|date = 2007-07-03|accessdate = 2007-07-03|url = http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=3342018&page=1]

By 3 July eight people, aged between 25 and 27, had been arrested. One of those arrests was made in Australia, the rest in the United Kingdom. All but Kafeel Ahmed, the Glasgow driver, have links with the National Health Service; six are believed to be doctors or medical students while the wife of one of those arrested formerly worked as a laboratory technician. Kafeel Ahmed applied, unsuccessfully, several times to the Australian Medical Association for certification in Western Australia.

Those arrested were:
#Dr. Bilal Abdullah, 27, born in the UK, and moved to Iraq as a child.cite news |first= Ian |last= Herbert |coauthors= Cahal Milmo |title= Brilliant student, doctor - and now a terror suspect |url= http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2730425.ece |work= The Independent |publisher= Independent News and Media Ltd |date= 2007-07-03 |accessdate=2007-07-07] He was arrested immediately at Glasgow International Airport. On 6 July, Abdullah, the passenger in the Glasgow car, was charged with 'conspiracy to cause explosions' under the terms of the Explosive Substances Act 1883.
#Dr. Kafeel Ahmed, aka Khalid Ahmed,cite news|title = An Indian behind the Glasgow terror plot |publisher = TimesNOW.tv|date = 2007-07-05|accessdate = 2007-07-05|url = http://www.timesnow.tv/Indian_behind_Glasgow_terror_plot/articleshow/2177064.cms] born in India, driver of the Glasgow car. Taken to hospital after the attack for treatment of burns over 90% of his body surface, he died on 2 August 2007.cite news|title = Glasgow Airport attack man dies|publisher = BBC News|date = 2007-08-02|accessdate = 2007-08-02|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6928854.stm]
#Dr. Mohammed Asha, 26, from Jordan. Arrested on the M6 motorway. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6264230.stm BBC NEWS | UK | Bomb plot: Arrests and releases ] ]
#Marwah Dana Asha, 27, from Jordan. Wife of Mohammed Asha and arrested with him on the M6 motorway. She was later released without charge. cite news|title = Woman released in bomb plots probe|publisher = Buckinghamtoday.co.uk|date = 2007-07-13|accessdate = 2007-07-13|url = http://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/latest-national-news?articleid=3028112]
#Dr. Mohamed Haneef, 27, from India.cite news|title = Ties that bind terror car bomb suspects |publisher = The Daily Telegraph|date = 2007-07-05|accessdate = 2007-07-05|url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/05/nterror205.xml] Detained at Brisbane Airport, on July 14 was charged in Australia with providing support for the attackers but subsequently released with all charges dropped on July 27.
#Dr. Sabeel Ahmed, 26, born in India. Arrested in Liverpool. A doctor who works at Halton Hospital in Cheshire.
#An unnamed 28 year old Saudi man, arrested in Houston, Renfrewshire. Reported to be a medical student working at Royal Alexandra Hospital. Released without charge on 15 July.
#An unnamed 25 year old Saudi man, arrested in Houston along with unnamed 28 year old. Also reported to be a medical student at the RAH. Released without charge on 15 July. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6899776.stm BBC NEWS | UK | Two bomb attack suspects released ] ]

ecurity effects

Threat level

These attempts resulted, on 30 June, in the threat level in the UK being raised to 'critical', the highest of five possible levels, meaning a terrorist attack was expected imminently. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6748940,00.html "Terror threat level now 'critical'"] , Press Association, The Guardian, June 30 2007] The raising of the threat threshold effectively put Britain on par with Iran, Guatemala, Jordan, Rwanda and Uzbekistan in terms of the potential threat posed to Australian nationals. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/UK-travel-warning-no-local-alert-change/2007/07/01/1183228938275.html "UK travel warning, no local alert change"] , The Age, 1 July 2007] However, on 4 July the threat level was reduced to 'severe' but that still meant that an attack was highly likely. [cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6757559,00.html | author=Press Association
title=Terror threat level scaled down|date=2007-07-04|accessdate = 2007-07-04| work =The Guardian]

Precautions

In July 2007, the visibility of policing was markedly increased, for example patrols were bolstered at Canary Wharf, home to some of the world's largest banks, [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/07/02/cnterror102.xml "City boosts patrols to meet terrorism"] , The Daily Telegraph, 2 July 2007] police were ordered to step up 'stop and searches',cite news|title = Glasgow, London Attacks Believed Tied|publisher = Time Magazine|date = 2007-06-30|accessdate = 2007-06-30|url = http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1639071-2,00.html] and there were armed police at airports and railway stations. [ [http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/other/display.var.1511395.0.0.php "Armed police may be brought in for more protection"] , Stewart Paterson, The Herald, 2 July 2007] Further, cars have been banned from approaching airport terminals and are instead directed to outlying car parks and passengers bussed in. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=FWYOEC4R03DJLQFIQMGCFF4AVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2007/07/02/nterror1402.xml "Foreign doctors at centre of terror inquiry"] , Richard Holt, Duncan Gardham, and Matthew Moore, The Daily Telegraph, 2 July 2007]

International reaction

On 1 July, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon deplored the terrorist attack on Glasgow's airport and the foiled car bomb plot in London. [cite news|title = UN chief Ban deplores terrorism in Glasgow, London|publisher = International Herald Tribune|date = 2007-07-01|accessdate = 2007-07-01|url = http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/01/news/UN-GEN-UN-Britain-Terrorism.php]

Also on 1 July, Michael Chertoff, United States Secretary of Homeland Security, announced that the United States alert levels would remain unchanged at orange for airports (the second highest), and at yellow nationally (the third highest). [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19524699/ "U.S. adds more air marshals on overseas flights"] , Associated Press, MSNBC, 1 July 2007]

Future developments

Infiltration

Concerns have been expressed that al-Qaeda might use Caucasian operatives in the future and that they are planning to infiltrate the security services. [cite news|title = How will al-Qa'eda strike next? |publisher = The Daily Telegraph|author= Crispin Black |date = 2007-07-04|accessdate = 2007-07-05|url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/07/04/do0404.xml ]

Virtual tripwire

A decision has been made to equip major UK airports with a 'virtual tripwire', a technology known as 'Video Analytics', the use of computers to monitor CCTV images that allows the computers to automatically summon the security authorities if pre-determined situations are detected. [cite news|title = Airports to get 'virtual tripwire' CCT |publisher = The Daily Telegraph|author= David Millward|date = 2007-07-05|accessdate = 2007-07-06|url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/05/nterror605.xml ]

Increased vetting of medical staff

Increased vetting of medical staff has been put in place as a result of these incidents. Around 90,000 of the doctors in the UK trained overseas, 2,000 of them from Iraq. [cite news|title = Increased vetting for foreign health workers|publisher = The Daily Telegraph|author=Philip Johnston |date = 2007-07-05|accessdate = 2007-07-05|url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/05/nterror505.xml]

References