London's Heathrow Airport Shut down.....

[dipolley]

If anyone is up right now, TURN ON CNN.

London's heathrow airport has cancelled all flights going to the US. All inbound flights to London are cancelled. All due to "Imminent terrorist attack".

I don't want to misquote or anything. But turn on Cnn or which ever news agency you prefer.

From CNN
"British police say they have disrupted a major terrorist plot to blow up aircraft in flight, likely between the United Kingdom and the United States, Scotland Yard said today. Arrests were made overnight in London. UK officials raised the nation's threat level to "critical," and U.S. authorities raised the threat level to its highest for commercial flights from Britain to the United States. "

[sheek360]

21 people got arrested. they were supposed to jack 10 planes. Just saw it now on cnn

[NoRemorse]

Originally Posted by sheek360

21 people got arrested. they were supposed to jack 10 planes. Just saw it now on cnn

shit.. that's a lot.

[sheek360]

yep, thats 10 places that couldve been hit dude

[Freakazoid]

GJ Britain!!!

[Freakazoid]

wow i'm reading up on that now, looks like that could have been the start to world war 3....

[sheek360]

Originally Posted by Freakazoid

wow i'm reading up on that now, looks like that could have been the start to world war 3....

I wonder, I no longer have access to CNN. Were all the planes going to the U.S.?

[mgm1979]

and how'd they get tipped off to this MASSIVE plan??? Who's to say they aren't launching "the" attack from MULTIPLE countries???

[NoRemorse]

Originally Posted by sheek360

I wonder, I no longer have access to CNN. Were all the planes going to the U.S.?

correct. Internet... it's better than tv!

[Freakazoid]

Originally Posted by sheek360

I wonder, I no longer have access to CNN. Were all the planes going to the U.S.?

they didn't say specifically, it sounded like it was to multiple destinations, all international

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/terro...841149,00.html

Mark Oliver and agencies
Thursday August 10, 2006
Guardian Unlimited

A terror plot to kill thousands of people by detonating explosives on up to 10 transatlantic flights from the UK was disrupted by police and the security services overnight, it emerged today.
If successful, the alleged plot would have caused "mass murder on an unimaginable scale", Paul Stephenson, the Metropolitan police deputy commissioner, said.

The alleged plan was to cause near simultaneous blasts on multiple flights - with planes travelling to the US a particular target - using explosives smuggled into passenger cabins inside hand luggage.

Mr Stephenson said 21 people were in custody today following raids overnight. He said he believed the threat had been thwarted, but US officials voiced fears that individuals linked to the plot could still be at large.
At 2am, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre raised the UK terror alert from severe to critical - its highest level - for the first time. The Home Office website defines critical as meaning an attack is expected imminently.

The US government responded by raising its threat assessment to red, again the highest level, for commercial flights from Britain.

There was serious disruption to flights, with emergency restrictions barring passengers from taking any hand luggage, apart from travel documents and essential prescriptions, onto planes.

All incoming flights to Heathrow not already in the air have been cancelled. Airlines and airport officials asked passengers to rearrange flights unless their journeys were "absolutely necessary".

Reports suggested the plot revolved around liquid-based explosives, and all passengers from the UK and the US were told they could not carry liquid or lotions onto flights.

Officials at Heathrow airport said all milk for babies would have to be tasted by an "accompanying passenger".

There was no official confirmation of how many flights had been intended targets in the alleged plot, but officials said it could have been as many as nine or ten.

US counter-terrorism officials told the Associated Press that three major US airlines - United, American Airlines and Continental - had been targeted.

Some experts said it appeared to be the most ambitious plan since the September 11 2001 attacks on New York and Washington killed around 3,000 people.

US officials were taking the developments extremely seriously.

"We believe that these arrests have significantly disrupted the threat, but we cannot be sure that the threat has been entirely eliminated or the plot completely thwarted," Michael Chertoff, the US homeland security secretary, said.

There was no indication that security services had expected an attack to be carried out today, but it had been decided to move against the terror suspects overnight.

Mr Stephenson said a number of addresses were being searched. It was believed some explosives had been found, although this was not confirmed.

Most of the people detained were arrested in London, while other arrests were made in the Thames Valley and Birmingham. Sources said those arrested were British-born and had been detained as part of an operation that has been ongoing covertly for several months.

The home secretary, John Reid, said anti-terror officers had carried out a "major counter-terrorism operation to disrupt what we believe to be a major threat to the UK".

"We are doing everything possible to disrupt any further terrorist activity," he added.

Downing Street said Tony Blair, who is on holiday in the Caribbean, was being kept constantly informed of developments and had briefed the US president, George Bush, overnight.

The anti-terror operations were carried out with Mr Blair's "full support", No 10 said.

The security restrictions were causing delays of up to five hours on some flights, and acute disruption at UK airports. The problems were expected to last several days, and the Home Office was keeping the security measures under review.

British Airways said some flights were being cancelled as airports struggled to process passengers through security.

All passengers must be hand searched, and their footwear and all items they are carrying x-ray screened. Laptop computers, mobile phones and iPods are among the items banned from being carried on board.

At Heathrow terminal one and Manchester airport, queues stretched the length of the departure lounge. Passengers were frustrated by the disruption, but reporters at the airports said most were waiting calmly.

However, Sarah Challiner, a 20-year-old waiting at Manchester, told the Press Association she was "terrified ... really scared" but had been reassured by friends who were aircraft cabin crew.

Many passengers were stoical but worried about becoming bored. "Eight hours without an iPod - that's the most inconvenient thing," Hannah Pillinger, a 24-year-old at Manchester, said.

News of the terror plot unsettled the City and caused airline shares to fall, with BA shares down 4.5%.

Yesterday, Mr Reid said Britain faced its most sustained period of serious threat since the end of the second world war, telling critics of the government's controversial anti-terror tactics that they "just don't get it".

In recent months, officials have said several plots had been foiled since the July 7 London bombings, in which 52 people died.