Britain is facing a new Al Qaeda terror threat from suicide ‘body bombers’ with explosives surgically inserted inside them.
Until now, terrorists have attacked airlines, Underground trains and buses by secreting bombs in bags, shoes or underwear to avoid detection.
But an operation by MI5 has uncovered evidence that Al Qaeda is planning a new stage in its terror campaign by inserting ‘surgical bombs’ inside people for the first time.
(CNN) — A new audio tape allegedly from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden claims responsibility for an attempt to blow up a plane en route to Michigan on Christmas Day and warns the United States of more attacks.
The tape, which aired on the Arabic-language news Web site Al-Jazeera on Sunday, says “the United States will not dream of enjoying safety until we live it in reality in Palestine.”
The tape continues: “It is not fair to enjoy that kind of life while our brothers in Gaza live in the worst of miseries.”
CNN could not independently confirm the authenticity of the message, but the CIA has in the past confirmed Al-Jazeera reports on tapes from the al Qaeda leader.
In another section of the audio tape that Al-Jazeera broadcast, the voice says: “God willing our attacks will continue as long as you support the Israelis and may peace be on those who follow guidance.”
London, England (CNN) — A British man who allegedly sold fake bomb detectors to Iraq and Afghanistan has been arrested on suspicion of fraud, police said.
The British government has also imposed an export ban on the device, known as the ADE651, effective Monday. The handheld device is commonly used at checkpoints in Iraq and Afghanistan to detect explosives.
The 53-year-old unidentified suspect, who was arrested Friday, is accused of knowingly selling a product that didn’t work, police said.
Tests show that the ADE651, and similar devices, were not suitable for bomb detection, a spokesman for Britain’s Department of Business, Innovation and Skills said in a statement.
“As non-military technology, it does not need an export license, and we would not normally need to monitor its sale and use abroad. However, it is clearly of concern that it is being used as bomb detection equipment,” the spokesman said.
LONDON — Britain raised its international terrorism threat level to ’severe’ — its second highest level of terror alert — from ’substantial’ on Friday, Home Secretary (interior minister) Alan Johnson said.
“The Joint Terrorism Analysis Center has today raised the threat to the UK from international terrorism from substantial to severe. This means that a terrorist attack is highly likely, but I should stress that there is no intelligence to suggest than an attack is imminent,” he said in a statement.
“JTAC keeps the threat level under constant review and makes its judgments based on a broad range of factors, including the intent and capabilities of international terrorist groups in the UK and overseas,” the statement said.
Britain hosts an international conference on Afghanistan on January 28 that London says may set a timetable for transferring responsibility for some areas to Afghan control.
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