There was speculation in the UK that the [[Islamic fundamentalism|militant Islamic]] organisation [[al-Qaeda]] could be organizing the plot, which, it was claimed, was scheduled to occur only weeks after the group threatened to attack British aviation.{{failed verification|date=September 2017}}<ref>{{cite web|author=Reuters UK |title=Police say foil plot to bomb aircraft |publisher=Reuters UK |access-date=10 August 2006 |url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-08-10T070221Z_01_L10215465_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SECURITY-BRITAIN.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210141429/http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-08-10T070221Z_01_L10215465_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SECURITY-BRITAIN.xml |archive-date=10 December 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{failed verification|date=September 2017}} One of the suspects' martyrdom video was taken from a [[fatwa]] by [[Osama bin Laden]].<ref name="natta20060828" /> [[United States Department of Homeland Security]] (DHS) Secretary [[Michael Chertoff|Chertoff]] stated the plot, which was "getting close to the execution phase", was "suggestive of an al-Qaeda plot".<ref name="CNN-SecurityChief">{{cite news|author=CNN.com |title=Security chief: Airline terror plot 'close to execution' |publisher=CNN |access-date=10 August 2006 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/10/us.security/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825054344/http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/10/us.security/index.html |archive-date=25 August 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>
In their martyrdom tapes, the suspects quoted from the [[Quran]], claimed they were seeking revenge for the [[foreign policy]] of the United States, and "their accomplices, the U.K. and the Jews" and hoped God would be "pleased with us and accepts our deed." It also called upon other Muslims to join [[jihad]], and justified the killing of innocent civilians in [[Western Countries|Western countries]].<ref name="natta20060828" />
