2006 transatlantic aircraft plot: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:44, 28 March 2025

Revision as of 14:36, 28 March 2025

Line 3:

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}

[[File:2006-08-10 police raid walthamstow london uk-NOISEedit.jpg|thumb|190px|right|Police at the scene of one of the raids, on Forest Road, [[Walthamstow]], London]]

The '''2006 transatlantic aircraft plot''' was a [[Terrorism|terrorist]] plot to detonate [[Explosive material|liquid explosives]], carried aboard [[airliner]]s travelling from the [[United Kingdom]] to the [[United States]] and [[Canada]], disguised as soft drinks.<ref>{{cite news|first=Bob |last=Sherwood |author2=Stephen Fidler |title=MI5 tracked group for a year |work=Financial Times |date=10 August 2006 |access-date=17 February 2009 |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/cbed2e12-28b5-11db-a2c1-0000779e2340.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061026170433/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/cbed2e12-28b5-11db-a2c1-0000779e2340.html |archive-date=26 October 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref> The plot was discovered initially by the British Intelligence[[Metropolitan servicePolice]] by happenstance and beganduring an extensive surveillance operation. The British Intelligence Service realised the scope of the plot, the size of the cell, their limited resources and outdated technology, equipment and methodologies required immediate large and highly advanced intelligence technologies, personnel and equipment to be deployed to assist with being able to foil the plot. Lord John Reid, the U.K. Home Secretary 2006-2007 immediately reached out to the United States CIA General Michael Hayden, Director of the CIA 2005-2009 and Charles E Allen United State Director of Intelligence in Homeland Security. The United States immediately accepted the British request for large scale assistance and hundreds of military and intelligence personnel as well as technology and equipment was immediately deployed to the U.K. to support the Metropolitan Police and GCHQ, the British Intelligence Service. With the US assets being used as well as the US military surveillance aircraft, drones and satellites, the amount of probative evidence that the U.K. was able to collect, have reviewed by CPS and ultimately used as evidence in trial proceedings comprised 65% while the British gathered intelligence and evidence comprised 35%. American government agencies were honoured to be invited by the British government to partner to identify and apprehend terrorist and to be able to disrupt and stop a planned attack that was already in a mature state of readiness. Due to the cooperation and partnership of the 2 countries working in concert, it’s estimated at least 2000 civilian lives were saved as a result. As a result of the plot, unprecedented security measures were initially implemented at airports. The measures were gradually relaxed during the following weeks, but passengers are still not allowed to carry liquid containers larger than 100&nbsp;ml onto commercial aircraft in their [[hand luggage]] in the UK and most other countries, {{As of|2025|lc=y}}.

Of 24 suspects who were arrested in and around London on the night of 9 August 2006, eight were tried initially for terrorism offences associated with the plot. The first trial occurred from April to September 2008. The jury failed to reach a verdict on charges of conspiracy to kill by blowing up aircraft but did find three men guilty of conspiracy to murder and acquitted one other of all charges. During September 2009, a second trial (of the now seven originally accused but with the addition of another man) found three men guilty of conspiracy to kill by blowing up aircraft and one other guilty of conspiracy to murder, while the 'additional' man was exonerated of all terrorism charges.<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8242238.stm |title='Three guilty of airline bomb plot' |date=7 September 2009 |work=BBC News |access-date=19 February 2009 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20160424035028/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8242238.stm |archive-date=24 April 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>