8/20/2005

Good Intelligence

Scotland Yard had thwarted an attack against Parliment by Al-Qaeda. They were able to break some of the codes Al-Qaeda uses. This information possibly saved the House of Commons from a sarin gas attack on July 7.

Police and MI5 then identified an Al-Qaeda cell that had carried out extensive research and video-recorded reconnaissance missions in preparation for the attack.

The encrypted e-mails are said to have been decoded with the help of an Al-Qaeda “supergrass”. By revealing the terrorists’ code he was also able to help MI5 and GCHQ, the government’s eavesdropping centre at Cheltenham, to crack several more plots.

The discovery of the suspected Commons nerve gas plot was behind the decision to increase security around parliament this summer.
...
This weekend a senior officer disclosed that the thwarted plot mentioned in the document involved a gas or chemical “dirty bomb” attack against parliament. “The House of Commons was one of their targets as well as the Tube,” he said.

“They were planning to use chemicals, a dirty bomb and sarin gas. They looked at all sorts of ways of delivering it.” London Times


Good intelligence saved a lot more lives that awful July 7 day. It makes sense that extra security measures must be put in place. Those in the US that keep objecting to basic security measures such as having bags and backpacks checked should bear in mind that at this point, it is needed. There are those extreme elements in Islam that seek nothing less than the destruction of our way of life. They justify their horrible acts of murder on their book, the Quran.

2 Comments:

Blogger Indigo Red said...

I have been on holiday for the passed week and did not keep notes on the passing parade.

One thing I did hear from an Intelligence guy in London was that the 7/7 subway attacks were intended as follow-ups for larger attacks. At the time, the Brits didn't know what the primary targets were. I guess they know now. It could have been so much worse.

7:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hope your vacation was good. I am glad that they found out about this particular plot and seemed to have foiled it.

8:10 PM  

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