Archive for May 7, 2012

U.S. foils new Qaeda bomb plot against airliner; never any threat to public

By Al Arabiya with Agencies

The United States has foiled a plot by al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen to blow up an airliner and has recovered the explosive device, a U.S. counterterrorism official said Monday.

“The device was for use by a suicide bomber on an airliner,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The plot by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was uncovered at an early stage and represented a “success story” for U.S. authorities working closely with allies, the official said.

“At no point were any airlines at risk,” the official added.

The bomb was similar in scale to one employed in a failed attempt to blow up a U.S.-bound airliner on Christmas Day in 2009 but there were “notable differences,” the official said.

“This suggests AQAP is adapting its methodology, its tactics et cetera.”

The plot also never posed any risk to the public, the White House later said.

President Barack Obama “was assured that the device did not pose a threat to the public,” National Security Council deputy spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement, adding that the president had directed agencies “to take whatever steps necessary to guard against this type of attack.”

“The disruption of this IED plot underscores the necessity of remaining vigilant against terrorism here and abroad,” Hayden added in a statement.

“The president thanks all intelligence and counterterrorism professionals involved for their outstanding work and for serving with the extraordinary skill and commitment that their enormous responsibilities demand.”

via U.S. foils new Qaeda bomb plot against airliner; never any threat to public.

Wikipedia: The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. →