Another Terror Attack? (Update & Bump)
UPDATE II: ABC News reports that the US warned the UK of an imminent attack at Glasgow two weeks ago. That makes today's incident a likely case of Islamist attack:
U.S. law enforcement officials received intelligence reports two weeks ago warning of a possible terror attack in Glasgow against "airport infrastructure or aircraft," a senior US law enforcement officials tells the Blotter on ABCNews.com.The intelligence reports also warned that airports and aircraft in the Czech Republic could be the targets of al Qaeda-connected terrorists. ...
A US official told ABCNews.com that the intelligence reports led to the assignment of Federal Air Marshals to flights into and out of both Glasgow and Prague.
If the US had picked up intel on this attack, it shows that we have our ear fairly close to the ground -- and that AQ has lost a lot of its competence and capability. The same sources tell ABC that the US has nothing specific about attacks here in the US, but airport security here is being beefed up just in case.
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Original post follows:
Reports from Glasgow say that a car in flames crashed into the front of Glasgow Airport, resulting in two arrests and speculation that the attack may be tied to two London car bombs discovered yesterday. If so, it's a bad week for jihadists:
Witness James Edgar told Sky News he was in the airport during the incident.He said a four-wheel drive, believed to be a Cherokee Jeep, tried to drive into the building, but was stopped by security barriers.
"I was in the airport booking a holiday, suddenly people were running as if they were missing their flight, but then we were told to get out of the airport," he said.
"A four-by-four had rammed into the building and caught on fire.
"Police were scuffling with a gentleman."
If this is tied to a campaign of terrorist attacks against the United Kingdom, it's off to a poor start. All that Jihadi U has managed to muster from its Class of 2007 are two failed bomb designs and a torch job with no damage. They've also allowed their operatives to get identified, with a good possibility of having their cells rolled up and future operations scuttled.
It's a great week's work for The Flaming Anuses at Jihadi U. If this continues, they may lose their accreditation.
UPDATE: Is there another terrorist situation in Belize? Lance at TMQ-2 says a Continental Airlines jet has been isolated on the tarmac due to a bomb threat. Most of those, however, turn out to be stunts and have nothing to do with Islamists. We'll update as more details become available.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on June 30, 2007 3:39 PM | Comments (37) | TrackBacks (4)
Comments (37)
Posted by Bill Faith | June 30, 2007 12:59 PM
So, after the same thing happens at LAX or JFK, then can we quit letting ever Tom, Ricardo and Achmed who gets the urge wander around the country with no papers? I linked.
Posted by Mark | June 30, 2007 1:01 PM
The Glasgow incident was just a lost driver from Haggis Hut.
Posted by NahnCee` | June 30, 2007 1:09 PM
Gee, two failed bombs in two different Yurp cities -- both of which didn't go off when the button was pushed.
It's almost as if a super-sleuth spy put out instructions on how to build a bomb on the internet or at Jihadi U, and instructions all had that one little missing final link between the button and the boom.
So everyone who graduated from Jihadi U now can either go with the instructions they were given on how to build a car bomb, and risk it not going off and the police immediately pouncing on them (like at Glasgow), or they can throw out their instructions as being compromised and flood back to Jihadi U for new instructions.
Which, because the administration at Jihadi U was kind enough to announce their graduation ceremonies on the internet, and the intentions of their newly-empowered mujahadeen, means that anyone headed in that direction will either be arrested or shot on the spot.
Sweet.
Posted by rbj | June 30, 2007 1:37 PM
Maybe they're a little too hung over after their graduation parties. Too much hummus and goat.
Posted by Mark F. | June 30, 2007 1:42 PM
After several minutes and multiple refreshes, my comment has not posted, so please forgive me if the original shows up later. Note the political correctness in the quote. "Police were scuffling with a gentleman." Some gentleman! There seems to be some confusion over which airport. LGF is reporting the airport in Blackpool, England, while other reports say the airport in Glasgow, Scotland.
Posted by Engineer Jim | June 30, 2007 1:49 PM
Assuming that the initial reports are true -- that the car was filled with gasoline and propane canisters -- I think everybody can breathe a little sigh of relief. It sure beats that car being packed with 100lbs of RDX and 200lbs of 10d nails. These lunatics spooked a lot of people today, but fortunately only managed to injure themselves and get arrested.
More ominous is that the fact that there are people willing to give their lives for even the most crazy attempt to kill innocent citizens. Things are going to be trouble if one of these cells comes alive that know how to crimp a blasting cap.
Posted by patch | June 30, 2007 1:50 PM
I question the timing of these events.
It's George Bush's fault!
Posted by Mike D | June 30, 2007 1:55 PM
why didnt these guys martyr themselves?
most jihadis go the whole way, but these guys reportedly got out and ran after the crash, before cops and bystanders took down.
prediction: second-generation britpakis,
30ish, underemployed, not too bright,
attend mosque with fiery wahabbi imam. parents more pro-brit than he is.
homegrown to UK, probably not al qaeda
per se. may or may not have been trained at mideast camp.
vbied's are coming to a streetcorner near you. and me.
Posted by Marc | June 30, 2007 2:24 PM
I'm not sure the word 'gentleman' means what Mr. Edgar thinks it does.
Posted by Terrence | June 30, 2007 2:57 PM
Perhaps these fellas slept through "Jeep bombs 101"
Posted by daytrader | June 30, 2007 3:01 PM
AQ has their hands full in Iraq and they are using their third string instructors to preach and teach. They know that they are graduating slugs but needed the tape for PR purposes.
Despite all their huff and puff, they have over a billion muslims to recruit from and are lucky to get a few thousand to fight the brave fight.
It is the same everywhere, look at all the hot spots and you see a few doing something to attract the press to puff up their image.
Cripes it isn't like Korea in the 50's when our troops had to deal with entire human waves charging the lines.
Sure isolated fanatics can do damage that is horrible to think about, but this still is not 20 attacks a day in each and every country on the face of the earth.
So they may have some supporters, but they are not really filling their dance card.
Posted by Terrence | June 30, 2007 3:07 PM
Or...maybe it was a trial run in preparation for a larger attack planned for 7/7
Posted by Papa Ray | June 30, 2007 3:46 PM
Yea, this is third string, homegrown, using store bought stuff, working off of internet plans...but...
One of them will get lucky and do the deed.
That will encourage others, and maybe get a real insurgent to come down and give classes and maybe even know where to order good parts and pieces for their bombs.
There is always a training cycle in learning how to build something, I think that they will improve, and like said above there are thousands more idiots that want to give it a shot.
They are saving their money right now and plotting how to destroy the stupid infidels.
And we are stupid by the way, and it will be a while before we get smarter.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
Posted by NahnCee | June 30, 2007 3:56 PM
Papa Ray - how many species, including the dodo bird, have managed to stupidize themselves into extinction? Just because there are lots and lots of them doesn't mean they will overcome. Just ask lemmings and locusts about *their* lifespan and success as a breed.
Posted by Tom Shipley | June 30, 2007 4:08 PM
All that Jihadi U has managed to muster from its Class of 2007 are two failed bomb designs and a torch job with no damage.
Cap'n, are you trying to downplay this? WE'RE AT WAR! Don't you realize there's a global jihad and we're all targets?
Now that that's out of the way, is it OK to call these guys incompetent?
And, it seems they arrested these guys, so I imagine they'd be able to determine if they were part of the Jihahi U that ABC reported on. I somehow doubt, seems like a very quick turnaround. If they were, turns JU isn't exaclty Ivy League.
Posted by Dale in Atlanta | June 30, 2007 4:18 PM
Larry "CIA Analyst" Johnson, foaming, screeching child-member of the Leftist, Anti-American/Pro-Jihadi Nutbag crowd, is on a "winning streak", isn't he?
A month before 9/11, he said Americans were too focused on "terrorism", and that there was basically no threat to the United States from "terrorism"!
Last night, he joined fellow Leftist Nutbag/Lunar Chiroptera colongy member, Herr Keith "Isn't it suspicious that when Bush drops in the Polls, these "terrorist attacks" occur?" OBERLOON, to pooh pooh the double failed car-bombing attempt in London yesterday, as the work of amateurs, and not much ado about anything!
HEY LARRY!
You Freaking NUT! You are ZERO for TWO, and about to STRIKE OUT, you freaking Anti-American/Pro-Jihadi MORON!
Posted by Jim C. | June 30, 2007 4:35 PM
"Or...maybe it was a trial run in preparation for a larger attack planned for 7/7"
That's certainly possible. But it seems too close to that date. Awareness is now greatly heightened. As a trial run, it would've been better to do it a few months earlier.
Posted by GarandFan | June 30, 2007 4:57 PM
Too bad the cops put the fire out on the one guy.
I certainly hope that if it was US Intel that tipped off the Brits, they did not get the information by waterboarding someone.
Posted by bayam | June 30, 2007 5:07 PM
No matter what you think of the writer, keep in mind that one of the "matter-of-fact" things to come out of Tenet's book was a chilling reality. American IQ recently picked up a communique between al Qaeda and a NYC terrorist cell that called off an attack because something bigger was under planning. The US had no solid intel on the original attack or the members of the NY cell.
So don't start to feel too comfortable or complacent yet.
Tom and other posters are also right- these are third string terrorists. Based on the incompetence of the operations, it's just the pissed off local Arabs at work. One of these days, the terrorists with hands-on training in Iraq are going to start bleeding out and into the rest of the world, including Britain and even the US. There's a huge terrorist training ground alive in Iraq that has more competent and dangerous people than the clowns in the UK. Again, don't start to assume that these events mean that the US is any safer.
Posted by Edgewood | June 30, 2007 5:38 PM
One of these days, the terrorists with hands-on training in Iraq are going to start bleeding out and into the rest of the world
Luckily there are plenty of American boys (and girls) in Iraq bleeding the terrorists out (in the sense of "causing them to die from blood loss") there!
Posted by Lew | June 30, 2007 5:44 PM
As one might expect, we're chewing our way up the food chain of Jihad, from the least competent toward the really dangerous ones. The "fact" that U.S. intelligence picked up something a couple of weeks ago and relayed it on to the Brits, means that there is still too much chatter required to get one of these ops underway and the folks involved are very likely expendable amateurs. Amateurs need luck to succeed.
The probability of success in this sort of business is inversely related to the number of actors required. Chatter is their weak point and the more operators, the more chatter. In a chatter-rich environment, a small and experienced and well trained and equipped group, who don't need to talk to each other or a chain of command a lot, could prove deadly. We're getting the easy ones so far.
Of course, the bit about the Americans getting a whiff could be a nice little bit of psychwar, too. Meant to keep the bad guys paranoid and force an error. See who flinches when they shouldn't. See what dog doesn't bark when it should. One never knows how far down the layers go.
Posted by Charles | June 30, 2007 5:55 PM
If Lew is right and we're eliminating the least-competent terrorists now, after 6 years since 9/11, 8 years since the African embassy bombings, 17 years since the first WTC bombing, ... then the GWOT will last about 500 years.
Perhaps, though, what we're seeing is a desperate attempt, given that Iraq may be turning hostile to AQ, to try and keep the brand name alive. It's not necessary to have success, if that's the case, because they just need to distract from their failures in Iraq, and the media, by blowing this out of proportion, will help them. If they had achieved success, they'd trumpet it. If not, they'll just keep mum, let the media have its circus, and try again.
Posted by ralph127 | June 30, 2007 5:56 PM
A prowlin’ stranger can cause a shootin’
’Cause enough of a thing is enough.
That's What I Like About the West / Tex Williams & the Western Caravan
I will not bother to ask if there is one, just one Muslim religious leader who will condemn this latest evil done in the name of the god of their prophet Mohammad, and do so publicly, unconditionally and in terms of Islamic theology. The deafening silence of Muslims that live amongst us cries out that there cannot be condemnation of these evil deeds based on the central tenets of Islam.
Why do we as a people not demand that the Muslims who live amongst repudiate those tenets of Islam that kindles the terror that engulfs us? Want to quote odds that any of the 08 presidential contenders will make such demands of the Muslims in America? Could it be that the only commandment of the post-Christian, multicultural, welfare state is that thou shall not be mean to preferred minorities. A people so rotted from within by political correctness that we lack the courage to name the enemy cannot survive much less remain free.
How many Muslims with valid British passports do you think entered America in the last 24 hours?
How’s the weather down on the Rio Grande? Don’t know how much good rags are at keeping heads dry.
What I like about the West is that it remains us that once we knew how to deal with savages. And yes I’m being deliberately, militantly politically incorrect.
What city do you think good Muslims will nuke first?
Posted by Lightwave | June 30, 2007 6:22 PM
The way I figure it, our Jihadist friends are taking credit for the ouster of Tony Blair. They know they've got the Brits on the ropes at this point, because that "stiff upper lip" has turned into a pile of Yorkshire pudding.
The UK is under attack, and Gordon Browne is getting a trial by fire. So far he's not passing muster: instead of assuring the British people behind this threat would be taken out, he's busy raising the threat level and asking everyone to be calm. Churchillian indeed!
Wake up, Gordon. You're at war because just like many of us here have been warning, it has followed your troops leaving Anbar home. There will be more attacks. And where's the British Muslim community, who should be the first people out in front of this, loudly and publically condemning the attacks?
Britain today is where we will be should the Dems get their way and we leave Iraq. And they will be using a lot worse than gasoline.
Posted by Charles | June 30, 2007 6:25 PM
ralph,
Since you insist that people speak out when they see bad things being done by their countrymen, I just want to say -- and I mean this in the best possible way -- that what you have said is way beyond politically incorrect. It's racism and religious bigotry, pure and simple, and it's abhorrent.
Posted by Papa Ray | June 30, 2007 6:41 PM
ralph,
Since you insist that people speak out when they see bad things being done by their countrymen, I just want to say -- and I mean this in the best possible way -- that what you have said is way beyond politically incorrect. It's racism and religious bigotry, pure and simple, and it's abhorrent.
Posted by: Charles at June 30, 2007 6:25 PM
Charles, I mean this in the best possible way also. Sorry that you can't stand the truth.
Your part of the problem, idiots like you. Yes...YOU.
If you think for one second that Muslims don't want to take over the world and make Islam the one and only religion and make all infidels (that's you and your family) their tax paying slaves (and if you don't cooperate, kill your ignorant ass)...
Then I am right, your as much a part of the problem as the Muslims, moderate and radical are.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
Posted by Tim Porter | June 30, 2007 7:26 PM
Papa Ray has it right. Charles, you don't have a clue. The Muslims are on a mission to force Islamic law on the entire world and when you say No they will behead you.
Wake up and smell the coffee or go to sleep and let us real Americans take care of the problem.
Posted by Pierre | June 30, 2007 7:56 PM
Well while it is true that the overall goal of Islam is to take over the world. There is a difference in how different groups are going about it. One of them is trying to lessen the number of folks they need to convert by dreaming of killing millions the other is trying to slowly, ever so slowly assimilate us...we are the borg. You know they are being polite about it...we are the frog in the pot of slowly heating water.
It is also no surprise that President Bush is actively engaged in murdering one group while he meets with the other. My question is if both have similar end states then what is the difference? Furthermore I would not be surprised at all if the group trying to slowly assmiliate us is rather tee'd off with the impatient ones. Those who murder us in the thousands while dreaming of murdering us in the millions have awoken the giant.
Lucky for the slow bunch President Bush is around to tell us all how its all good. Sort of like the Immigration assimilation...its all good.
Islam…no big deal. After all they are barbarians and when have barbarians ever been successful? Don't worry be happy the Mullahs and Imams will take care of us all...it won't matter whether we are mexican or american...we will all be Muslims.
Posted by the mission | June 30, 2007 8:20 PM
Thanks to Tony Blair, we are fighting them over there and not here.
Posted by profbacon | June 30, 2007 9:27 PM
Hey why are we talking about this one little car bomb? I`m sure that many schools have been painted in Glasgow in the past week. One car bomb gets everyone freaked out? The MSM should be reporting all the good news from Scotland.
Posted by Charles | June 30, 2007 10:31 PM
I thank you, Papa Ray and Tim Porter, for pointing out my ignorance.
I freely admit I don't know as much about Islam as many experts, but I grew up around bigots and racists and I recognize such attitudes well enough.
If you wish to express your bigotry, that is your right. Just don't expect everyone to remain silent in the face of it.
Though admittedly ignorant, I strongly suspect that demonizing the entire muslim world isn't going to marginalize and eliminate the extremists. Becoming barbarians ourselves isn't likely to aid civilization against barbarism.
Posted by muirgeo | June 30, 2007 10:35 PM
Wow! An SUV caught on fire in England! Our countries future is at risk. Let's blow something up.
Posted by A Sheepdog | June 30, 2007 10:43 PM
Charles - wake up.
A quick study of history or geography will disabuse you of the notion that Islam is a religion of peace. Study the early history when Mohammad was starting his new religion up from private revelations until his death in 632AD; it was anything but peaceful and the beheading trend started with him. You can read the Koran and see what it says about dealing with the infidels.
The only truly peaceful Muslims are the secular, non-practicing ones. Islam is really a politicial system disguised as a religion and demands supremacy in every facet of life. It has been a blight on the face of the earth since Mohammad got his ass tossed out of Mecca and is approaching 1400 years of perpetual warfare.
Politically incorrect infidel with an attitude!
Posted by canadian.infidel | June 30, 2007 10:46 PM
I personally am still waiting for the virulent protests denouncing this type of hideous crime, just like a couple of days ago over Rushdies knighthood.
Where are the muslims protesting these violent, abhorrent, criminal and barbaric acts.
Oh yeah, I forgot, tis type of action is sanctioned by the quran, silly me. Never mind!
Posted by Carol Herman | June 30, 2007 11:25 PM
Why are people attacking Charles?
Muslems got stopped at the Gates of Vienna; way baaack.
And, the one thing about Islam? It's portable. People from that part of "asia," were travelling the silk roads; and selling stuff out of their caravans for thousands of years. Among the things they supplied? Hallucinagens. Oh. And, fancy handwoven carpets. Plus, anything else they could load up on; and they'd go trekking for years and years.
What Islam gave? A chance to be a stranger, i a starnge town. And, still find a place to eat at night. Hospitality was KEY!
If you want to blame anyone NOW, you'd have to blame the Saud's. They have the wealth. They have the motive. And, in the 1980's, they invested in Dubya's failed PUBLIC company, to bail him out. Why? His dad was veep. And, they thought it was a good investment.
In 1998, Dubya went to Bandar [prince bandar] and got permission from him to run for the presidency. Still? 2000 was a close call.
Of course, in one sense "you could say" Bush turned out to be a good investment. On the other hand? The Saud's may have wasted a trillion dollars. Hard to say right now.
But I don't buy the idea that everyone who worships at a mosque is a killer-diller. To the contrary. The system holds some of the best "wives" in the world. As their women are extremely obedient. This, in itself, is the religion's selling point.
The other? As long as men congregate at mosques it's good for business.
But the Saudi's, investing as they did in the Madrassas, took this religion and turned it on it's head.
Charles Johnson, over at Little Green Footballs, has up a "crying" piece from gaza. Where a mom with a two year old (plus a newborn), had to deal with her frightened son. Because Hamas was creating explosions in the street. So she told him "it was a party outside." When the mortars burst, she told him it was elephants.
I guess the story holds for a two year old boy. But most of us would see the fear this woman is facing. Without any rational comfort zone.
The Saud's who've done this mischief? It could backfire.
As to the lack of detonations on the cars in London, you might want to think that "Achmed got the wires confused," OR? Someone's selling cell phones that happen to have a malfunction. Well? You're more than welcome to take your pick.
For the past two days we've been very, very lucky. Today, in Glasgow, it was supposed to be carnage. Instead, a mere inconvenience to travelers.
Same is true in Ibizia.
And, say what you will. Religions have been known to crap out when the people in the pews leave. And, when better educational opportunities present themselves.
While everything in the future depends on randomness.
I also know what hitler did. He's buried in a parking lot. His reign did not last a thousand years. But his name will live on in infamy. Plus, he took germany down the toilet.
People like to follow leaders. Sometimes, all they find is the Pied Piper.
Posted by ralph127 | July 1, 2007 5:14 AM
I long ceased caring about being branded a bigot. When I was a kid spent my grass cutting money on LPs by Louis Armstrong, Ella Fiztgerald, Count Basie, and Nat King Cole. Even at that tender age I believed it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing. Why I even bought an LP by that dead white guy Glenn Miller. When I professed that the music of Michael Jackson and his Jackson Five sucked I was called a racist. If your taste in music reflects your social conscience what can one do? If stating the obvious that Rap is Crap makes one a bigot then so be it.
And speaking of stating the obvious, six years after 9/11 there is no, repeat no, meaningful condemnation, much less opposition, to the ever increasing evil done in the name of the god of the prophet Mohammad from Muslims. Why is that Charles? If demanding that we ask the Muslims that live amongst us about this hard and terrible truth makes me a bigot then I can live with it. I refuse to go like sheep for fear of not asking.
Least I have offended those of Kraut extraction let me add that it is my humble belief that Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony is the most wonderful music known to man. I guess womyn might like it also.
What city do you think good Muslims will nuke first?
Posted by Lightwave | July 1, 2007 8:36 AM
Gordon Brown's speech today was much better, and he brought up many of the same points I did, especially about moderate British Muslims:
"We've got to separate if you like those great moderate members of our community from a few extremists who wish to practice both violence and inflict maximum loss of life in the interests of a perversion of their religion."
You would think that at this point in the conflict, the onus wouldn't be on the moderate Muslims to "separate" themselves from the "few extremists". Yet, Brown is still talking about the need to do something that should have been done at the very latest two years ago after 7/7.
Britain's Muslim community should have already "separated" itself from the "few extremists". The fact is they haven't, and frankly haven't done it in any major Western country that's been the target of AQ.
I'm glad that somebody is asking why that hasn't happened yet, but the real question is "What do Western governments plan to do about it?"