Al Qaeda and the Doc plot

CBS/AP:

British intelligence services increasingly believe that the failed car bombings in London and Glasgow bare the fingerprints of al Qaeda in Iraq, CBS News has learned.

Intelligence sources tell CBS News that the people behind the attempts were directly recruited by Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, the present leader of the terror group's Iraq franchise.

Police investigating the plot had arrested eight people Tuesday, including at least six suspects trained as doctors, including a man of Indian nationality arrested in Australia.

Sources close to the investigation told CBS News that another two or three arrests were likely to be seen in Britain, but that two of the people already in custody were likely to be released without charge.

Later Tuesday, two men were arrested in northwestern England under the Terrorism Act, but a police statement said it was "too early to confirm whether or not these arrests are linked to recent events in London and Glasgow."

The British Broadcasting Corporation, citing law enforcement sources, reported that the suspects — two men — were arrested in Blackburn, England after they were seen delivering a number of gas canisters to an industrial site.

Sources tell CBS News that al-Muhajir recruited people for the plot between 2004 and 2005, while they were living in the Middle East, upon orders from then-al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Al-Muhajir was told to recruit young men who could easily move into Western countries, assimilate and lay low until the time came to attack. Britain has a fast-track visa program for medical students which makes it easier for them to enter the country.

The belief that this small cell of militants was recruited purposely by a major terror organization for their specific qualifications differentiates the group from the cell of "homegrown" attackers who were behind the bloody July 7, 2005 attack that left 52 people dead on London's transport network.

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Before Zarqawi met his demise a letter was intercepted between he and "Doctor" al Zawahiri discussing a plot by Zarqawi to export terror to Europe. This plot may be the "fruits" of that effort. If so Zawahiri has to be very disappointed. Al Muhajir also looks like a bumbler in this deal. It is just more evidence that al Qaeda's bench is getting pretty thin at this point.