Terror suspects trained in Bangladesh
Image via WikipediaA dozen men, mostly Britons of Bangladeshi origin, were arrested yesterday in connection with an alleged plot to carry out synchronised bombings in British cities.The Guardian described the targets.
The suspects were held in 5am raids in London, Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Cardiff, after having been tracked meeting each other in different parts of the country. The arrests were made after information was received that the alleged plotters had brought forward their intended attacks and planned to strike crowded shopping streets in the days before Christmas. It is the first time that an alleged terrorist plot has been discovered involving several people of Bangladeshi origin. Aspiring jihadists have been training in Bangladesh after greater scrutiny was introduced for those travelling to Pakistan.
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Counter-terrorism officials launched a major operation over fears of multiple bomb attacks in Whitehall, central London, and on Christmas shoppers and revellers in the West Midlands, the Guardian has learned.This appears to be one of the plots around Christmas that were warned about. The Bangladesh angle is an interesting twist. It appears that a round trip to Pakistan is too much of a give away for potential terrorist. The age range of the men seems to fit the terrorist profile.
In a series of co-ordinated pre-dawn raids in Stoke, Birmingham, Cardiff and east London, police arrested 12 men aged 17 to 28 and began extensive searches of a number of properties.
Sources with knowledge of the operation said the arrests followed intelligence that targets including "public spaces" and shopping areas in the West Midlands were part of a suspected plot. Sites in Whitehall, including around the Houses of Parliament, were also said to be possible targets. Sources said it is believed that the targets had been scouted as part of the alleged plot.
If the intelligence and assessment by British counter-terrorism officials are correct, it means an attack may have been averted with days to spare. The multiple arrests followed a long undercover investigation led by MI5, according to counter-terrorism officials.
One source said that intelligence had led the security services to launch a surveillance operation against the men, which intensified within the past weeks.
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On my recent trip which took me through the Middle East I was on the look out for young men in this age range and fortunately did not see any on my flights. The government may not be able to profile, but I can and if I had seen any in that age range I would have kept a close eye on them and where they sat.
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