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Glasgow attack seen tied to London bombs

By IAN STEWART, Associated Press Writer 6 minutes ago

A Jeep Cherokee trailing a cascade of flames rammed into Glasgow airport on Saturday, shattering glass doors just yards from passengers at the check-in counters. Police said they believed the attack was linked to two car bombs found in London the day before.

Britain raised its terror alert to "critical" � the highest possible level � and the Bush administration announced plans to increase security at airports and on mass transit.

Five bystanders were wounded, though none seriously, police said.

One of the men in the car was in critical condition at a hospital with severe burns, while the other was in police custody, said Scottish Police Chief Constable Willie Rae. He said a "suspect device" was found on the man at the hospital and it was taken to a safe location where it was being investigated.

Rae would not say whether the device was a suicide belt. British security officials said evidence pointed toward the Glasgow attack being a suicide mission.

"I can confirm that we believe the incident at Glasgow airport is linked to the events in London yesterday," Rae said. "There are clearly similarities and we can confirm that this is being treated as a terrorist incident."

Police foiled the plot Friday after two cars were found in central London packed with explosives � one outside a nightclub near Piccadilly Circus and another parked nearby.

A British government security official said the methods used in the airport attack and Friday's thwarted plots were similar, with all three vehicles carrying large quantities of flammable materials.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.

Police and MI5 had no specific intelligence warning of a plan to attack Scotland, but they have monitored a host of suspected terrorists and plots there, he said. It was not yet clear whether there was an international element to the planning or funding of the attacks, the official said.

The new terror threat presents Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a Scot who took office on Wednesday, with an enormous challenge and comes at a time of already heightened vigilance one week before the anniversary of the July 7 London transit attacks, which killed 52 people.

"I know that the British people will stand together, united, resolute and strong," Brown said Saturday in a televised statement.

President Bush was being kept informed of the situation, the White House said. "We're in contact with British authorities on the matter," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council, in Washington.

The green Jeep barreled toward Glasgow's main airport terminal shortly after 3 p.m. Leeson said bollards � security posts outside the entrance � stopped the driver from driving into the bustling terminal, but the nose of the vehicle smashed the glass doors.

"If he'd got through, he'd have killed hundreds, obviously," he said.

AP photographs from the scene showed the car hit the building at an angle and was poking into the terminal. The Jeep struck the building directly in front of check-in counters, where dozens of passengers were lined up, police said.

Lynsey McBean, a witness at the terminal, said the driver kept trying to push the car forward after it got stuck, and "the wheels were spinning and smoke was coming from them."

She said one of the men then took out a plastic gasoline canister and poured a liquid under the car. "He then set light to it," said McBean, 26, from Erskine, Scotland.

Police subdued the driver and a passenger, both described by witnesses as South Asian � a term used to refer to people from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other countries in the region. The previous round of terrorist activity in Britain, in July 2005, was largely carried out by local Muslims, raising ethnic tensions in Britain.

Witnesses said one of the men was engulfed in flames and spoke "gibberish" as an official used a fire extinguisher to douse the fire.

Glasgow police spokeswoman Elisa Dunn said five bystanders were treated for injuries � one of whom was hospitalized with a leg injury.

The airport was evacuated and all flights suspended. Police said Liverpool Airport and roads around Edinburgh were also closed.

The attack left passengers shaken and stranded on the first day of summer vacation for Glasgow schools. At the time of the crash, the airport was bustling with families heading out on vacation.

Meanwhile in London, police were gathering evidence from closed circuit television footage, as forensics experts searched for clues into the foiled bombings. The two Mercedes cars had been loaded with gasoline, gas canisters and nails in one of the capital's busiest areas on a night when Londoners like to go out and party. Security officials and police denied an ABC News report that they had a "crystal clear" picture of one suspect from CCTV footage.

The vehicles were found abandoned in the early hours of Friday in what police believe was an attempt to kill scores or even hundreds of people. Detectives said they were keeping an open mind about the bombers' identities, but terrorism experts said the signs pointed to a cell linked to or inspired by al-Qaida.

One car was abandoned outside the Tiger Tiger nightclub on Haymarket in the heart of London's entertainment district. The other had been towed after being parked illegally on nearby Cockspur Street and was discovered in an impound lot about a mile away in Park Lane, near Hyde Park.

London police said extra officers were being deployed at landmarks, airports, train stations and bus terminals across the capital Sunday, and had been ordered to step up the use of stop and search powers. Armed police would patrol at major rail stations, it said.

At least 450 officers would monitor a rock concert at London's Wembley Stadium on Sunday to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, police said.

Brown came to office pledging to win back the support of voters disenchanted over the Iraq war. But he backed Tony Blair's decision to send troops to Iraq in 2003 and has shown support for greater anti-terror measures that have angered Britain's some 1.8 million Muslims.

The airport incident carried reminders of a foiled plot in December 1999 to attack Los Angeles International Airport, when customs agents stopped an Algerian-born man in a car packed with 124 explosives. He was jailed for 22 years and prosecutors said he was intent on bombing the Los Angeles airport on the eve of the millennium.

What were those people sticking around to be able to continue witnessing the men spinning the tires, getting out of the car, pouring gasoline, lighting it on fire, being doused, and speaking gibberish?

Mental note: if I am ever in a situation that appears to be related to terrorism, don't stand transfixed. Leave!

I hope our dear sister Anhelyna or any family member was nowhere near the airport!
Let us keep her and all those in the U.K., Scotland and British Isles in deep prayer. May the God of peace lead us all to the peace of Christ!
Silouan, Mary's monk

Isn't this a first for Scotland in terms of terrorist attacks? May it be the last attempt also.
Wondering, I'm with you.See something strange-run in the opposite dirction. Unfortunately, I really think we all(especially those with children) need to have a mental plan for such events, though I pray we may never have need of such plans.

Peace,
Indigo

Indigo,

I would attribute the placement of Scotland on the terrorism map as a sign intended for the new Prime Minister. I was listening to an interview with a Scottish woman on NPR the other day that makes it ironic because she said the new PM is working hard to hide his Scottish roots, even trying to change his accent to show that he is a man of Britian.

I have always been amazed that the US attacks have not included Arkansas or Texas (the birth places of this and the last presidents.) I attribute that to the low population counts when compared to California or New York. The Clintons are in New York now, so I guess that could count.

I find it beneficial to think through my response to any potential difficulties or emergencies before they arise and find that I am more likely to respond as desired if I made a mental note on how to respond in the past. I encourage all here to run through potential scenarios and to formalize a plan of action.

The house catching on fire, the car breaking while driving on a busy freeway, a child choking or drowning, getting caught in the ocean's undertow, being hit by a tornado or hurricane, being hounded by the media, being robbed or carjacked, losing a job, getting symptoms of West Nile virus, being attacked when alone, having a tooth knocked out, credit cards being stolen, seeing suspicious packages, having a stranger ask for a ride or other assistance, having a severe injury such as chemical burns or an impaled object, and now seeing flaming cars ramming into the building you are in are all potential scenarios to run through. Having a plan in place could make your body kick into automatic gear instead of immobilized shock.

Yeah - well a wee update

Many folk could not get away from the airport building Oh yes they got out into the open - but then were stuck - no real way of escape thanks to the Cherokee being on fire IN the main entrance. Please remember this airport only has 1 terminal. Car parks etc are well away from the Terminal and Police refused to allow access till all cars had been checked for any further devices etc

One of the gentlemen in the car once he was at Hospital was observed to have what seemed to be an explosives belt on !! Result - Hospital evacuated !! Fortunately it wasn't

The two men in the car have been arrested and also 2 others were arrested in connection with this , heading South on the M6 - they were already in England at this point.

Security is going to be very very tight again

But we will not give in to this

Thank you for writing us, Anhelyna!
CS

Thank God that these attempts have been unsuccessful! Thank GOD!

Alice

It just dawned on me that people were hurt in this attack.We should remember to include them and Scotland in our prayers.

Wondering, you're probably right about Scotland being a wake up call for the new British PM.The timimg is probably not a coincidence.
I don't want to disrespect the solemnity of this thread, but Wondering, I have to say I chuckled at the thought of being chased by paparazzi media.

Indigo

Possible, but here in Scotland we think it more likely that the choice of Glasgow airport was due to the fact that the attackers worked at hospital in Paisley, where the airport is located, and the date chosen because it is the start of the Scottish schools' Summer vacation.
It's a wake-up call for all Scots because we got used to not being a target of the IRA and thinking we were somehow immune to terrorist attacks.
This kind of attack may or may not be compatible with Islam, but these guys are doctors, and it's certainly incompatible with the Hippocratic Oath.

the other day, I was at a Fourth of July celebration at First Presbyterian and I ran into a former fellow seminarian from Glasgow. he left seminary, went home to Scotland and rejoined the police force in Glasgow, he was here on holiday. he told me that hismparents live but two minutes from where the terroristic attacks took place, and told him that things were in quite an uproar in the area, as one can well imagine. so, my friend David seemed to luck out of being caught up in that mess. the point here is this: none of us are ever too far removed from what is happening in the world today, particuarily in the light of terrorism. none of us have the luxury of reading the paper and going tsk tsk. we all are the other person, we all live in that place where these things happen. a life long friend of mine lost a first cousin in the Towers,and others of my family have friends who lost relatives on 11 September. can something like what happened in London, Glasgow, Madrid, wherever can happen here? the chances are that it can. never assume anything, never take what you hold to be safe for granted. just my thoughts.
Much Love,
Jonn

It's now interesting how things are linking together.Sadly we in the UK need foreign trained Doctors - and of course many come with the genuine intention of getting more experience/training. But how are we going to weed out the few bad apples in the barrel ?

My suggestion - stick to the India and avoid Pakistan.

You think so?

LONDON (Reuters) - Police were holding eight people on Tuesday, at least four of them foreign doctors, over a suspected al Qaeda plot against Britain that has triggered a manhunt stretching as far as Australia.

One British security source said two of the suspects were Indian, the rest were Middle Eastern and "quite a few" were doctors -- a contrast with recent British conspiracies led by "homegrown" militants, often with modest academic backgrounds.

Two of those arrested worked at hospitals in England, one was a doctor in Scotland and Australian police also detained an Indian doctor, Mohamed Haneef, under counter-terrorism laws. Police sources said the other suspects also had medical links.

At least sticking with India is less of a chance of trouble, as most (I stress the word 'most') Muslims in India are not terrorist-minded.