The trial of the eight terrorists who planned to bomb flights with liquid explosives is underway in London. Evidence indicates close planning with al Qaeda.
This trial is focused on the failed plot to bomb a series of airliners back in 2006. All travelers are now faced with having their liquids scanned and limited on flights because of the actions of this group of terrorists.
According to Stratfor
The trial is expected to last several months, but several interesting facts already have emerged regarding the plot and the people accused of participating in it. Although a considerable amount of media attention has been focused on the revelation that two Air Canada flights (one to Montreal and one to Toronto) were among the first seven flights targeted — the others were United Airlines flights to Washington, Chicago and San Francisco, and American Airlines flights to Chicago and New York — perhaps the most interesting revelation has been the alleged role of Mohammed Gulzar.
When combined with other indicators, Gulzar’s role and travel pattern seem to confirm the involvement of the al Qaeda core leadership in the plot. The participation of the core organization sheds new light on the behavior of the core al Qaeda leaders in 2006, and gives us some insight into plots they might still be planning.
The trial evidence and analysis by Stratfor indicates the importance of using forged travel documents for the leaders of these terrorist attacts. Those carrying out the attacks normally use real identification while the masterminds use fraudulent passports so that they can “live to fight another day.”
This trial is a reminder that airplanes are still under attack by terrorist organizations. When waiting impatiently in line for your security check by TSA, realize that they have an important job to do. What we see as passengers is only the tip of the security iceberg. There are many layers of security and intelligence hard at work to make sure another attack will not succeed.
