Are We Falling For It Again?

Rachel Joy Larris

August 17, 2006

It’s kind of like Charlie Brown, Lucy and the football, isn’t it? The government trumpets to the media that they just averted a massive terrorist plot. They then brag about what a great job they have done, while also hinting that this indicates America is still at risk. And then facts slowly leak out that contradict the government’s line on about how immediate these so-called “threats" were. It’s happened in Lackawanna, it’s happened in Miami  and now it looks like it’s happening in London.

Craig Murray, Britain's former ambassador to Uzbekistan, who was fired for refusing to endorse his government position on torture, wrote a widely quoted post on Monday detailing how skeptical he was about this new London plot.

None of the alleged terrorists had made a bomb. None had bought a plane ticket. Many did not even have passports, which given the efficiency of the UK Passport Agency would mean they couldn't be a plane bomber for quite some time.

In the absence of bombs and airline tickets, and in many cases passports, it could be pretty difficult to convince a jury beyond reasonable doubt that individuals intended to go through with suicide bombings, whatever rash stuff they may have bragged in internet chat rooms.

What is more, many of those arrested had been under surveillance for over a year - like thousands of other British Muslims. And not just Muslims. Like me. Nothing from that surveillance had indicated the need for early arrests.

Then an interrogation in Pakistan revealed the details of this amazing plot to blow up multiple planes - which, rather extraordinarily, had not turned up in a year of surveillance. Of course, the interrogators of the Pakistani dictator have their ways of making people sing like canaries. As I witnessed in Uzbekistan, you can get the most extraordinary information this way. Trouble is it always tends to give the interrogators all they might want, and more, in a desperate effort to stop or avert torture. What it doesn't give is the truth.

Since Monday, Murray has updated his blog about the overwhelming response to his skepticism. It's worth reading both of his posts in full because he raises some pointed questions.

Still, after eight days of detention, nobody has been charged with any crime. For there to be no clear evidence yet on something that was "imminent" and "Mass murder on an unbelievable scale" is, to say the least, rather peculiar. The 24th person, who was arrested amid much fanfare yesterday, has been quietly released without charge today. Breaking news, another "suspect" has just been released too.

The drip, drip of information to the media from the security services has rather dried-up. The last item of any significance was that they had found a handgun and a rifle - neither of which could have been in any use in the alleged plot. If you were smuggling undetectable liquid explosive onto a plane, you would be unlikely to give the game away by tucking a rifle into your hand baggage.