Briton arrested in Pakistan is ‘key’ bomb plot suspect

THE extent of the Pakistan connection to the alleged airliner bomb plot was revealed last night after officials there announced the arrest of two British nationals and described one as a “key” suspect.

As Scotland Yard detectives prepared to question 24 people in custody in Britain, the Pakistani authorities identified Rashid Rauf as one of seven people held in Karachi and Lahore.

Its foreign ministry also said there were indications of an “Afghanistan-based al-Qaida connection” to the alleged plot to blow up transatlantic passenger jets in mid-flight.

The Guardian newspaper, citing unidentified British government sources, said after the first two arrests were made in Pakistan, a message was sent to Britain telling the plotters: “Do your attacks now.” That message was intercepted and decoded earlier this week.

Amid fears that an attack could still be imminent, Britain’s terror warning level remained at critical last night — its highest state of alert.

Home Secretary John Reid appealed for vigilance and warned the police could not be 100% certain that everyone involved in the plot had been arrested, but he said they were confident the main players had been accounted for.

British and US investigators, describing a plot on the scale of the September 11, 2001, attacks, said the planners sought to use common electronic devices to detonate liquid explosives to bring down as many as 10 planes.

The bombs were to be assembled aboard the aircraft, apparently with peroxide -based solution and everyday carry-on items such as a disposable camera or a music player, two Americans said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Britain asked that no information be released. A federal law enforcement official in Washington said at least one martyrdom tape was found during raids across England. Such a tape, as well as the scheme to strike a range of targets at roughly the same time, is a hallmark of al-Qaida.

Nineteen of the 24 suspects arrested over the alleged plot, at least three of whom are converts to Islam, have had their assets frozen by the Bank of England.

They are being held at police stations across London and detectives have 28 days to question them.

In Pakistan, officials claimed it was the arrests there that had triggered the police operation to dismantle the alleged plot in the early hours of yesterday.

Officials identified Rashid Rauf as a “key person”. Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao claimed he had ties with al-Qaida.

“We arrested him from the border area and on his disclosure we shared the information with British authorities,” he said.