Below The Beltway

It’s pretty clear that, if these guys had gotten away with their plans, it would have been a catastrophe:

Three British Muslims were convicted yesterday of plotting to commit “mass murder on an unimaginable scale” by blowing up transatlantic airliners in an attempt to kill thousands of people in the air and on the ground.

The terror cell, operating under guidance from jihadist overseers in Pakistan and inspired by al-Qa’ida, planned to simultaneously detonate liquid bombs disguised in soft drink bottles on board at least seven flights from Heathrow to North American cities, a court heard.

Last night, senior Scotland Yard detectives told The Independent that, if the plot had been successful, the death toll could easily have exceeded the 2,752 people killed in the 9/11 attacks on the US in 2001.

The details are pretty horrifying:

Britain’s 9/11

It was a plot designed to cause thousands of deaths on a series of transatlantic flights taking off from Heathrow. Armed with liquid bombs, the conspirators would board planes bound for America and then detonate their explosives mid-air. But all the while they were being watched by police and yesterday three men were found guilty of an attempt to commit ‘mass murder on an unimaginable scale’.

1: THE WAREHOUSE

The explosives to be used in the devices were found in or near Assad Sarwar’s home inWalton Drive, High Wycombe. A total of 40 litres of hydrogen peroxide was found with some being stashed in a suitcase that was eventually discovered in woodland near the house. Police found the explosives after a search of the woods, which added £7.8m to the cost of the operation.

2: THE BOMB FACTORY

The group bought a house in Walthamstow in July 2006, to use as a bomb factory. They paid £138,000 for 386a Forest Road. A day after purchasing the house, Abdulla Ahmed Ali enquired about buying intruder detection cameras. But unbeknown to him and his cohorts, they were being bugged. Undercover surveillance officers planted a listening device which recorded the men discussing the plot.

3: THE TARGET

Heathrow was the take-off point for the plot. The men planned to board flights from the airport to popular tourist destinations and detonate their devices in mid-air. Ali had looked up the BAA Heathrow website and the men had discussed the most popular flight destinations for British tourists with Washington, Chicago, Miami and California being mentioned.

4: THE BOMBS

The bombs were to consist of two segments: the main hydrogen peroxide (HP) charge contained inside plastic Lucozade or Oasis bottles, and the Hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD) detonator in battery casings. They planned to use the powdered soft drink Tang as a ‘fuel’ to release the explosive properties of the HP, and drops of food colouring to make the liquid bombs resemble ordinary soft drinks.

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