Shades of Air India

Planes destined for Canada were among those allegedly targeted in a British terrorism plot that dramatically changed airline travel and had the potential to eclipse the damage caused by the 9/11 attacks.

Prospective jurors in a British court were told yesterday that eight men were on trial for plotting to blow up transatlantic flights with liquid explosives in a series of co-ordinated attacks on up to 10 commercial jetliners.

While the case made headlines around the world when the group was arrested in 2006 and ushered in new security measures that restricted airline passengers from travelling with liquids, yesterday was the first time an alleged Canadian connection was revealed.

"This case concerns an allegation that in 2006 a number of men planned to create bombs which some of their number would take on board passenger aircraft flying from London Heathrow to various destinations in the U.S.A. and Canada," Justice David Calvert-Smith said at Woolwich Crown Court in London.

"It is further alleged that the bombs were planned to be set off when the aircraft were airborne and that the bombers and everyone else on board would be killed."
Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick would not comment on reports that the company's planes had been targeted in flights for Toronto and Montreal, adding he could not discuss a case that is before the courts.

"Air Canada always has and we will continue to cooperate with security agencies to ensure the safety of our passengers," he said yesterday.

Canadian officials from Public Safety and Transport Canada similarly would not comment on the specific allegations.

Patrick Charette of Transport Canada did say the department works closely with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service "to address specific threats identified by these agencies."

Melisa Leclerc, spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, noted in an email that as the trial progresses "more information will become public."

The revelation of a Canadian connection may have surprised some, since at the time of the arrest, government officials did not disclose any threat to flights bound for Canada. At the time, Day said no Canadians were involved in the plot.

Liberal public safety critic Ujjal Dosanjh said yesterday he was disappointed that he learned of the Canadian link from media reports out of Britain and not from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.

"I always believe the public's right to know is paramount," he told reporters in Ottawa.
"You also don't want to scare the public unnecessarily and I think in that sense, they may have used their judgment. But at some point, it was incumbent on them to advise us as Canadians, and if we have to hear it from the British, that's not acceptable."

Britain's largest anti-terrorism case opened yesterday with jury selection. The prosecution is expected to begin presenting its case today, at which point more details concerning the Canadian dimension may emerge.

The accused, most of whom are in their 20s and of Pakistani background, are accused of conspiracy to murder and of planning acts of violence likely to endanger the safety of an aircraft. Both charges carry maximum sentences of life imprisonment.

The accused are: Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27; Assad Sarwar, 27; Tanvir Hussain, 27; Mohammed Gulzar, 26; Ibrahim Savant, 27; Arafat Waheed Khan, 26; Waheed Zaman, 23; and Umar Islam, 29.

The security scare garnered international attention after police carried out a series of raids on homes and businesses across England on Aug. 9 and 10.
Police said they had been conducting audio and video surveillance on a London apartment they called a bomb factory, where they allege the accused experimented with bomb components.
Their plot involved a previously unknown method of attack: smuggling liquid explosives in plastic sports-drink bottles, along with detonators, which would be assembled into bombs on board.

A senior British security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Washington Post last week that the plot was a "a sophisticated piece of work" that might have killed "2,500 or 3,000" passengers.

Had the planes exploded in the mid-Atlantic, evidence would have been lost and investigators may not have been able to pinpoint what kind of bombs were used, said the official.
The massive roundup of suspects led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights in and out of Britain.

It also prompted airlines to undertake major reviews of baggage security and to restrict the amount of liquids permitted in carry-on baggage.

In Canada, passengers are allowed liquids, gels and aerosols in containers no bigger than 100 millilitres, which must fit into a 1-litre plastic bag.

Similar restrictions exist in Britain and the U.S.