DAR AL HARB - U.K.: AL QUEDA IN PAKISTAN IS THOUGHT TO HAVE PLANNED TERROR INCIDENTS IN THE U.K., INCLUDING 7/7

UK bomb plotters directed by Al-Qaeda -- report

LONDON, May 31 (KUNA) -- Al-Qaeda chiefs in Pakistan are thought to have planned all of the recent terrorist incidents in Britain, including the suicide attacks in London on July 7, 2005, the thwarted fertiliser bomb plot to blow up shopping centres and the alleged conspiracy to destroy transatlantic airliners, according to a report here Thursday.

Two of the London bombers and the leader of the fertiliser plot had been to training camps in the Pakistan border areas, The Daily Telegraph newspaper said.

They were in direct contact with "core Al-Qaeda leaders" and had received orders and equipment from them or through them.

A leaked quarterly intelligence report produced recently by the UK Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, based at the London headquarters of the domestic intelligence service known as "MI5", said "Networks linked to 'AQ Core' pose the greatest threat to the UK," the daily said.

It added that recent intelligence also showed a potential threat from "AQI" or Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the network originally established by the Jordanian, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi.The leaked report said, "A member of this network is reportedly involved in an operation which he believes requires AQ Core authorization.

"We assess that this operation is most likely to be a large-scale, mass casualty attack against the West." The report said there is "no indication" this attack would specifically target Britain, "although we are aware that AQI networks are active in the UK." Meanwhile, a civilian worker with the London Metropolitan Police has been charged under the UK Official Secrets Act in connection with this disclosure.

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Pertinent Links:

1) UK bomb plotters directed by Al-Qaeda -- report