U.S. on alert for suicide blasts

Airport security in Britain, the United States and other countries has been ramped up amid fears al- Qaida plans to use jihadists as suicide bombers in the West.

Terrorist masterminds are believed to be targeting young radicals fighting in Syria and Iraq to convince them to be suicide bombers.

It is feared that the master bomb-maker Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, from al- Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has developed a new explosive that could evade current security checks.

In the clearest indication yet on the new threat, U.S. officials warned partners to focus on smartphones and shoes.

Devices such as iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones were singled out for extra security checks on flights to the U.S. from Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

It is feared that al-Asiri may also have perfected a new type of shoe bomb. In 2001, Richard Reid tried to detonate explosives packed into his shoes on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami, but it failed to explode and Reid was later jailed for life.

Asiri is suspected of trying to develop a “body bomb” in which explosives are surgically implanted into volunteers.

Travellers now face invasive physical checks and lengthy delays this summer.

Intelligence suggests that AQAP and al-Asiri have linked up with the Jabhat al-Nusra jihadists in Syria and passed on bomb-making skills.

The alert centred on fears that al-Asiri, who was also behind the “underpants bomb” on a flight to Detroit on Christmas Day 2009, is passing on his expertise to fighters in Syria. He knows he could be killed at any point.

U.S. officials have demanded enhanced security for airports in Europe and the Middle East that have direct flights to the United States. No specific plot was mentioned, but a Homeland Security department official said the request was “based on realtime intelligence.”

France announced Friday it was stepping up security checks at its airports, in response to the U.S. warning.

The U.S. is also concerned it may not be able to prevent suspected fanatics from boarding planes after a court ruling on its “do not fly” list. A Federal Court in Oregon last month said individuals should be granted greater rights to challenge their inclusion on the list.

Even though the list has not been struck down, the ruling opens the way for a flood of challenges to a system that has been a key part of the U.S. security apparatus for nearly 13 years.

It is estimated 20,000 people are on the list — including about 500 U.S. citizens.