Train bomb plot to hit U.S. and France
Iraq uncovers Islamic State plans to attack air strike allies
PLANS for an ‘imminent attack’ on the underground systems in the United States and France have been uncovered, Iraq’s prime minister announced yesterday.
Haider al-Abadi claimed he was told of the plot by his agents in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, and warned that it was still going on and had not yet been foiled.
‘They plan to have attacks in the metros of Paris and the US,’ Mr al-Abadi said.
The warning that IS is planning a terror attack on the two western nations engaged in air strikes on IS in Iraq will cause alarm in Britain as it prepares to join the campaign
‘I asked for names, for dates, for cities’
today. Disturbingly, it is the second plot against the West revealed in 24 hours and comes after David Cameron warned IS is feared to be planning to strike in the UK.
Mr al-Abadi gave few details of the latest alleged plot, except to say it was the work of foreign fighters operating with IS in Iraq.
Hundreds of French and North African fighters are said to have joined with IS in Syria and Iraq, posing a potential threat when they return home. The FBI said last night a dozen US men are with the group.
France is so far the only Western country to have joined the US in airstrikes on IS targets and the group has stepped up its threats both nations. There are fears that the involvement of British war jets will increase the likelihood of a spectacular IS attack here, while others will argue the threat is already great, regardless of strikes.
More than 500 UK citizens are estimated to be fighting for IS and other groups. Around 250 have come home – 200 to London – and could pose a potential immediate threat.
The Paris metro and New York subways have both previously been the target of terror attacks. The plot appeared to be separate to that conceived by the little-known Khorasan group, an Al Qaeda offshoot of veteran fighters.
This group became the target of US bombs this week. It was reported that they were planning attacks against the West after developing an ‘undetectable’ bomb. The Khorasan Group was reported in America to be ‘nearing the execution phase for an attack in Europe or the homeland’. Senior l aw enforcement officials told ABC news that the subsequent air strikes overnight on Wednesday had ‘removed their capability to act’.
The Khorasan leader is said to be Muhsin al-Fadhli, a 33-year- old Kuwaiti and one-time confidante of Osama Bin Laden. He is said to have used the expertise of Ibrahim al-Asiri, a Saudi bomb maker for Al Qaeda in Yemen, to test ways to get explosives past airport security.
Investigators in the US say the intelligence that Asiri might be helping Khorasan was the reason the authorities on both sides of the Atlantic decided in July to ban uncharged mobile phones and laptops from flights to the US.
Mr al-Abadi made the remarks about the new plot at a meeting with j ournalists at the UN General Assembly. When asked if the metro attack plot was imminent, Mr alAbadi said: ‘Yes.’ Asked if the attacks had been thwarted, he said, ‘No.’ He said the US had been alerted.
He added: ‘I asked for names. I asked for details, for cities, you know, dates. And from the details I have received, yes, it looks credible.’
However, US National Security Council spokesman Caitlin Hayden said the White House had not confirmed any plan to attack the US and French subways. French security services said they had no information on al-Abadi’s statement.