UK Bomb Scare Suspects Are Britons, Not Foreigners
LONDON: In the quiet English countryside, a night of alarm has grown into a national security puzzle. British counter terror police said Monday that five men detained over a bomb scare at RAF Fairford, a base used by the United States, are all UK nationals in their mid 20s.
The men, aged 25, 24, 24, 24 and 23, all live in London. They were arrested early Sunday on suspicion of offences that include “preparation of a terrorist act,” and detectives questioned them throughout Monday.
The alarm began with a tip off that three large white vans were heading toward the military airfield in western England. US President Donald Trump said the suspects wanted to do “big damage” and had been watched by British and US authorities. Yet a local farmer offered a humbler account, saying she had called police after seeing hooded, masked men running into her fields.
Police have said little publicly, but a source close to the inquiry said an Iranian linked motive seemed most likely, with Russian sabotage or a terror plot also under review. Defence minister Wes Streeting refused to speculate on a live case, though he warned that Iran and its proxies wish Britain harm.
Tehran rejected the suggestion. Its London embassy “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” what it called unfounded and malicious speculation. Iran has long denied involvement in plots in Britain and elsewhere, though in May the UK sanctioned 12 people and entities tied to Iran over hostile activity.
The setting adds weight to the fear. Britain had allowed US bombers at Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. In July, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that any base used for such raids would be a legitimate target.
Around the base, ordinary life has paused. Police threw up a 400 metre cordon and evacuated residents from 85 homes. A bomb disposal robot crept around the white vans while armed officers guarded the gates and heavy machinery blocked other entrances. Security has also tightened at other US bases in Britain.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is receiving regular updates and cancelled at least two Labour conference events on Sunday.
For now, the vans are silent and the motive unknown. The answers will come, slowly, from the questioning rooms.
