Dirty bomb - 4 arrested

Saturday 25th 22:52 GMT

Just been on the radio that 4 men have been arrested in London and are being held on suspicion of the plotting to set off a dirty bomb in London. It's also claimed they actually had the bomb built and ready to go.

Still checking the wires for more info.

Just added:



BBC
Reuters

[edit on 25-9-2004 by Britman]

Scotssman: 'Four Held in Anti-Terrorism Raids

They don�t mention any dirty bomb though... (yet, anyway)

I noticed that. I think the radio report might have been hyping it up (as they do)

If turns out to be true, then it's worrying. These 4 men could be just one cell and the planned attack may still go ahead.

Please post as soon as you have additional information. If this is not hyped up it is very disturbing to say the least. Like you said, it could just be one cell that was caught and the others could continue as planned. I hope the preliminary reports that you heard were exaggerated and that it was just a little pipe bomb or something.

Jemison

OK the latest is that the police got a tip off from a UK tabloid paper (News of the World) that these men where planning a dirty bomb attack.

Had a look on the papers web site but there's nothing on it apart from the usual tat.

Dirty bomb talk as terror cops act

"POLICE arrested four men in London under Britain's anti-terrorist law, as a newspaper claimed it had infiltrated a gang trying to buy radioactive material for a "dirty bomb".
The Saudi, whose name was not disclosed, was reportedly willing to pay �300,000 (756,000) in cash for a kilogram of "highly powerful radioactive material" from Russia known as Red Mercury.

The News of the World said the material was developed by Soviet scientists during the Cold War "for making briefcase nuclear bombs" that could kill everyone within a few city blocks."

Click link for full article...

I want to see a reliable source that says they had a dirty bomb, if they did then 99.9% chance there are more out there

According to the Independent,the 4 men were arrested in a sting operation led by investigations editor Mazher Mahmood. He was involved in the "Beckham kidnap" case where it emerged the main informant was a Walter Mitty character. The case collapsed.

news.independent.co.uk...

Four held after 'sting' uncovers alleged dirty bomb conspiracy
By James Burleigh
26 September 2004


Four men have been arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences following a sting operation organised by a Sunday newspaper, police said last night.

Three men were seized in a "pre-planned" operation by officers from the Metropolitan Police's anti-terrorist branch at a hotel in Brent Cross, north London on Friday. The fourth man was arrested later at his north London home.

The sting was set up after a News of the World reporter, posing as a "Muslim extremist", infiltrated a gang which was allegedly trying to buy radioactive material for an unnamed Saudi Arabian man.

The newspaper's investigations editor, Mazher Mahmood, went undercover after claiming to have received a tip-off that a Saudi sympathetic to "the Muslim cause" was willing to pay �300,000 for a kilogram of powerful, radioactive "Red Mercury". The chemical is said to have been developed by Soviet scientists for "briefcase nuclear bombs", but, said the newspaper, "scientists are divided over whether any actually exists".

Mahmood has gained a high profile after a series of investigations. After his story on an alleged plot to kidnap Victoria Beckham and her sons in November 2002, five men were arrested. But it emerged the newspaper's informant, Florim Gashi, was paid �10,000 by the newspaper and the case against the alleged kidnappers collapsed.

Bit of coincidence for these arrests to occur just before the BBC transmits its dirty bomb programme Dirty War


zero lift

So it appears that the 4 individuals were attempting to buy Red Mercury, for whatever reason (presumably to build a dirty bomb). Fortunately, they were caught.

They are being held under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act.

Question: Why would they be shopping in Britain instead of Russia?

Also, this British Terrorism Act seems pretty powerful in terms of holding people suspected to be involved in terrorism. I wonder why it wasn't used to hold that loud-mouth muslim (can't remember his name, will look it up) who was always stirring things up in London? Probably a freedom of speech issue - Britain suffers the same fate as we do here in the US - our laws allow people to "protest" against us while living under the safety net of our society.

A big ole TERRORIST! dump on you REUTERS. Take your P.C. attitude down the glory hole and STUFF IT!!!!! These are TERRORISTS NOW AND FOREVER!!!