22/06/2006

US report reveals UK terror plans

Al Qaeda plans to hijack planes and crash them into Heathrow airport and Canary Wharf in London have been revealed in an official US security report.

British landmarks were targeted, the report says, along with other targets on the US east coast, Australia and Italy.

ABC News in the US revealed the details of the report, which was published by the US Department of Homeland Security.

The report listed nine different hijack plots allegedly planned by al Qaeda since the September 11 attacks, which showed that they planned to continue attacking aviation targets.

It is believed that the plans were disrupted by security services in 2003.

In late 2004, reports emerged about a possible plot to attack Canary Wharf, although there were few details and it was not confirmed.

The report warned that al Qaeda still appeared to be searching for new ways around improved aviation security, such as using flights from countries with less effective security screening and shifting planned suicide hijackings from domestic to international flights.

(KMcA/SP)

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