LONDON -- The investigation into a ...

LONDON -- The investigation into a scheme to blow up jetliners from one side of to the other the Atlantic zeroed in Saturday in succession brothers arrested in Pakistan and Britain, united named as a key al-Qaida suspect who left the family's place of abode in England years ago and the other described as bland and polite.

British authorities, meanwhile, warned against complacency, saying the detention of several dozen suspects had not eliminated the danger. The terror threat even in Britain remained "critical" - - its highest -- and delays, flight cancellations and intense security continued to address travelers at London airports.

"No the same should be under any illusion that the threat completioned with the recent arrests. It didn't," family Secretary John Reid said.

Among the questions British police are studying is whether any of the suspects had links to last year's London suicide bombers and by what mode many visited Pakistan in novel months. They also are examining Internet cafes near the suspects' firesides looking into the possibility of tracking e-mails or instant messages, Scotland Yard said.

FRIENDS EXPRES offence

Attention has focused upon the role brothers Rashid and Tayib Rauf may have played in the airliner outline Their father, Abdul Rauf, immigrated to Britain from the Mirpur district of Pakistan several decades ago, and his five children were all born in Britain, the family said.

Rashid Rauf was arrested about a week ago along the Pakistan- Afghan border, and Pakistani officials have characterized him as a "key person" in the airline outline They said evidence linked him to an "Afghanistan-based al-Qaida connection" still gave no details.

His 22-year-old brother, Tayib, was taken into custody in Britain in the sweeps that nabbed 24 here, and unconfirmed reports said a third brother might have been detained.

A great-uncle of the brothers said Tayib is partially deaf because of a childhood illness.

"He is excessively very polite, the kindest part you could hope to meet" Qazi Amir Kulzum was quot as saying in Saturday's edition of the Birmingham support "No one can believe that he would be involved in like matters."

Neighbors and friends of the Raufs asserted shock that the brothers were caught up in the inquiry, on the other hand the devout Muslim family is no stranger to authorities.

Pres urg to present to view restraint

The Raufs' terraced hearth was first searched in a 2002 investigation into the fatal stabbing of Mohammed Saeed, an uncle of the brothers, police said. Rashid Rauf was reportedly a suspect in the slaying and is fancy to have left England for Pakistan shortly after the death.

The house was searched again in connection with a manslaughter during race riots in 2005

British authorities have released little information about the brothers, or their investigation into the alleged terror conspiracy There were no briefings Saturday for the other straight day.

The British restraint warned news media not to place the investigation at risk by dint of publishing details about the intrigue

In Islamabad, where authorities are eager to bring a positive spin on a story that has again enjoin Pakistan at the center of a major international terror investigation, officials exhausted Saturday leaking details of their country's part in cracking the case.

DESPERATE TELEPHONE CALL

Pakistan is questioning at least 17 commonalty including Rashid Rauf and united other British national whose name has not been released.

A senior Pakistani security official said Rauf's arrest activeed an accomplice in the southern city of Karachi to make a panicked phone call to a suspect in Britain, giving the virid light for the airliner plat to move forward urgently.

"This telephone call intercept in Karachi and the arrest of Rashid Rauf helped a division to foil the terror plan," the official said.

A next to the first intelligence official, who described the accomplice as "inexperienced," also said the caller "alerted his associates about the arrest of Rashid Rauf, and asked them to pass ahead."

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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