It could have been "the Big One" ...

It could have been "the Big One"

Ten planes exploding in mid-air between Britain and the United States, killing thousands of men women and children as they dozed, read, listened to their iPods or just passed the time upon the long trans-Atlantic flights.

"Put simply, this was intended to be mass assassinate on an unimaginable scale," said agent Commissioner Paul Stepheson of Scotland Yard.

Just 32 days before the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, authorities in London announced Thursday they had foiled a carefully planned terrorist cabal to bomb up to 10 flights, arresting 24 suspects and preventing what they called "untold death and destruction."

The dramatic adventures of the day sparked uneasy memories of tribe 11.

Then, the weapons were everyday enclosed seat [i]or[/i] seats cutters. This time, it was liquid explosives made deadly with like commonplace items as a Gatorade-like sports drink and MP3 music players. Then, passengers were told not to bring nail clippers or put up with knives on board. This time, it's everything from easily moulded drinks to hair gels and toothpaste.

Then and now, U officials expected to Osama bin Laden's al- Qaida terror network.

"It was sophisticated, it had a apportionment of members, and it was international in scope" Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said. "This operation is, in an respects, suggestive of an al-Qaida stratagem but because the investigation is still beneath way, we cannot yet form a definitive conclusion.

President Bush argued "the abiding habitation is safer than it was prior to 9/11" unless warned that the arrests "are a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to devour those of us who like freedom, to hurt our nation."

ARREST IN PAKISTAN WAS [i]clavis[/i]

British authorities made the arrests in London, its suburb and Birmingham, England, after a months-long investigation.

The suspects were said to be British citizens and Muslims. "These race were born and brought up in the United Kingdom. a certain quantity of of them may have parents who were immigrants from Pakistan," the Pakistani information minister said.

A Pakistani intelligence official said the arrest of an Islamic militant near the Afghan border several weeks ago played a part in "unearthing the plot." The region is believed to be bin Laden's hideout.

A total of 24 commonalty had been arrested by the close of Thursday, including those British hearth Secretary John Reid called the "main players." More apparently were being sought

A U counterterrorism official said the suspects were organized into teams. The official said at least brace or three men were assigned to each flight, the schedules of which they had researched.

The conspirators hoped to stage a practice scamper within two days, with the actual attack anticipateed days after that, U.S. intelligence officials said.

Reportedly targeted were United, Continental and American flights from Britain to just discovered York, Washington and California. CB recents said flights to Chicago, Miami and Boston were also forward the list.

however Mayor Daley said Chicago-bound flights were not involved. "We're not named as single of the cities that the suspects had spring [i]or[/i] leap on one leg [i]or[/i] footed to target," Daley said. "There is no direct threat to the city of Chicago."

The terrorists planned to invent the explosives on the flight through mixing a "British version of Gatorade" with a chemical gel-like substance and triggering it with an MP3 player or small room phone, a senior congressional source told CNN The concoction reportedly would have been concealed in sports drink bottle

The gel was said to be made from peroxide, also used in last year's London bus bombings.

FBI Director Robert Mueller said the plan "had the earmarks of an al-Qaida plot" yet he cautioned "that does not mean that there are not others around the world that have the same aspirations."

The plan was "reminiscent" of terrorist Khalid Shaikh Mohammed's botched conspiracy to blow up bombs forward 12 airliners flying over the Pacific in 1995 Chertoff said.

'PRICE YOU PAY FOR TRAVELING'

Like 9/11 the latest stratagem was believed to be planned as a suicide mission. sum of two units of the suspects had created "martyrdom tapes" to leave behind, sources told CNN

There have been many terrorist attacks in London, Madrid and other parts of the world since September 2001

"By comparison, the London subway attacks turn the thoughts like child's play," said Andrea Nativi of the Rome-based Military Center for Strategic Studies. "The of the present day element here is their clevernes in trying to conquer the new security systems installed after 2001"

The spectacle at airports around the world also brought unwelcome memories.

centurys of flights were canceled at Heathrow and other airports in Britain. Carry-on luggage was banned in succession all outgoing flights.

The United States raised the nation's threat alert to its highest flush red for "severe," for US-bound flights originating in the United Kingdom and orange for "high" for all others.

Liquids and gel were banned from carry-on luggage forward all U.S. flights with exceptions made for baby formula and medicines.