Terror group al Qaeda is “resurgent” and looking to carry out attacks on passenger planes in Europe, UK Security Minister Ben Wallace has warned.
In an interview with British newspaper The Sunday Times, Wallace said al Qaeda – the group behind the infamous World Trade Center attacks that killed almost 3,000 people in the US on September 11, 2001 – “still aspire for aviation attacks” and is developing technology to bring down planes.
“The aviation threat is real,” Wallace said in the interview on Saturday night. “(Al Qaeda) have reorganized. They are pushing more and more plots towards Europe and have become familiar with the new methods” he added.
Officials told The Sunday Times this could include the use of miniaturized explosive devices. Last year, US President Donald Trump reportedly revealed to Russia details of an Israeli intelligence operation which uncovered an Islamic State plot to blow up planes using explosives concealed in laptops — a revelation which led to a brief ban on taking the personal computers on board aircraft.
Al-Qaeda plotting new plane attacks in Europe after ‘resurgence’ of terror group, security minister warns https://t.co/Ex2FZt92gh
— Magnus Ranstorp (@MagnusRanstorp) December 23, 2018
LESSON 101 FROM IRAQ WITHDRAWAL: A complete withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan would mean the resurgence of Al Qaeda version 2.0 serving as an umbrella org for many other regional and international terror orgs posing a threat to western and regional security.Time to ponder! https://t.co/eTMJ9fcUn5
— Tamim Asey (@tamimasey) December 24, 2018
“They have explored other ways of getting bombs on planes. We’ve talked publicly about an insider threat issue. If you can’t get in the front door, you’re going to try to get in the back door,” the minister said.
So here we have a #Christmas message from #alQaeda. Not exactly glad tidings of goodwill. It promises hellfire even for Muslims if they send greetings for this “infidel festival” & retailers if they display Xmas symbols (er, its own message shows a bearded sheikh in a red suit..) pic.twitter.com/MQQeWemWYh
— Elisabeth Kendall (@Dr_E_Kendall) December 24, 2018
Yeah but 9/11 is related to #AlQaeda not #Taliban ! and remember that #AlQaeda and taliban isn’t allies, and also remember that Osama is just an American Made since the jihad in Afghanistan against USSR, the case of #ISIS is way different from any terrorist organization
— Ahmed Bigriz (@AhmedBigriz) December 24, 2018
He pointed to a failed attack against an Australian airliner in July 2017 as evidence that aviation targets are still a favourite with terrorists: “In 2019, we should be alert to al-Qaeda. They are re-energising some previous links and support and their ambition towards aviation is real. We saw in Australia that terrorists do what works and they don’t give up.”
“Al-Qaeda sat quietly in the corner and tried to work out what the 21st century looked like, while Islamic State became the latest terrorist boy band, but they have not gone away — they have reorganized. You’re seeing al-Qaeda appear in areas we thought were dormant,” Wallace said.
“They have reorganised. You’re seeing al-Qaeda appear in areas we thought were dormant.”
Plus the resurgence of al Qaeda in Europe, according to the Security Minister.https://t.co/39XkwOe5Vo
— Principessa Melissa #FBPE (@MelisssfMelissa) December 24, 2018
The terrorist group and its affiliates were now active in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya and other countries in the Middle East under a new generation of leaders, although Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden‘s former deputy, was still its spiritual head.