Exclusive:
al-Qaeda's multi-million Stg plot to crash UK Internet
By Gordon Thomas
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
London-MI5 have smashed a "multi-million Stg" plot by al Qaeda to wreck Britain's Internet system. It would have crashed the London Stock Exchange and virtually destroyed the country's trading links with the rest of the world.
"It is no exaggeration to say that Britain could have been plunged back into the Stone Age in this electronic era", said a senior MI5 officer.
The plot was revealed when MI5 officers led Scotland Yard detectives on a series of raids in London, which uncovered computer files about the al Qaeda plot.
MI5 believe the plan was to "go operational in a matter of weeks". It centred on targeting Telehouse Europe, Britain's main Internet facility in the high-tech Docklands area of the city.
The facility is Britain's Internet "hub" through which virtually all the information on the worldwide web passes in and out of the country.
The plotters identified only as "terrorist suspects" were arrested and are being interrogated in Paddington Green, the police station the anti-terrorist squad uses.
No details have emerged on how the plotters intended to attack the Telehouse facility. But a source in the electronic surveillance industry said: "The strong possibility is that the plan called for a sophisticated interdiction by computers on the scores of 'servers' using the facility".
The discovery of the plot is the first success for the special MI5 unit, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure, set up in the New Year.
Staffed by some of the finest computer "geeks" in the intelligence service, along with security-cleared experts from major computer firms, the unit is designed to protect key utilities like gas or oil installations and nuclear power stations. All depend on their Internet links to operate successfully.
"Without these services, the UK would suffer serious consequences including severe economic damage, grave social disruption or even large scale loss of life", Eliza Manningham-Buller, MI5's outgoing director, has told the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Committee.
Robert Harris, the technical services director of Telehouse -- nicknamed CTU after the counter-terrorist headquarters in the American TV series, 24 -- said: "Security and business continuity are critically important. Our industry remains as alert as possible to any threat and we are in constant communication with the appropriate authority".
Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2018 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2018 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement