UK Investigates Foreign State Links in RAF Fairford Airbase Attack Plot, Releases Suspects
Investigation and Security Response at RAF Fairford
By Toby Shepheard
Suspects Detained and Released
FAIRFORD, England, Sept 28 (Reuters) - British police said on Monday they were investigating whether individuals acting for a foreign state were involved in an apparent plot to attack an airbase used by the United States but said five suspects they had arrested would be released on bail.
The five men, all British nationals from London in their early 20s, were detained early on Sunday after police were alerted by a local farmer about three white vans driving towards RAF Fairford, a British base that houses US bombers that fly missions against Iran.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in July the base was a legitimate target.
Laurence Taylor, who heads Britain's counter-terrorism police, said the men, who had been arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and planning a terrorist act, would be released under stringent bail conditions on Monday.
Ongoing Investigation
INVESTIGATION IS NOT OVER
"To be very clear, this does not mean that the investigation is over," Taylor said in a statement outside London police headquarters. "They absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of enquiry."
International Reactions and Foreign State Involvement
US and UK Officials Comment
US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that the incident "might be" connected to Iran, adding that he would not have released the suspects on bail. "I wouldn't have done that," he said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was a foreign actor involved, without providing evidence or specifying details.
"What happened, what almost happened, what could have happened in the UK over the weekend is a very serious situation. It's one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor. I won't get into great detail about that yet," Rubio said on the Fox News network's "Hannity" program late on Monday.
Possible Motives and Denials
A source familiar with the investigation had told Reuters that an Iranian-linked motive was considered the most likely, although a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamist plot were also being looked at as possibilities.
Iran's embassy in London had earlier said in a statement it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations" that it was involved, which it said would fuel "Iranophobia propaganda" in Britain.
Taylor, who did not specifically refer to Iran, said he knew there was significant interest in whether the current geopolitical context had a bearing on this incident.
"Be assured, we are considering this from every possible angle, including that this may be actively committed by proxies or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state."
On-the-Ground Response and Security Measures
Police and Military Actions
POLICE REMAIN AT SCENE
Taylor said the three white vans had been subject to extensive examination, with the support of the military and forensic experts, and police still had "significant resources deployed at the scene".
Trump said on Sunday that the suspects had been looking to do "big damage" and had been under investigation by British and US authorities. However, doubts were voiced in British media about the degree to which they had been under surveillance, given how close they had come to the base.
The source familiar with the investigation said the arrests were not "intelligence-led", although security had been heightened at the base, suggesting authorities were aware of an increased threat.
Eyewitness Account
The farmer who alerted the police told reporters she had seen a group of "hooded and masked men" running into fields. The farmer, who has not been identified, said she believed it was her phone call to the 999 emergency hotline that foiled any plot and that she thought she had seen up to 10 people at the scene.
Defence minister Wes Streeting told the BBC the farmer had only a "partial picture" of the investigation, without providing further clarification.
"We know that Iran and their proxies wish to do us harm. We know that they hate our democracy, and we know that we regularly have to thwart Iranian attempts to threaten either our interests or indeed our allies," Streeting said.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a meeting of the government's emergency response committee.
National Threat Level and Community Impact
Terrorism Threat Assessment
TERRORISM THREAT SEVERE
Britain raised its national terrorism threat level to its second highest level in April after a series of antisemitic incidents in north London, meaning an attack is considered highly likely.
Police said they were investigating links with Iran to many of those incidents in which properties connected to the Jewish community or Iranian dissidents were targeted.
Security Alerts and Local Response
After the Fairford arrests, the US embassy issued a security alert saying US citizens should exercise caution and be "mindful of personal security". Security was stepped up at other US airbases in Britain.
The British government had given authorisation to the US to use bombers based at Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
In Fairford, police imposed a 400-metre cordon around the base and evacuated residents from 85 homes in the nearby village of Whelford.
"Thanks to the excellent work of the army's explosive ordnance disposal team, the scene is now safe, and the residents of Whelford will shortly be returning home," British interior minister Shabana Mahmood said.
(Additional reporting by Sarah Young, Sam Tabahriti, Sam Tobin, William James and Costas Pitas; Writing by Kate Holton and Michael Holden; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Alexandra Hudson, Gareth Jones, Daniel Wallis and Caitlin Webber)