LONDON, 7 July — Terrorists are planning a series of spectacular attacks on American, British and Israeli targets to coincide with the anniversary of the destruction of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 last year.
Intelligence agencies in the UK, southern Asia and the Middle East are detecting an increased volume of communications between suspected Al-Qaeda cells as the organization accelerates efforts to pull off a major operation in the days around the anniversary of the New York and Washington attacks.
According to sources in Pakistan, Al-Qaeda activists there have been given a three-month deadline to work with associates from local hard-line organizations to target Western interests in the region.
British intelligence sources told The Observer that the UK is third on the list of Al-Qaeda’s preferred targets — after the US and Israel. British intelligence sources last night confirmed that credible reports of planned Al-Qaeda attacks had grown.
"The threat remains high and the background noise has been growing over recent weeks. It’s a question of when rather than if they will attempt another spectacular," said one Whitehall source. (The Guardian)
