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Brown summit scare: suicide bomber seized
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor11 Dec 2008
FOURTEEN suspected al Qaeda terrorists were detained by Belgian police today amid fears they were plotting a suicide mission against Gordon Brown and other EU leaders in Brussels.
Officials said the risk of an imminent attack had increased after one of the arrested men received the "green light" from his paymasters to go ahead.
They added that the man was believed to be mounting an operation "from which he was not expected to come back".
The police action - which follows the recent al Qaeda-linked terror attack in Mumbai - came as the 27 European leaders, including Mr Brown, French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel, met for a two-day summit.
Announcing the detentions, Belgian federal prosecutor Johan Delmulle said one of the alleged plotters had already "said goodbye to his loved ones because he wanted to enter paradise with a clear conscience".
The operation to swoop on the alleged terror cell involved more than 240 police who carried out 16 raid in Brussels and one in Liege. The men are believed to have received terror training in jihadi camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Mr Delmulle said that the information the security services had on the alleged cell "linked to the fact that the EU summit is being held in Belgium at the moment, left us with no choice but to intervene today".
He said: "It could have been an operation in Pakistan or Afghanistan, but it can't be ruled out that Belgium or Europe could have been the target."
However, one source added that at least three of the 14 men held by detectives were definitely believed to have been planning a suicide mission in Belgium on behalf of Osama bin Laden's terror network. "There were indications of the possibility that they were planning an attack somewhere," added the source.
He added that at this stage none of the men had been arrested but had been detained as a preventative measure.
Officials added that the police investigation which led to today's action was the biggest anti-terror inquiry in Belgium. Mr Delmulle said detectives had confiscated computers, data storage equipment and a pistol during the raids.
An EU spokesman said there had been no change to security arrangements for the summit.
Reader views (15)
I just don't belive Keith Price from Luton and Melvyn Windebank also from Canvey are on the same planet as the rest of us. Crash Gordon is a disaster whichever way you look at it. Two germans from both sides of their coallition have now both said McBrown's fiscal policies are simply wrong. One is an economics graduate. McBrown has a Phd in 'The Scottish Labour Party'. Gee financial advice from a Economics graduate or someone who would struggle to run a whelk stall.....I'll take the economics graduate please.
If Flash Crash McBrown has such wide backing as he and his paid shills claim then let him stand for election before he beggars us and our children, childrens children etc.
Put up or shut up!
- Rusty Shackleford, Canvey, Essex, UK, 12/12/2008 09:40
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Since when is Gordon Brown our elected leader? The only way they will win a 4th time is with corrupt postal votes and wasting billions on buying other votes. Not my idea of democracy.
- Roger, Surrey., 12/12/2008 07:54
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RE: Keith Price
I'll make a bet with you that he won't
- Jon, London, 11/12/2008 23:08
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Hmmm - sensible comments about the wrong that would have been done by these alleged terrorists (I don't like the EU bosses OR GB, but it isn't a matter for slaughter), plus point scoring jokes about solving the UK voter's problems, and topped off by fantasies of popular Labour support.
What I didn't see was someone commenting that we should not be in the least surprised that the "kill people to make a statement and undermine people's sense of security" brigade should be planning such an atrocity.
- Rogan, Irving, 11/12/2008 22:17
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Brown has bankrupt the UK by pilling huge debts onto taxpayers via the state and private sectors. He uses tax to buy votes and make people state dependent. He shows negative care for people proven by his 10 pence tax fiasco.
He encouraged a huge private debt boom with his manipulating of low interest rates close to his low inflation measure. He conned millions by stupidly and wrongly repeating 'I ended Boom and Bust', ironically while he inflated a massive bubble.
Brown must say sorry to the UK for the huge crash, 'the worst for 60 years', according to the other idiot Scot.
Brown is totally responsible for the whole mess. He is a spinner (professional at deception) boasting he saved the world. No, he enlarged the huge bubble that made the Bust so bad.
He happened to be PM in charge of the fiasco when Standard Chartered put up some solutions.
Apologies to Churchill:
...Never in the field of UK finance, has so much debt, been loaded onto so many, by so few (Brown), for so little return....
Debtor Brown will be seen as the worst PM in history.
Brown's insane target culture removed accountability, as long as a box is ticked so if babies like Baby P. die then all dodge being accountable, but are still left in charge and responsible.
This neutral morality and multi cultural accepting of anything leaves the UK morally bankrupt. How pathetic to boast of a 'moral compass', which is broken and points everywhere to get votes. It is an immoral vote compass.
- Jock, St Andrew's, 11/12/2008 21:42
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How long till we find they came from Leeds, Bradford or West Yorkshire?
- Ces, London, 11/12/2008 21:22
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Ian of Reading - you are in need of a lesson in constitutional affairs. Although most people are fed up with the way this Government has governed it was democratically elected for a five year parliament. The turnout at the last election was low and the Government rules with well below 50% of those eligible to vote but that is the fault of the electorate not turning out to vote. As for Gordon he was properly elected on the resignation of Tony Blair by the members of the majority party in Parliament. If you want things to change you'll have to get off your arse on the next General Election Day in two years time and vote.
- John, Leighton Buzzard, Beds, 11/12/2008 20:55
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If there was a general election today then Gordon's party would win for the 4th time in succession. So he clearly has a lot more fans than readers of this paper suggest
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 11/12/2008 16:59
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Looks like the world saved Gordon!!
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 11/12/2008 16:57
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Danny, the Labour Government was not elected in a free choice by UK citizens. You were allowed to vote from a list of self appointed political elite’s. A democracy is where the people get to chose that will go forward to represent them.
There is a big difference, political elites support their leader and their party, democratically elected representatives support their constituents and their country.
In a democracy it’s the people that allow the government to govern, in a dictatorship it’s the government that allow the citizens rights.
- Ian, Reading, England, 11/12/2008 16:52
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Good Riddance EU!
- Vince London, West London, 11/12/2008 16:46
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Joky comments aside, this might have been attempt to wipe out our elected leaders.
I don't have much confidence in our political leades, but the Labour government was elected by the people of this country, and when terrorists try to kill them, it is an attack upon our entire society.
- Danny, London, 11/12/2008 16:10
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Can someone not bribe the Belgian coppers to let him go again. It could get rid of most of our problems with one big bang.
- Dennis, Taplow. U.K., 11/12/2008 15:48
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The police are going to interview those who they suspect want Gordon Brown out of the way, however it is going to take a long time to interview 60 million people.
- Tom, Watford (UK), 11/12/2008 15:28
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I can't say it scared me!
- George, London, 11/12/2008 15:11
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