Those terrorist plots in retrospect

2002-11: the London Underground dirty bomb plot. Three North African men were arrested in London. It was speculated that they were plotting to plant a bomb or release cyanide gas on the London Underground. It was claimed that the men belonged to an al-Qaeda cell. What happened next: all terrorist charges were dropped. Karim Kadouri was jailed for four months in February 2003 for possessing a fake French passport.

2002-12: the Edinburgh Hogmanay bomb plot. Seven Algerian men were arrested in Edinburgh and London on suspicion of belonging to an al-Qaeda support cell. Some people speculated about a plot to bomb the Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh. What happened next: all charges were dropped. The police complained that they lacked the power to detain the suspects indefinitely.

2003-01: the Wood Green ricin plot. Police claimed they had discovered an al-Qaeda cell in London, planning to manufacture ricin and introduce it into the water supply. In several raids, twenty people were arrested. Colin Powell referred to ricin in his 2003-02-05 speech to the UN urging war on Iraq. What happened next: Kamel Bourgass was convicted for the murder of policeman Stephen Oake during his arrest and was jailed for life; he was later convicted for conspiring to cause a public nuisance. The other suspects were released without charge, were charged but their cases dropped, or were acquitted at trial. There was no ricin: the original police claims were mistaken. It seems that Bourgass wanted to make it but there was no evidence that he had the capacity to do so. There was no evidence of any Iraqi or al-Qaeda connection. Some people think that the original tip-off was extracted from Mohammed Meguerba under torture in Algeria.

2003-02-12: the Heathrow missile plot. Suspecting an al-Qaeda plot to fire a surface-to-air missile at planes taking off from Heathrow, 1300 police and 450 soldiers patrolled the airport and the surrounding area. What happened next: nothing.

2003-11: the Gloucester bomb plot. Police arrested Sajid Badat and charge him with conspiring with Richard Reid to cause an explosion. What happened next: Badat was convicted in March 2005 and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

2004-03: the ammonium nitrate plot. Eight men were arrested across the south of England and half a ton of ammonium nitrate fertiliser was also seized. Seven men were charged with planning to use the fertiliser to build bombs. What happened next: the trial is ongoing at the Old Bailey.

2004-04: the Old Trafford plot. Ten people, mostly Iraqi Kurds, were arrested in Manchester under the Terrorism Act. The Sun newspaper quoted a police source as saying that the suspects planned a series of suicide bomb attacks at a Manchester United soccer match. What happened next: all the suspects were released without charge. The plot was a complete fabrication.

2004-08: the Luton plot. Thirteen men were arrested in Luton, Hertfordshire, London and Blackburn. Eight were charged with conspiracy to murder. What happened next: The trial is expected to start in 2006-09.

2005-07: the London bombings. Wikipedia has articles on the 2005-07-07 and 2005-07-21 attacks. What happened next: police arrested and charged the friends and relatives of the 21 July plotters for failing to turn them in. Cases to go to trial in 2006–2007.

2005-10: the Dundee cycle path plot. Police arrested Sally Cameron for walking on a cycle path, using their powers under the Terrorism Act. What happened next: she was released without charge.

2005-11: the London video camera plot. Rauf Abdullah Mohammed was arrested and charged with making "a record of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism" (he was operating a video camera in London). What happened next: He was acquitted on all charges but immediately placed under a control order by the Home Office.

2006-04: the red mercury plot. Three London men were arrested and charged with trying to set up funding or property for terrorism, and possessing "a highly dangerous mercury based substance" for terrorism. What happened next: they were cleared on all charges. There is no such thing as "red mercury".

2006-04: Atif Siddique. Atif Siddique was charged with the possession of documents or records containing information "likely to be useful" to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. What happened next: case is ongoing.

2006-06: the Tonge Moor plot. Two terror suspects were arrested in Greater Manchester. Police said "The raids were targeting individuals suspected of possession of information that could be used for a terrorism purpose." What happened next: case is ongoing.

2006-06: the Forest Gate plot. Abdul Kahar and Abdul Koyar were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. Police hinted that chemical weapons were involved. The presence of 250 police officers and an air exclusion zone were among the precautions taken in the arrest. What happened next: both men were released without charge and the police apologized for shooting Mr Kahar. There was no chemical weapon and no plot to make one.

Notes. This is a very partial survey. By 2006-06-30, 1,047 people had been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000, of whom 158 had been charged under the Act and 174 had been charged with other offences. (But as of 2005-10 only 22 people had been convicted under the Act.)